As a result of globalization and of the continuous development and improvement of ICT, spoken language travels through new devices and media. Similar trends can be observed in the field of spoken-language interpreting where, alongside traditional onsite interpreting (i.e. where the interpreter and the speakers share the same space), remote interpreting is spreading through the use of telephone and videoconferencing. There is therefore a strong need for updating existing theoretical models of oral discourse and interpreter-mediated communication, and existing approaches to interpreter education. This need becomes even more evident when considering the main pillars of the European Digital Agenda, which include enhancing digital literacy, digital skills and digital inclusion as well as generating benefits for society by drawing on ICTs to reduce energy consumption, support ageing citizens' lives, revolutionise health services and deliver better public services. Remote communication and remote interpreting respond to these pillars directly by reducing travel and fuel consumption; contributing to the inclusion of older people e.g. through remote healthcare; and making public services more efficient, e.g. through the use of remote interpreting services. The use of remote interpreting is also encouraged by Directive 2010/64/EU on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings, which refers to the use of “communication technology such as videoconferencing, telephone or the Internet” (Art. 2) to optimise access to qualified interpreters. Remote communication and interpreting open up novel opportunities for gaining access to interpreters and for cross-border communication (including with interpreters). However, in order to develop a consistent approach across all stakeholders involved, the questions arising around remote communication and interpreting need to be addressed at transnational level. Against this backdrop, the SHIFT project will create a European network - consisting of universities offering interpreting programmes and of interpreting service providers - whose goal is to develop a comprehensive pedagogical solution for training in remote interpreting at HE level and in Lifelong Learning. This will be based on a) an in-depth study of orality in remote monolingual communication (English, Spanish, Italian) and remote, interpreter-mediated communication (for Italian<->Spanish, English<->Spanish, Italian<->English), and b) a market analysis to gain an in-depth understanding of the current and future demand for remote interpreting and the educational implications. Given that the demand for remote interpreting is growing especially in public service and business interpreting, where the main mode of interpreting is dialogue interpreting, the project will focus on the teaching of remote interpreting in dialogue situations . The specific objectives of the project are as follows: 1. Develop a theoretical framework for the analysis of orality that focuses on discourse features which are especially relevant in remote communication and for language mediation and interpreting. Building on insights from linguistics and multimodality, a novel approach will be developed to investigate situated orality and describe how monolingual remote discourse unfolds. Particular emphasis will be placed on less studied but highly relevant oral phenomena such as register, speech markers, reported speech, pauses, interactional paralinguistic features (pausing and turn-taking patterns, backchannelling, hesitations, pitch and tone, changes in intonation, speed, pace, prosody, etc.), and related discoursive strategies typical of dialogic interactions; 2. Apply this framework to the description and analysis of remote interpreter-mediated interactions; 3. Carry out a needs/market analysis to elicit the most pressing knowledge gaps and educational needs in relation to remote interpreting; 4. Develop a comprehensive pedagogical solution including a methodology and relevant pedagogical resources for remote interpreting, based on the specific features and challenges of remote discourse and remote interpreting and othe outcomes of the market analysis; 5. Evaluate the pedagogical concept and resources with interpreter trainees and interpreting service provides in different fields of interpreting. The SHIFT project will prove beneficial for trainee interpreters; academic and professional institutions involved in interpreter training; interpreting service providers and users in the public and private sectors. Interpreting students and practising interpreters will be enabled to increase their employability and digital literacy. Interpreting service providers will benefit by having access to a workforce of trained interpreters. Users of interpreting services will benefit from a better quality of service. Academic and professional institutions will benefit from bringing their curricula in line with market needs.
As a result of globalization and of the continuous development and improvement of ICT, spoken language travels through new devices and media. Similar trends can be observed in the field of spoken-language interpreting where, alongside traditional onsite interpreting, remote interpreting is spreading through the use of telephone and videoconferencing. Against this backdrop, the SHIFT project has created a European network - consisting of 4 universities offering interpreting programmes (Universities of Bologna, Granada, Surrey and Pablo de Olavide) and of 2 interpreting service providers (Dualia SL and VEASYT Srl) - with the goal of developing a comprehensive pedagogical solution for training in remote dialogue interpreting. The solution created was based on a) an in-depth study of orality in remote monolingual communication (EN, ES, IT) and remote, interpreter-mediated communication (for IT/ES, EN/ES, IT/EN), and b) a market analysis to gain an in-depth understanding of the current and future demand for remote interpreting and the educational implications. The specific objectives of the project were achieved and were as follows: 1. Develop a theoretical framework for the analysis of orality that focuses on discourse features which are especially relevant in remote communication and for language mediation and interpreting. Building on insights from linguistics and multimodality, a thorough approach was developed to investigate situated orality and describe how monolingual remote discourse unfolds. 2. Apply this framework to the description and analysis of remote interpreter-mediated interactions; 3. Carry out a needs/market analysis to elicit the most pressing knowledge gaps and educational needs in relation to remote interpreting; 4. Develop a comprehensive pedagogical solution including a methodology and relevant pedagogical resources for remote interpreting, based on the specific features and challenges of remote discourse and remote interpreting and othe outcomes of the market analysis; 5. Evaluate the pedagogical concept and resources with interpreter trainees and interpreting service providers in different fields of interpreting. The materials were evaluated through a Summer School, in which 24 students from the 4 partner HEIs and 18 teachers from the 6 SHIFT partners tested the materials created. Besides the main objectives described above, the project also achieved other important results. Some of these are the setting up of a successful working group of HEIs and companies, who managed to collaborate successfully towards project goals; the setting up of an effective dissemination strategy, planned and implemented throughout the project through various channels, both online (website, newsletter, social networks) and offline (through Multiplier Events, but also other events such as participatory events before meetings and other events designed to engage stakeholders); the engagement of a large community (500+ subjects) of language service providers and users while carrying out the market survey; networking and opportunities for exchanging best practices for all partners during events, meetings and the Summer School; a replicable model for the Summer School, which can be adjusted to suit different needs (HE training, lifelong learning). In general, one extremely positive aspect of the project was that the communication strategy implemented and the methodology used fostered the collaboration between HEIs and companies at two levels; the first level is the partnership itself, as companies, toghether with partner HEIs, played a fundamental and active role in developing outputs and implementing project activities; the second level is the one outside the partnership, with the involvement of a large community of stakeholders in project activities (especially the market survey; see above). The SHIFT project and its results have been and can be beneficial for trainee interpreters; academic and professional institutions involved in interpreter training; interpreting service providers and users in the public and private sectors, both in the short and in the long term. In the short term, trainers and trainers could benefit from the intensive training of the Summer School, where the teaching solution was tested. In the long term, the materials shared can be used by trainers, academics, professionals, language service providers and trainees both in the classroom and for self-study purposes. Interpreting students and practising interpreters can be enabled to increase their employability and digital literacy. Interpreting service providers can benefit by having access to a workforce of trained interpreters. Users of interpreting services can benefit from a better quality of service. Academic and professional institutions can benefit from bringing their curricula in line with market needs.