HEALTHCARE INTERPRETERS' PROFESSIONAL TRAINING: CHALLENGES AND EXPECTATIONS IN THE CONTEXTS OF GLOBAL MIGRATION

Increased general mobility of population including migration processes is a characteristic feature of present times which affects almost all regions of the world. This phenomenon poses new challenges not only to social institutions of the recipient countries, but also sets new standards for training perspective specialist who would work within the framework of these institutions. Effective communication between service-user and service-provider who belong to different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, largely depends on competent interpreter, whose role is increasingly regarded as that of lingua cultural mediator. The present research focuses on issues of healthcare interpreters' training. The article aims at analyzing current challenges and professional competences required of healthcare interpreters in the context of global migration. In order to achieve the set aim a number of tasks have been identified to be fulfilled: To explore the relevant research literature; To analyze specificity of interpreter's professional role within the framework of healthcare institutions; To conduct an experiment aimed at analyzing medical professionals' expectations of working with interpreter and compare them with students' (perspective interpreters) perception of interpreter's role as well as professional performance standards. The research methodology rests on both qualitative and quantitative analysis as well as on method of empirical experiment. The experiment involved students doing Master course on public service interpreting and medical professionals who agreed to take part in the survey. The research findings obtained in the course of the experiment indicate certain discrepancies between doctors' expectations and students' ability as well as willingness to meet those expectations. On the basis of the research data recommendations on developing educational programs for healthcare interpreters' training have been drafted.