Australia’s leading language services provider LanguageLoop, is pleased to announce the recipients of its annual Research and Innovation Grants Program.
Submissions for this years’ Grants Program were so strong that the LanguageLoop Board of Directors made the unprecedented decision to increase its grant funding for 2019 from $50k to $150k, to be shared across four projects.
“Each of the successful applicants demonstrated cutting edge research and innovation that will redefine what’s possible for the language services industry” said Elizabeth Compton, LanguageLoop CEO.
As a Government Business Enterprise, LanguageLoop was created with a mission to ensure access and equity to services for all, and to continuously invest in the language services sector to ensure the ongoing sustainability of the industry.
Its annual Grants Program is one aspect of its ongoing effort to deliver core services to the government and commercial sector, driving it forward by enhancing how language services are delivered.
“The language services industry is going through a transformational change” said Ms Compton. “Part of our role as the leader in the sector is to support initiatives that drive innovation.. We’re thrilled to support these leading tertiary institutions and are excited by the benefits these four projects will deliver for interpreters, non-English speakers and the language services sector as a whole.”
LanguageLoop would like to congratulate the following grant recipients:
Monash University – Translation and Interpreting Studies, School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics, Faculty of Arts
The project will develop a dynamic, immersive and experiential learning experience using Virtual Reality (VR) technology to train interpreters in dealing with work-based challenges. The use of VR technologies in training interpreters within a contextualised and controlled environment, regardless of their location, will benefit the Australian language services industry by better preparing interpreters for real-world scenarios, contributing to improvements in client outcomes and positively impacting the CALD community.
RMIT – Global, Urban and Social Studies, Translating & Interpreting
The objective of this project is to research avenues to advance the systematic implementation of simultaneous interpreting equipment in courts and tribunals. The analysis and introduction of such equipment would improve the efficiency and quality of interpreting, improve the working conditions of interpreters and most importantly, satisfy the requirements of procedural fairness and justice for everyone.
RMIT – Global, Urban and Social Studies, Translating & Interpreting
The grant funding will support the introduction of a mentorship program for interpreters working in courts and tribunals in Australia. The current lack of thorough and specialist training of interpreters compromises the principle of fair access to public services for CALD communities. The introduction of a mentorship program will advance the quality of interpreting in courts and tribunals, enhance the fair administration of justice, and put Australia at the forefront of legal interpreting service delivery.
The Queensland University (UQ) – School of Languages and Cultures
The grant funding will support research on the analysis of the efficacy of telephone interpretation across various real-life settings and users in Australia. Research outcomes will help inform Australian-first guidelines on best practice in telephone interpreting for interpreters and clients that can be integrated into professional development activities for practitioners and students.
LanguageLoop would like to thank all the applicants for the Research & Innovation Grants Program. We look forward to publishing the outcomes of each of the projects funded.
