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The exceptional migratory flows in 2015-2016 have entailed several challenges for the Flemish public service interpreting sector, including a mismatch in supply and demand, a shortage of interpreters for lesser-used language varieties, and government budget constraints. In order to meet these challenges head-on, the Flemish Government Integration Agency, responsible for certifying public-service interpreters, has set up a research project designed to determine whether, and under what circumstances, briefly trained volunteer “language assistants” (LAs) could offer a valid additional form of language mediation. First, participants were trained and evaluated when interacting, mainly through role plays, with fellow trainees. Second, their interpreting performances during real-life service provision interactions were video-recorded and assessed. The LAs’ interpreting performances were assessed predominantly as unsatisfactory, with the main risks being linked to low interpreter competence, language proficiency, and deontological awareness. Those findings have been addressed in a follow-up project, by increasing the required CEFR level of Dutch and by changing the content of the training.

The exceptional migratory flows in Europe in 2015-2016 have entailed several challenges for the Flemish public service interpreting sector, including a mismatch in supply and demand, a shortage of interpreters for lesser-used language varieties, and government budget constraints. To meet these challenges head-on, the Flemish Government Integration Agency, responsible for certifying public service interpreters, has set up a research project designed to determine whether, and under what circumstances, briefly trained volunteer “language assistants” (LAs) could offer a valid additional form of language mediation. First, participants were trained and evaluated when interacting, mainly through role play, with fellow trainees. Second, their interpreting performances during real-life service provision interactions were video-recorded and assessed. The LAs’ interpreting performances were assessed predominantly as unsatisfactory, the main challenges being linked to accuracy, language proficiency and code of conduct adherence. These findings have been addressed in a follow-up project by increasing the required CEFR level of Dutch, and by changing the content of the training. Los flujos migratorios excepcionales en la Europa de 2015-2016 han supuesto dificultades para el sector de la interpretación en servicios públicos en Flandes, como desajustes en la oferta y demanda, falta de intérpretes para lenguas de menor difusión y recortes presupuestarios. Para hacer frente a dichas dificultades, la Agencia de Integración del Gobierno flamenco, responsable de la certificación de intérpretes en servicios públicos, ha iniciado un proyecto de investigación que determine si, y en qué circunstancias, los “asistentes de lengua” (AL) con formación de corta duración constituirían una forma adicional de mediación lingüística. Primero se formó y evaluó a los AL, principalmente a través de interacciones con compañeros de formación en juegos de rol, para pasar, en un segundo tiempo, a evaluarlos durante prestaciones reales grabadas en vídeo. Sus prestaciones fueron evaluadas en su mayoría como insuficientes debido sobre todo a la falta de suficiente competencia de interpretación, competencia lingüística y adherencia al código deontológico. En el proyecto de seguimiento se elevó por tanto el nivel de neerlandés inicial requerido y se adaptó el contenido de la formación.