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Public service interpreting in Norway

- The Norwegian National Register of Interpreters

Leonardo Doria de Souza

Norwegian Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi)

25.11.2011 – TRAFUT, Ljubljana

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Norwegian authority for interpreting services in the public sector

Availability of qualified interpreters• recruitment

High capacity in interpreter’s education• language and students

Awareness, knowledge and guidelines• training• local guidelines

Regulation and development• sectoral and national level

•Interpreter users training

• Vocational studies

• Workplaces

•Lectures

• Workplaces

• Sectoral level

•Surveys• Health - Primary doctors (2006)

• Child care - Child welfare service (2007)

• Justice - Criminal proceedings chain (2008)

• Education - Oslo’s primary and secondary schools (2009)

• Social services - Labour and welfare services (2010)

Norwegian or universal challenges?

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Interpreter training at the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences

Selection criteria: higher education entrance qualifications and an oral admission test

Training curriculum: • THE CODE OF ETHICS• THE INSTITUTIONAL DIALOGUE• THE INTERPRETER’S TOOL • SPECIFIC CONTEXTUAL KNOWLEDGE

Examination: 1. Written home exam (code of ethics)2. Oral exam; interpreting in an institutional dialogue

Grading: A - F

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Interpreter training at the Oslo andAkershus University College of Applied Sciences

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7. semester - BA thesis (C)- Supervised professional training (internship) (C)

15 ECTS15 ECTS

6. semester - Professional identity and history of interpreting (C)- Interpreting of dialogues (professionalism and

cooperation) (C)

15 ECTS

15 ECTS

5. semester - Norwegian for interpreters (E)- Remote interpreting (E)

15 ECTS15 ECTS

4. semester - Multicultural perspectives in interpreting (E)- Interpreting in courts and tribunals (E)

15 ECTS

15 ECTS

3. semester - Interpreter’s communicative competence (C)- Interpreting of monologues. Memory and note-taking

(C)

15 ECTS

15 ECTS

1.+2. semester

Interpreting in the public sector (C) 30 ECTS

National Certification of Interpreters

• University of Oslo, 1997• Exam (no training)• 181 certified in 22 languages

Selection criteria: higher education entrance qualifications, 20 years of ageAim: to secure/guarantee that the [interpreter] service is of good quality

The written exam (elimination)• General language and terminology• RealiaCut off score: 75 %

The oral exam: • Dialogue• Monologue• EthicsCut off score: 85 %

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Code of ethics Presentation of the field of public service interpreting What is an interpreter? The institutional meeting Interpreting a meeting Language and terminology Note-taking and memory basics The National Register of Interpreters Further qualification Professionalism Practical training

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3 day intensive course on interpreting ethics and techniques (TAO)

The Norwegian National Register of Interpreters (2005)

Encourage interpreters to document and improve their skills and competences

Increase the availability of qualified interpreters Provide an overview of interpreters’ skills Increase interpreters’ assignments Keep “good interpreters” in the profession

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“create a systematic nationwide overview of interpreters apt for practicing in the public services”

Publicly financed and administrated by IMDi

Primary target groups are public servants and professionals in

need of interpreters

recruitment tool

check interpreter’s qualification

requirement in tender for interpreting services

“call an interpreter”

Transparent, publicly accessible and free of charge through

www.tolkeportalen.no

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The Norwegian National Register of Interpreters

Applicants must fill out and send an application form which is available through www.tolkeportalen.no

All accepted applications are classified into five categories according to their documented qualifications

Recruitment

Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences Interpreting agencies University of Oslo Contact networks IMDis regional offices IMDis partners (municipalities and public sector authorities) www.tolkeportalen.no

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The Norwegian National Register of Interpreters

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5 categories:

• 1: Certified interpreters with a 30 ECTS university-level interpreter training

• 2: Certified interpreters

• 3: 30 ECTS university-level interpreter training

• 4: Certified translators with 3 day intensive course on interpreting ethics and techniques (TAO)

• 5: Interpreter candidates with bilingual vocabulary test with 3 day intensive course on interpreting ethics and techniques (TAO)

Available information:Full nameContact addressSexLanguage(s)Interpreting hours (last 3 years)Interpreting techniques and modesField of competenciesEducational level

Not available:Private addressID-number

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1180 registered interpreters65 languages58% high qualified

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The Norwegian National Register of Interpreters (2011) Category Interpreters Languages

1 129 22

2 29 15

3 511 51

4 33 12

5 578 60Evaluation (2010)

59 percent of the interpreters, and 55 percent of interpreting users who have used the National Register, said they were pleased with the register

A majority of 64 percent of interpreting users report that they do not know the register A majority of both interpreters and interpreting users would rather have a booking function

available More interaction with target groups Better use of available technology

Public service interpreting in Norway

Norwegian National register

University-level interpreting trainingNational certification

ToSPoT - bilingual vocabulary test

TAO- 3 day intensive course

Awareness, knowledge and guidelines

www.tolkeportalen.no

Leonardo Doria de Souza – lds@imdi.no