BRIDGE: TRENDS AND TRADITIONS IN TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING STUDIES

The interpreter as an active participant: Agency, ethics and competence under pressure

Soňa Hodáková — 2026-01-31

Invisible and unknown agents in Slovak diplomatic interpreting

Monika Šavelová — 2026-01-31

This study examines diplomatic interpreting and translation in Slovakia with a focus on the actors involved in the translation process and the mechanisms of translation quality control at the highest state level. Drawing on sociologically oriented translation studies and the concept of “unknown agents” (Schäffner 2012), the article situates diplomatic interpreting within its broader political, institutional, and ideological context. The theoretical part outlines the specificities of diplomatic communication, core interpreter competences, issues of translational adequacy, pragmatic shifts, and the systematic invisibility of interpreters in political and media discourse. The empirical part presents partial findings based on document analysis and requests submitted to the Office of the President of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs during the period 2024–2025.

Interpreting in the context of community work: Language and cultural mediation for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia – background and case study

Soňa Hodáková — 2026-01-31

Slovakia has not developed a systematic tradition of public service interpreting (PSI), as it has historically been a country with low levels of immigration. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the need for language mediation in communication between newly arrived refugees and Slovak public institutions increased dramatically. This paper examines how this need was met and presents results of a survey among Slovak institutions providing integration services, focusing on interpreted communication strategies, challenges, and perceived institutional needs. Complementary semi-structured interviews with non-professional interpreters working at border crossings illustrate frontline realities. A case study highlights the experiences of a PSI practitioner who simultaneously works as a community worker, focusing on communication with refugees. The study identifies key challenges in PSI practice in Slovakia and formulates recommendations for the development of accessible PSI services and systematic university-level interpreter training tailored to the Slovak context. By contextualizing these findings within broader European PSI discussions, the paper contributes to knowledge from a country with a previously limited PSI infrastructure, thereby expanding perspectives from non-traditional immigration contexts.

Experience level and adoption of interpreting strategies by Iranian interpreters

Niloofar Fathizaviyehkord — 2026-01-31

Just as two hands cannot make a good boxer, knowing two or more languages does not make a skilful interpreter. Interpreting is a cognitively demanding task, requiring not only linguistic and discursive knowledge but also strategic competence. Experience level of interpreters in particular can play a significant role in the strategies they employ. This study investigated what strategies were mainly employed by interpreters, what strategies were employed more frequently, and whether experience level affects interpreters’ choice of strategies. To collect the data, his study was divided into two stages. In the first stage, retrospective interviews were first held with 10 interpreters working in simultaneous and consecutive modes to identify strategies beyond those classified in the literature. Next, several classifications of strategies in the literature were merged with those emerging from the retrospective interviews to come up with a comprehensive questionnaire on interpreting strategies. The questionnaire was developed and its wording and content were validated by five experts. In the second stage, it was administered to 60 interpreters. ANOVA of questionnaire data and experience level showed that experience level could affect the choice of strategies. The findings demonstrate that experience level shapes interpreters’ use of strategies, with implications for theorizing interpreting as a strategic process and for developing more targeted strategy training in interpreter education.

Gender in PSIT: Migrant women voices as links of inclusion in languages of lesser diffusion: The FEIMEM project report

Carmen Valero-Garcés — 2026-01-31

Gender has long held a significant position within Translation Studies; however, there remains a notable scarcity of research addressing gender-related issues within the specific subfield of Public Service Interpreting and Translation (PSIT). In particular, the roles played by migrant women as linguistic and cultural mediators for communities speaking languages of lesser diffusion (LLDs) continue to be underexplored in both academic discussions and in the formulation of national and international policy.

This article introduces the FEIMEM project, an initiative designed to highlight and give visibility to the work of qualified migrant women who are speakers of LLDs. These women, already active contributors to their host societies, serve as catalysts and role models for other migrant women—whether residing in Spain or in their countries of origin. As the project’s title suggests, one of its key aims is to transform their lived experiences and linguistic expertise into pedagogical resources. These materials are intended to support the training of aspiring interpreters and to encourage the professionalization of individuals who possess valuable multilingual and intercultural competencies.

Does AI influence perceptions of the translation and interpreting profession? Researching the image of translators and interpreters in society

Martin Djovčoš — 2026-01-31

The answer to the question posed in the title of this report appears, at first glance, to be affirmative. Artificial intelligence has already begun to shape the translation and interpreting profession some time ago, as it has many other professional fields (Šveda, Djovčoš & Perez, forthcoming). This influence is manifested in the widespread adoption of machine translation systems, computer-assisted translation tools, and speech recognition and synthesis technologies (Ciobanu & Secară 2019, Secară et al. 2025), which have significantly altered established workflows and professional practices. Tasks that were previously performed exclusively by human translators and interpreters are increasingly being automated or partially delegated to AI-driven systems, leading to changes in productivity expectations, pricing models, and required skill sets (Ciobanu 2024; ELIA et al. 2025). At the same time, the growing presence of artificial intelligence has contributed to a redefinition of professional roles, with language professionals increasingly expected to engage in activities such as post-editing, quality assurance, terminology management, and the ethical evaluation of automated outputs. These developments not only affect the practical dimension of translation and interpreting work, but also have broader implications for professional identity, status, and training, as well as – we believe – for how the profession is perceived by the public and prospective future translators and interpreters and trainees.

Within the translation and interpreting professional community, such developments raise a number of concerns. One of the most frequently reported sources of anxiety among translators is the perceived threat associated with automation (Moorkens 2020, Sakamoto et al. 2024), which not only affects expectations regarding employability and remuneration but also contributes to shifts in professional self-perception and habitus. These anxieties are further reinforced by public discourses that frequently frame artificial intelligence as a replacement rather than a complement to human expertise (Djovčoš & Perez, forthcoming).

Against this backdrop, it remains uncertain how the general public – particularly prospective students and future clients and service users – perceives the image and the future of the translation and interpreting profession. It is unclear to what extent the public is aware of the social and economic value of translation and interpreting, what images or assumptions they associate with translators and interpreters in the contemporary context, and whether young people continue to view translation and interpreting programmes as an attractive field of study. Relatedly, questions arise as to whether language professionals will continue to be sought after to facilitate communication across cultures, languages, and contexts, and how these evolving perceptions and technological developments shape the professional habitus of translators and interpreters. These questions lie at the centre of the research project The Image of Translators and Interpreters in Society.

Iacono, Katia; Heinisch, Barbara and Pöllabauer, Sonja (eds.). 2024. Zwischenstationen / Inbetween: Kommunikation mit geflüchteten Menschen / Communicating with refugees. Berlin: Frank & Timme GmbH Verlag für wissenschaftliche Literatur.

Lívia Kodajová — 2026-01-31

Tiselius, Elisabet. 2025. Conference Interpreting Explained. London and New York: Routledge.

Andrej Birčák — 2026-01-31