Background and training objectives
With 500 professional conference interpreters and 160 support staff, the European Commission Interpreter service at Brussels is the biggest employer of interpreters in the world. Taken together its staff have the capability to interpret in and out of all twenty languages used amongst member countries
Most staff are, of course, fluent in at least one of the two widely used working languages (French or English). In addition, a number of ‘pivotal’ languages have been identified (German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese) where an in-depth capacity is required. For the smooth running of multilingual meetings, knowledge of all other official languages – including the new ones of the 2004 enlargement – is also vital. The Interpretation Service is a full Directorate General within the European Commission.
Claude Durand is Head of the Unit in the Directorate which provides professional support for interpreters. The main activity is the provision of appropriate training but in addition his unit is responsible for facilitating meeting preparation and improving awareness among meeting organizers and participants to the needs for efficient multilingual communication. Claude Durand emphasises that to be a successful interpreter ‘languages are not the only thing’. It is important to be versatile and flexible, to learn new things and subjects and at all times to understand client needs and the context in which the interpretation facility is required.
The training challenge
As is the case in all organisations there is a need for ongoing training in management, interpersonal skills and IT. The DG staff can take advantage of the training provision offered centrally in the Commission and the training delivered in the Directorate General. The very specific nature of the function, however, leads to an additional set of objectives for learning and training. Some obviously relate to extending the interpretation capabilities through immediate training in languages. However, there is a general requirement to build the capability and capacity of the service. This extends beyond training, and as will be seen, solutions involve developing relationships beyond the boundaries of the Commission. In Claude Durand’s view this approach is necessary for both the maintenance of the service and its growth.
One positive feature is that the approach to training and learning can start from the assumption that the professional staff are committed to develop their own skills and knowledge. Such a commitment is a characteristic of choosing to work as an interpreter. Equally line managers within the Directorate General recognise the need to improve and extend the skill base.
However, one of the major challenges facing Angela Gossez, Claude Durand’s assistant who is responsible for course and event provision for interpreter’s within the Directorate General, is planning and logistics. Interpreters have assignments at various places inside and outside Brussels. Those with a capability in languages where there is a high demand for conference interpretation can be difficult to release from their jobs. In many cases where interpreters are released to participate in training or learning, they must be replaced in the short-term for assignments by freelance or contract provision drawn from an approved network. In that case, the replacement cost can be a very high burden on an already tight budget.
Language training and the pedagogical assistance scheme
All professional staff recruited are mostly qualified linguists (but not exclusively) and trained interpreters. As well as the usual induction procedures, one of the immediate tasks is to assess their training needs and to prepare a training path.
An early interview is undertaken by the line managers to discuss training needs and opportunities. For many new entrants one of the first learning objectives is to develop proficiency in a new pivot language. Once the new entrant has spent some time in the Directorate General the acquisition of extended language proficiency is discussed together with other training needs, at the annual performance review.
As a result there is an ongoing provision for language training. About 100 participants will be undertaking some sort of language course at any given time. Courses are generally delivered by approved external contractors in training rooms in the directorate general generally in groups with a minimum of three participants. Where there is a particular need, but the number of volunteers does not reach the three participants-limit, an individual learner will be sponsored on an external course – for example in 2006 an interpreter whose first language is Spanish will be given full financial support to learn Maltese, but outside working hours.
It is important for the future of the Directorate General that a wider view is taken and is not limited to language training. To make sure that universities training interpreters provide the European Institutions with the high-quality graduates that they need, the policy of the Directorate-General has been to develop a cooperation programme with more than 50 European universities. This means that it is essential for the implementation of this programme that a significant number of staff within the Directorate, currently about 120, understand and are able to convey the way in which people are trained as conference interpreters meeting the highest standards. These trainers need to be capable of assisting university teachers working in specialised departments training interpreters and to represent the Directorate General effectively in universities, and to assess and support outside institutions.
This significant new initiative introduced in the late 90s is called the ‘pedagogical assistance scheme’. This was designed to achieve the above aims and also improve recruitment by encouraging applications from aware and capable entrants. .
Pedagogical assistance was based on the experience gained within the European Commission from over 30 years of training interpreters in-house. This training course for graduates was run by experienced interpreters to fill a pressing need for young interpreters which could not be met by universities at the time. This course was so successful that some interpreting units were made up almost exclusively of former in-house trainees.
Some 50 universities and schools have been identified and the Directorate has established an ongoing relationship with them. Every year some 120 members of staff are chosen to participate in the scheme. They will spend anything from a day to ten days at the institution and develop an understanding of the teaching approach and contribute to its development. Much of the emphasis has been on institutions in countries which gained access to the European Union in 2004 – recently an interpreter spent ten days at a Lithuanian university, for example. The overall resource commitment is considerable ; some 600 interpreter days can be devoted to this programme in a given year.
The use of workshops
Much of the emphasis within the Department is on shared learning through workshops. A good example is the two day events held two or three times a year to prepare participants for the pedagogical assistance programme. The aim is to get all eligible and competent staff through this programme so they were held more frequently in the earlier years when the scheme was developed. The format was designed by Claude Durand and the workshop delivered by two senior interpreters. The intention is to learn through sharing of experience rather than formal instruction. This two day event has been recently supplemented by four half-day workshops where various topics are given more detailed treatment by participants.
A similar format (two day event) is used to prepare those staff who will be involved in recruitment and selection. Here the challenges facing the Directorate are almost unique. They have, over time, designed and developed their own tests and exercises which must be appropriate and effective in the assessment of candidates. Those people who will deliver the speech that will be interpreted by candidates at selection tests must be trained so that consistent standards are achieved in assessments. All those involved in selection – whatever their role – attend a two day workshop where, again, the emphasis is on sharing experiences and knowledge.
One other feature of the training and learning provision is the regular thematic workshops. Experts from outside the Directorate General will present sessions to 15 or so interpreters on current topics. Examples would be bird flu (which became an important topic in 2005), criminal law, food safety, securities trading etc. Sessions which are particularly relevant or successful are repeated and participant interpreters will suggest improvements and new topics.