At LINCS we offer a MSc in Sign Language Interpreting – often called the EUMASLI course – the EU Master in Sign Language Interpreting in association with our partners: Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences in Germany and Humak University of Applied Sciences in Finland.
We have just finished our fourth iteration of this course to date – EUMASLI 4 and are planning our fifth in earnest with our partners.
At the end of each EUMASLI course, each cohort presents on their dissertation topics at our EUMASLI colloquium. This was held in Thessaloniki in September 2023 was attended by all our postgraduate students who presented on their varied dissertation topics and had the opportunity to receive feedback and questions from an audience of 100 people. It was the first time ever in the two and a half years that all the students were together in the same place.
The first day began with David Philips shedding light on the challenges faced by queer interpreters in his presentation, “We Have To Be Visible.” He eloquently articulated the importance of managing perceptions in their line of work.
Following this, Jill Henshaw delved into the inner turmoil experienced by interpreters in her talk, “The Impact of Imposter Syndrome on Decision Making by British Sign Language/English Interpreters.” She highlighted the psychological struggles they face, questioning their own competence.
The morning session transitioned seamlessly into discussions of ethics. Sarah Caminada’s presentation on “Principled Ethical Reasoning in the Field of Sign Language Interpreting” explored the intricate ethical landscape interpreters navigate daily. Marjo-Leea Alapuranen then examined innovative ways of integrating visual aids into remote educational sign language interpretation, making learning more accessible.
The afternoon session brought a different perspective, focusing on the experiences of deaf students. Dina Zander-Tabbert’s presentation, “Educational Interpreting from Deaf Students’ Perspective,” provided valuable insights into the challenges faced by students in educational settings. Julia Ruf’s talk, “Systematic Promotion of Modality Specific Translation and Interpretation into German Sign Language in L2/M2,” explored the promotion of translation and interpretation into German Sign Language.
Stephanie Linder’s engaging discussion on “Analysing the Understandability of News ‘with’ and ‘in’ Sign Language” emphasized the importance of clear communication in news delivery. Helen Foulkes then offered a comprehensive analysis of extralinguistic factors impacting BSL output for S4C programs in her presentation.
On the 14th of September, Emma Loveland delved into the moral implications of ethical decision-making in her presentation, “Moral Implementations: Courage, Cooperation, and Comfort Implications for ethical decision making among sign language interpreters.” Following this, Cornelia Rosenkranz explored how deaf professionals adapt and manage the interpreting process effectively.
Nives Gotovac shared insights into the profile of employed Croatian sign language interpreters in her presentation. Romy O’Callaghan’s research, “Multilingualism, Languaging, and Sign Language Interpreting,” investigated the influence of International Sign on national sign language interpreting.
Anja Saft’s presentation, “Sign Language Interpreters as Potential Researchers in Germany: Narratives of PhD Students,” showcased the aspirations of interpreters to engage in academic research. Krisztina Horváth then explored the intricacies of preparing interpreters in an institutional setting.
Delphine Thomas examined the critical issue of gender inclusivity in interpreting from French Sign Language into French. The conference concluded with Amy Cresap’s enlightening discussion on “Coordinating in Virtual Environments: Adaptations in Remote Sign Language Interpreter Teams,” offering insights into the ever-evolving world of remote interpreting.
EUMASLI Thessaloniki 2023 served as a platform for our students and their professional colleagues to share their experiences, research, and ideas, ultimately contributing to the growth and development of the field of sign language interpreting. For Robert who attended this event for the first time, he ‘was really amazed by the quality of the presentations and the depth and breadth of the topics covered and look forward to the EUMASLI 5 colloquium already.’
For further information, check our website for further details: https://www.eumasli.eu – we will be starting EUMASLI 5 in September 2024 so keep checking our website for dates.
Robert Adam and Jemina Napier