Volunteering in the conference interpreting training journey
What is it about?
Can volunteering make a difference in the training of conference interpreters? This paper looks at the experience of professionals and explores what type of volunteering helps, and at what stage of the training it is most useful. The aim is to work out how to integrate this practice as part of the learning journey from university to the professional world.
Why is it important?
This article establishes the benefits of volunteering as part of the training of conference interpreters and it looks at how it can complement university programmes, and fill potential gaps caused by academic constraints. It also explores how volunteering should be approached and when it can be useful to future professionals, in a way that is not detrimental to the profession. Findings are based on the perspective of experienced professionals, who engaged in volunteering themselves.