BRIDGE: TRENDS AND TRADITIONS IN TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING STUDIES

CfP Vol. 6, no. 2 (2025): Interpreter as an active participant in communication: between demands, ethics and competences

Edited by Soňa Hodáková (Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia)

Despite the frequent conception of the interpreter as an impartial, neutral "tool" providing communication in case of language and cultural barriers (Müglová - Hodáková, 2024), which is also implied by many professional codes of ethics, research confirms that the interpreter is not "invisible" (Angelelli, 2004) and actively influences the communication process as well as its individual participants (Tribe & Raval, 2003). At the same time, the emotional impartiality of the interpreter is also often impossible (Harvey, 2003; Hetherington, 2012).

The extent of the mutual influence is of course dependent on objective and contextual factors such as the interpreting genre, setting or overall working conditions. However, the interpreters' subjective traits also play a role (Gile, 1995; Dean & Pollard, 2001; Bontempo & Napier, 2011), predicting, for example, their reaction to stress or their emotional regulation (Kurz, 2003; Schwenke, 2012).

This issue of the scientific journal Bridge aims to focus on the person of the interpreter and his/her agency in triadic communication between speaker and recipient. We welcome papers addressing primarily, but not exclusively:

• the (in)visibility of the interpreter in communication;
• ethical aspects of the interpreter's work in different settings;
• occupational stress in different interpreting contexts;
• the impact of emotions on the interpreter's performance and his/her own psychological experience;
• the impact of the interpreter's performance on the primary participants in the communication;
• reflection on ethical principles in interpreter education;
• reflection on personality traits in interpreter education;
• the demands on the interpreter and their (mis)correspondence with the competences acquired in training.

We welcome full-paper submissions reflecting the abovementioned issues. All articles must be written in English and should not exceed 7,000 words. We also welcome reviews of publications related to the main topic of this issue.

Deadline for submission: 29 September 2025

Your submission should be sent via the journal website after your registration at: https://www.bridge.ff.ukf.sk/

Please follow the journal stylesheet at: https://www.bridge.ff.ukf.sk/index.php/bridge/about/submissions

References:

Angelelli, C. (2004). Revisiting the interpreter's role: A study of conference, court, and medical interpreters in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. John Benjamins Publishing.

Bontempo, K., & Napier, J. (2011). Evaluating emotional stability as a predictor of interpreter competence and aptitude for interpreting. Interpreting, 13(1), 85–105. https://doi.org/10.1075/intp.13.1.06bon

Dean, R. K., & Pollard, R. Q., Jr. (2001). The application of demand-control theory to sign language interpreting: Implications for stress and interpreter training. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 6(1), 1–14.

Gile, D. (1995). Basic concepts and models for interpreter and translator training. John Benjamins Publishing.

Harvey, M. A. (2003). Shielding yourself from the perils of empathy: The case of sign language interpreters. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 8, 207-213. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/eng004

Hetherington, A. (2012). Supervision and the interpreting profession: Support and accountability through reflective practice. International Journal of Interpreter Education, 4(1), Article 5. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/ijie/vol4/iss1/5

Kurz, I. (2003). Physiological stress during simultaneous interpreting: A comparison of experts and novices. Interpreters Newsletter, 12, 1-17.

Müglová, D. & Hodáková, S. (2024). Tlmočenie vo sférach verejnej služby. Priebeh, priority, perspektívy [Interpreting in public service spheres. Process, priorities, perspectives]. UKF.

Tribe, R., & Raval, H. (2003). Working with interpreters in mental health. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315812342

Schwenke, T. (2012). Sign language interpreters and burnout. Journal of Interpretation, 20(1), Article 7. https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/joi/vol20/iss1/7