Communication in public service interpreting and translating with languages of lesser diffusion: the DIALOGOS project

Abstract

Greece, Italy and Spain are migrant gateways into Europe and have similar critical situations with migrant population on their arrival caused by communication barriers which hinder migrants’ access to public services. This is especially true for speakers of Languages of Lesser Diffusion (LLDs), for which there is a lack of qualified, professional translators and interpreters. The Erasmus+ project DIALOGOS, which involves six academic and non-profit institutions in Greece, Italy and Spain, aims at addressing linguistic barriers by developing an open-access online Public Service Interpreting and Translation (PSIT) training course that will help bridge the communication gaps between LLD speakers and public service providers, especially in crisis situations when time and resources are limited. In this paper, we will explain different tasks carried out to achieve this objective, from the mapping of PSIT training options and materials in the participating countries to the piloting of the training course in March 2024. To this end, we will provide an overview of the steps taken to develop a course that could be employed in crisis situations to train ad hoc interpreters, and which is expected to contribute to reducing communication barriers for LLD speakers all around Europe.