2023 conference resources

Interpreters’ pay rates in NZ: An interactive session & discussion

Carolina Cannard, Agustina Marianacci & Dr Alejandra González Campanella

An interactive session was held on 16 September during the 2023 NZSTI Conference in Christchurch to address current interpreters’ pay rates and working conditions. Over 50 people attended the workshop on the day. The focus of the session was to stimulate a discussion among practitioners and other stakeholders on industry challenges and possible solutions. The workshop aimed to enable dialogue and collaboratively devise pathways that could be actioned in the future. The facilitators Carolina Cannard, Agustina Marianacci and Dr Alejandra González Campanella are excited to share their workshop report with NZSTI and all members who wish to learn more about the deep discussions that took place during the session.

Download the full report here.

Research report: Challenges in mental health interpreting in NZ – Perspectives of working interpreters

Anna Guo, Senior Lecturer, (Unitec) Te Pukenga

Interpreters in mental health settings face many unique challenges, mainly due to the complexity of psychiatric terminology, the delicacy of the situations they translate, and the need for an intricate understanding of cultural differences and the Role of interpreters. However, the post-pandemic era places interpreters in more demanding and vulnerable positions in Aotearoa as they respond to overwhelming cases and events that could affect interpreters' mental well-being, especially when working with new refugees. This paper discusses difficulties and challenges based on real-life scenarios and circumstances that interpreters encounter in mental health settings. It argues that interpreters should remain role-independent, being briefed and debriefed before and after sensitive cases while developing skills and competence beyond linguistic and cultural capabilities.

Download the full report here.