World Englishes and English as a lingua franca in interpreter training

Abstract

The global spread of English, its diversification into Englishes or varied forms of English at meetings and conferences and the marked increase in source speeches produced by non-native English speakers are key factors impacting the work of conference interpreters today. Yet, interpreting students are still predominantly trained for contexts in which native speakers communicate with other native speakers of different languages. This paper reports on one of the first research-monitored training modules attempting to raise students' awareness of the new situation and help them to develop coping strategies for various (non-native) forms of English in the world. At the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences’ Institute of Translation and Interpreting (IUED), „global Englishes“ mock conference units were introduced into the curriculum over three autumn terms from 2012 to 2014. The paper analyses students’ interpretations of African ESL (English as a second language) speeches as well as an innovative way of conducting research. It then presents introspective data gathered from the interpreter trainees’ experience of genuine ELF (English as a lingua franca) conference performances. Finally, it discusses the implications of ESL- and ELF-speaker-induced problems for interpreter training. In conclusion, the paper draws attention to the benefits of a systematic module combining interpreting practice with theoretical reflection as well as of combinational transcription and cross-method analysis procedures