November 2016 European Commission Director General Visits NUI Galway

EU briefing for students of only Irish language interpreters training in the world

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Interpretation, Florika Fink-Hooijer visited NUI Galway recently where she met with staff and students of the MA/PDip in Conference Interpreting, currently being taught at the University.

Mrs Fink-Hooijer spoke to the multilingual MA class at NUI Galway on issues related to multilingualism in the EU, and future career opportunities in conference interpreting for graduates of the programme.

Emphasising the importance of interpreter training, Mrs Fink-Hooijer said: “The primary responsibility for training conference interpreters lays with the universities of member states. NUI Galway, and in particular Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, is the only Conference Interpreter training course provided on the entire island of Ireland and the only source of Irish language interpreters in the world, so its activities should be nurtured. The solid relationship between NUI Galway and the Directorate General for Interpretation allows us to build up interpreting resources for Irish and indeed English.”

Cooperation with the Directorate-General for Interpretation began in 2008 and they provide regular teaching support from experienced staff interpreters and trainers from the institutions. Every year students of the MA in Conference Interpreting visit the institutions in Brussels for practical work experience, in real meetings, in a dummy booth.

During her Irish Visit, the Director-General met with officials of the Irish Government to discuss Irish as a full official and working language of the EU. The EU has always considered cultural and linguistic diversity a richness and a strength and as something to be safeguarded. Reliable interpreting services are essential to the institutions and NUI Galway is committed to providing the requisite skills to their graduates to enable them to avail of these opportunities.

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Cuairt ag Ard-Stiúrthóir na hAteangaireachta ar OÉ Gaillimh 

Cruinniú faisnéise AE leis na mic léinn ar an t-aon chúrsa traenála d’ateangairí in Éirinn

Thug Florkia Fink-Hooijer, Ard-Stiúrthóir na hAteangaireachta sa Choimisiún Eorpach, cuairt ar Ghaillimh le gairid, áit ar casadh uirthi le comhaltaí foirne agus mic léinn an MA san Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála, atá ar siúl san Ollscoil. 

Labhair an tArd-Stiúrthóir Fink-Hooijer le mic léinn an MA faoi pholasaí ilteangachais san AE agus na deiseanna fostaíochta atá san earnáil dóibh siúd le cáilíocht aitheanta sa ghairm.

Dúirt Florika Fink-Hooijer agus í ag iarraidh béim a leagan ar thábhacht na traenála: “Is iad na hollscoileanna sna ballstáit atá freagrach as traenáil a chur ar fáil d’ateangairí comhdhála.  Is é an cúrsa in OÉ Gaillimh agus in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge an t-aon chúrsa traenála d’ateangairí le Gaeilge ar domhan, mar sin is gá an obair atá ar bun ansin a chothú. A bhuíochas don dlúthchaidreamh atá againn leis an MA san Ateangaireacht Chomhdhála anseo in OÉ Gaillimh, d’éirigh le hArd-Stiúrthóireacht na hAteangaireachta cur leis na hacmhainní ateangaireachta le Gaeilge agus go deimhin le Béarla le cúpla bliain anuas.”

Thosaigh an comhoibriú idir OÉ Gaillimh agus Ard-Stiúrthóireacht na hAteangaireachta in 2008 agus cuireann ateangairí foirne agus traenálaithe a bhfuil taithí na mblianta acu ón Ard-Stiúrthóireacht tacaíocht oideachasúil ar fáil ar an gcúrsa MA go rialta. Ina theannta sin, gach uile bhliain tugann mic léinn ón MA cuairt staidéir ar an mBruiséil chun taithí a fháil ar obair phraiticiúil na gairme, ag cruinnithe beo.

Le linn na cuairte, chas an ghrúpa le hionadaithe ó Rialtas na hÉireann freisin agus bhí plé ann chun na todhchaí na Gaeilge mar theanga oifigiúil agus oibre iomlán den AE a phlé. Tá tuairimí láidir ag an AE le fada an lá faoin tábhacht a bhaineann le saibhreas teanga agus ilchineálacht chultúrtha a chaomhnú. Tá seirbhísí ateangaireachta iontaofa i gcroílár na n-institiúidí agus tá rún daingean ag OÉ Gaillimh na scileanna atá de dhíth a thabhairt do na mic léinn chun gur féidir leo na deiseanna fostaíochta atá ag teacht ar an bhfód a thapú. 

-Críoch-