Non-professional interpreting carried out by vets and veterinary staff for British pets' owners in the South of Spain

Non-professional interpreting carried out by vets and veterinary staff for British pets’ owners in the South of Spain María Gracia Torres Díaz, Málaga University The aim of the study •The study is devoted to nonprofessional interpreters belonging to the health profession (Vet clinics and human health sector) •1. To see the similarities and differences in the health and vet sector, regarding: •Psycological issues of interpreters •Language issues of interpreters •Three tests were carried out •2. To compare the situation to that of other countries in the same context and language combination The interpreting context: British people in the Costa del Sol •Spain is the most popular destination after Australia (“Lifestyle migration”- Krit, 2012) •Málaga: 72, 852 (60%: 55-70) •Why?: Gibraltar, after Southafrica, International state agents, cheaper. •O’Reilly (2002): not interested in language and culture •They need services: web: angloinfo •Rescued battered animals (dogs, cats, donkeys and horses) Who does the interpreting in the vet clinic? And what they interpret? •English vets in English clinics: Diva Dogs •The vets (betwen pet owners and agencies dealing with paper work: entry requirements in the UK) and auxiliary staff (between pet owners and vets) •Professional interpreters and other nonprofessional interpreters •What?: Paper work + interactions Similar to the health sector? Difficult terminology and heartbreaking stories The context although similar: differences: space and noise Child health cases: The study of psycological issues regarding interpreters in the health sector VT: The cumulative exposure to traumatic testimony 80s: VT: SLI 90s: war refugees, asylum seekers in medical and court interpreting. After 2000 Psycology journals Blogs: remedies https://traduciresdescubrir.wordpress.com/2015/11/11/l a-gestion-de-las-emociones-en-la-interpretacionbiosanitaria-2/ Literature on vicarious trauma and interpreting •Harvey (2003): “interpreters are in danger of empathically drowning” •Granger & Baker (2003): Traditional models of interpreting require the interpreter to be neutral, invisible: non feeling, non thinking •Elaine Hsieb (2010): “it makes everybody in the room uncomfortable when a human being is acting like a computer” •Nothing on vet interpreters. Temple Grandin (2006) Animals in Translation (autistic animal mediators) Trauma suffered by pet owners •Wrobel & Dye (2003); Meyers (2002); Coules (1985) “Frequently trascends the emotional attachment which we form for humans” “Disenfranchised grief” isolation Living alone A test concerning the medical and vet sector and VT. TEST A •Test A: VT •10 nurses hospital •8 veterinary staff from local vet clinics Results: Both sectors expressed not to be really affected by the cases they worked with: “it is part of my job anyway” (We had previously done a survey that interviewed 8 volunteer vet interpreters that showed signes of VT) (Indialog 2015)