dc.description.abstract | This study investigates the involvement of consumers of interpretation services
in the training of interpreters in Africa. African organizations increasingly
require highly qualified interpreters to efficiently service their conferences
around the year. While African universities which offer interpreter training
programs primarily aim at meeting this demand, African organizations have
not shown much interest in collaborating with these academic institutions. This
stands in marked contrast with the active support provided by some nonAfrican
institutions, suchas the United Nations and the European Commission.
The research objectives pursued were therefore (1) to identify the reasons for
little or lack of participation of African consumer institutions of interpretation
services in the training of interpreters; (2) to examine the benefits of the
collaboration to the consumer institutions and the training institutions; and (3)
to examine the potential extent and forms of collaboration between both
parties.
This study used the inter-organizational relations theory and collected data
through questionnaires and an interview targeting a sample of five African
organizations (international, continental, regional, NGO and governmental)as
well as five universities members of the Pan-African Masters in Conference
Interpretation and Translation consortium.
Key findings of the research are that (1) there is little or lack of participation of
African consumer institutions of interpretation services in the training of
resource constraints; (2) Several potential benefits from an active collaboration
were identified both by African organizations and universities; (3) African
organizations and universities are interested in several forms of involvement in
the training programs, although there is a gap between the universities’ needs
and the organizations’ possible offerings.
The major conclusion of the investigation is that in spite of the recognition by
the African organizations and the universities that inter-organizational relations
between them in various forms would be mutually beneficial, indeed there is
little and in most cases total absence of involvement of the African
organizations in the training of interpreters in Africa.
The main recommendation put forward is that both parties should devise ways
and means of enhancing inter-organizational relations between them. A further
study may be needed to identify possible strategies of operationalization of this
recommendation. | en_US |