Community Translation and Interpretation Services in Settlement Agencies: Perspectives from Translators and Interpreters in New Brunswick, Canada

Abstract

Smaller Canadian provinces have welcomed record numbers of newcomers in recent years, facing large-scale settlement support challenges. Language is often seen as a barrier as it slows down the integration process. One tool for facilitating communication and access to information is community translation and interpretation (CTI). To date, no data are available regarding CTI services procurement in the province of New Brunswick. In order to provide an overview of CTI services made available to newcomers in New Brunswick settlement agencies, I conducted mixed-method research com bining surveys sent to staff and to community translators and interpreters working in various agencies, as well as interviews with newcomers. This article examines the realities and perspectives expressed by the translators and interpreters. The research gives a clearer understanding of who they are and how they offer their services. As a matter of fact, community transla tors/interpreters are usually volunteers who have little to no training. While relying on non-professionals can cause different challenges, translators and interpreters express aneagernesstoreceivetraining.Theresearch,conducted in partnership with the New Brunswick Multicultural Council, is the first step in a broader research project that aims to depict the situation of CTI services in Atlantic Canada.

Keywords

• community translation and interpretation services
• community translators and interpreters
• settlement agencies
• New Brunswick
• Canada

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