Book Review
For decades, Professor Małgorzata Tryuk has been one of those scholars who leave a distinctive and constructive impact across every research area they explore, and a teacher whom students and colleagues turn to for sensible and up-to-date advice. A recipient of the order Officier des Palmes académiques in 2013 and of the University of Warsaw award in 2016, Professor Tryuk has built an impressive career, publishing seminal works on conference interpreting, community interpreting, interpreting history and interpreter training, while at the same time maintaining an active role at the Institute of Applied Linguistics of the University of Warsaw, which she represented at the EMCI and now represents at CIUTI and EMT.
It is only natural that her 70th birthday is celebrated with a special anniversary volume gathering fourteen contributions from leading figures in interpreting studies and interpreter training. Each contributor shares not only an interest in the scientific topics explored, but an enduring professional and personal connection with Professor Tryuk. New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access is thus, as Michaela Wolf puts it in her own contribution, 'not only yet another publication on "our" issue, but especially a proof of our friendship' (Wolf, 2024, p. 36).
This 'journey' through Professor Tryuk's contribution to the profession and the latest development in interpreting studies starts with Franz Pöchhacker's overview of the academic study of interpreting from the 1990s to the present day: 'History, community, accessibility: Interpreting studies extended'. The author also presents several contemporary perspectives that are largely the result of 'the intellectual and organisational leadership of Małgorzata Tryuk in one of Poland's most prestigious centres of research and teaching in translation and interpreting', a leadership that 'has been shown to shift boundaries and prepare the ground for further extensions of the field of study' (Pöchhacker, 2024, p. 31). The paper draws a thorough portrait of Professor Tryuk, both as a researcher and a trainer of researchers, in the context of the history of her field of study.
Using Marc Augé's concept of non-place and drawing on a close reading of some 450 survivors' reports in eight different languages, Michaela Wolf, in her contribution 'Interpreting under threat: Nazi concentration camps as "non-places"', provides a deeper understanding of the communication patterns that emerged within the context of concentration camps. Her analysis sheds light on the role interpreters played in this extremely violent environment, a topic to which Professor Tryuk has made substantial contributions over the years (two examples of such contributions are Tryuk, 2010 and Tryuk, 2015).
In 'Interpreting and translation in military intelligence interrogations: A social-systemic perspective', Sergey Tyulenev takes an innovative approach examining the specificities and, we might say, paradoxes of a setting that remains largely underexplored in Translation and Interpreting Studies. Grounded in Niklas Luhmann's social systems theory, the author highlights the 'complex dynamics between layers of the socio-systemic boundary' (Tyulenev, 2024, p. 55). He examines how these dynamics play out, whether the interlinguistic transfer is performed by the interrogator themselves or an interpreter. Elisabet Tiselius gives a thoroughly documented answer to the question 'Ethics of interpreting professions: One size fits all?', another topic that Tryuk (2015) has explored in depth. The paper is structured around the various interpreter professions and highlights their differences and similarities in terms of ethical approaches, concluding that 'a code of professional ethics will not have an answer to every situation' (Tiselius, 2024, p. 88), let alone for every interpreting profession. Through the careful analysis of each interpreting context and 'virtue', this research makes a useful contribution to reflection on the topic and can serve as a basis for discussions in training settings.
'In the footsteps of Professor Małgorzata Tryuk's research' (p. 93), whose research in court and community interpreting has been ground-breaking, Agnieszka Biernacka ('Still the Cinderella of interpretation? Court interpreting in Poland revisited') explores the topic in detail. Every aspect – from status to competences, from modes to ethics and more – is examined in light of the latest international research. Consequently, the reader gains a broader overview of the profession, even though the author focuses on the situation in Poland. The extensive bibliography is particularly helpful for anyone wishing to undertake similar research in other geographical areas.
Yet another contribution with potential benefits that extend beyond its niche topic is Aleksandra Kalata-Zawłocka's 'Preparation for interpreting in TV settings: Strategies employed by signed language interpreters across Europe'. Drawing on a comprehensive and balanced online survey completed by 83 signed language interpreters, the author identifies the most common pre-assignment, on-assignment and post-assignment preparation strategies currently in use. While these strategies are specifically observed in the context of signed language interpreting for television, most of them are equally valid for other forms of interpreting, making this study widely applicable.
In Belgium, the interpreter's role as perceived by the users of their services has been the focus of several projects. Heidi Salaets and Katalin Balogh, authors of 'Access to justice for vulnerable groups in society: Minors in Belgium as a case', are set to present their work in this area as part of three recent projects – Co-Minor- N/ QUEST I, Co-Minor-IN/ QUEST II and ChiLLS (Children in Legal Language Settings) – as well as through the Interprofessional Education (IPE) programme, which they 'organised for stakeholders involved in interpreter-mediated questioning of minors' (Balogh et. al., 2016, p. 141). An important outcome of this work is a free manual available in five languages[1] which helps 'the facilitator to tailor the training according to the most relevant needs of the potential participants who by definition are diverse and come from different backgrounds' (p. 146). The authors' work has had an impressive outreach and should certainly be replicated in more countries.
Yet another generous initiative is presented in 'Exodus, refugees, and inclusion of the Afghan population in Spain. The project Get To Know To Keep In Mind by Carmen Valero Garcés. Conducted from March 2022 to March 2023, and described in detail in the paper, this project offers a comprehensive exploration of the challenges faced by refugees. It could also serve as a model for socially oriented research that delivers quantifiable results that directly benefit people in need. An experienced trainer and researcher, Alessandra Riccardi became interested in the history of the profession thanks to Professor Tryuk and now tackles this topic from the perspective of 'the opportunity to reflect on the interpreter's role and how it developed through centuries, in particular during turning points in civilisation' (p. 175). Her paper 'Interpreter training: A never-ending process' draws on the experiences recorded in the police detention camp Risiera di San Sabba in 1943 and during the Nuremberg trials, demonstrating history's potential to assist trainees today:
'[e]xamples taken from the pioneers may help them [interpreting students] understand that even great interpreters had to struggle to obtain a fluent delivery and the right pace that seem so natural and spontaneous encouraging them to continue their studies knowing that present circumstances are much easier compared to what pioneer interpreters had to go through in the past' (p. 186).
A strong supporter of the concept of community of practice in interpreter training, Danielle D'Hayer presents its potential benefits in 'When a CoP mindset combined with hybrid pedagogy breaks silos to enhance interprofessional multilingual experiential learning and an inclusive participation of multiple communities. The case study of mock conferences for conference interpreting education at London Metropolitan University'. This very organised and motivating working model responds to the challenges of today's world by leveraging the tools provided by technology and interpreter pedagogy. It can be adapted by other schools to involve students at all levels of training and to create a network of professionals who recognise the high value of shared practice.
AI is undoubtedly the most widely discussed topic nowadays concerning the future of interpreting, and taking stock of professionals' and trainees' opinions on the topic is a highly relevant way to prepare for what may lie ahead. In 'Artificial intelligence from the perspective of students and interpreters', Ivana Čeňková presents findings from a 2020 questionnaire distributed to students and interpreter trainers at Charles University, as well as to Czech interpreters, and compared the results with those from an EMCI survey on the same topic. This study, which distinguishes purely automatic interpreting from AI-assisted interpreting, concludes on an optimistic note, stating that we can 'expect that AI will soon be able to assist interpreters and make their jobs easier' (p. 237).
Focusing on the basics of the profession while using present-day research tools, Anna Jelec, Karol Bartkiewicz, Katarzyna Czarnocka and Joanna Ziobro-Strzępek take a comparative look at note-taking in both 'no training' and 'after training' conditions, comparing the volume of notes and their density. Their novel and objective approach to note-taking analysis in 'Why not(es)? Automatic analysis of notes for consecutive interpreting' offers valuable insight into the benefits of consecutive interpreting training, accompanied by an exhaustive bibliography on the topic, making this paper a valuable contribution with the potential to inspire new approaches to teaching note-taking.
Tomasz Korybski ('Hybrid and synchronous simultaneous interpreter training: Configurations, constraints, opportunities and perceptions') reflects on the strengths and weaknesses of blended training, drawing on his experience at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and examining the potential of hybrid interpreter training in the near future. He concludes on a positive note, stating that 'learning new skills and new teaching modes with a significant technological component is a must for interpreter trainers, but since most of them are or have been practising interpreters, acquiring new knowledge and rapidly adapting to a new work environment is second nature to them anyway.' (p. 285)
The relatively recent experience of the pandemic, with all the changes it brought to teaching routines, continues to fuel reflection on the best ways to train interpreters. In line with Tomasz Korybski's perspective, Wojciech Figiel ('Teaching simultaneous interpreting during the COVID-19 pandemic: Technology, society, access') shares his and his students' experiences to highlight 'the importance of support from disability activists in testing and adopting technical solutions accessible for all' (p. 289). The theory of capitals by Pierre Bourdieu and autoethnography form the theoretical framework of a very clear and systematic outlining of an experience in which we may recognise ourselves, but from which the author manages to draw more constructive and better-defined lessons than is typically the case. This autoethnographical and capital-wise reflection on one's teaching experience is indeed inspiring.
Małgorzata Tryuk's exceptional contribution to the field of interpreting studies resonates through the richness and diversity of the contributions to this volume, written by researchers who have all been inspired – as colleagues, students, friends – by her work and her generous spirit.
References
- Balogh, K., Salaets, H., Van Schoor, D. (2016). TRAILLD: Training in Languages of Lesser Diffusion. Training of Legal Interpreters in LLDS. LannooCampus Publishers. https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/tolkwetenschap/projecten/trailld/training-in-languages-of-lesser-fiffusion
- Biernacka, A. & Figiel, W. (Eds.). New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access. Peter Lang. https://doi.org/10.3726/b21104
- Biernacka, A. (2024). Still the Cinderella of interpretation? Court interpreting in Poland revisited. In A. Biernacka & W. Figiel (Eds.), New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access (pp. 93-114). Peter Lang.
- Čeňková, I. (2024). Artificial intelligence from the perspective of students and interpreters. In A. Biernacka & W. Figiel (Eds.), New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access (pp. 221-241). Peter Lang.
- Figiel, W. (2024). Teaching simultaneous interpreting during the COVID-19 pandemic: Technology, society, access. In A. Biernacka & W. Figiel (Eds.), New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access (pp. 289-302). Peter Lang.
- Korybski, T. (2024). Hybrid and synchronous simultaneous interpreter training: Configurations, constraints, opportunities and perceptions. In A. Biernacka & W. Figiel (Eds.), New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access (pp. 269-287). Peter Lang.
- Pöchhacker, F. (2024). History, community, accessibility: Interpreting studies extended'. In A. Biernacka & W. Figiel (Eds.), New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access (pp. 15-34). Peter Lang.
- Riccardi, A. (2024). Interpreter training: A never-ending process. In A. Biernacka & W. Figiel (Eds.), New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access (pp. 175-188). Peter Lang.
- Salaets, H. and Balogh, K. (2024). Access to justice for vulnerable groups in society: Minors in Belgium as a case. In A. Biernacka & W. Figiel (Eds.), New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access (pp. 141-159). Peter Lang.
- Tiselius, E. (2024). Ethics of interpreting professions: One size fits all?. In A. Biernacka & W. Figiel (Eds.), New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access (pp. 77-91). Peter Lang.
- Tryuk, M. (2007). Community interpreting in Poland. The Critical Link, 4, 95-105. https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.70.12try
- Tryuk, M. (2010). Interpreting in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Interpreting, 12(2), 125-145. https://doi.org/10.1075/intp.12.2
- Tryuk, M. (2015). On Ethics and Interpreters. Peter Lang.
- Tyulenev, S. (2024). Interpreting and translation in military intelligence interrogations: A social-systemic perspective. In A. Biernacka & W. Figiel (Eds.), New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access (pp. 55-75). Peter Lang.
- Wolf, M. (2024). Interpreting under threat: Nazi concentration camps as "non-places". In A. Biernacka & W. Figiel (Eds.), New Insights into Interpreting Studies. Technology, Society and Access (pp. 35-53). Peter Lang.