Traducció i Immigració: La figura de l'intèrpret als serveis públics de Catalunya

In the context of Catalan public services, what constitutes the figure of translator and interpreter lacks a clear definition. This situation is directly linked to the lack of specialized training, as well as the absence of regulations governing this profession. Universities, and more specifically translation and interpreting training departments, have already made it clear that responding to these needs is a matter of some urgency. However, the offer of courses on translating and interpreting in the public services within current degree programs is still quite meager. Our objectives in this article are twofold. First, to offer a review of the present situation regarding translation and interpreting in public services in Catalonia, both from the professional perspective as well as from applied research. Second, to define the translator and interpreter profile in the Catalan public services using the results obtained from an empirical study on this emerging professional profile.