RAFAEL BARRANCO DROEGE

Interpreting quality is conditioned by a myriad of factors, and going back to basics every now and then may help in asking the right questions. Moreover, the advancement of an applied science such as interpreting studies makes it indispensable to stop and check periodically whether the communication between research, training and professional practice is flowing properly.With this in mind, in the context of the Second International Conference on Interpreting Quality, held in 2011 in Almunecar, Spain, it was decided to open a forum to allow participants to share their ideas with a broader audience. The result is a collection of interesting contributions developed from a variety of methodological perspectives, dealing with topics ranging from interpreter training to professional practice and including both spoken and signed languages.From the perspective of interpreter training, the papers address topics such as the implementation of interpreting theory, ethics, mindfulness and the importance of visual input for simultaneous interpreting. The contributions related to professional practice focus on aspects like anticipation in simultaneous interpreting, the transfer of specialized knowledge and the constraints imposed by the market, while the assessment of interpreting skills received special attention as a cross-sectional topic. It is the editors hope that this volume will encourage further investigation in these areas.TRADUCCION.Este libro esta condicionado por multitud de factores que se remontan a los origenes. Por otra parte, el avance de una ciencia aplicada, como los estudios de interpretacion hace que sea indispensable para detener y comprobar periodicamente si la comunicacion entre la investigacion, la formacion y la practica profesional esta fluyendo correctamente.Con esto en mente, en el marco de la Segunda Conferencia Internacional sobre la Calidad de Interpretacion, que se celebro en 2011 en Almuñecar, España, se decidio abrir un foro para que los participantes puedan compartir sus ideas con una audiencia mas amplia. El resultado es una coleccion de interesantes aportaciones desarrolladas a partir de una variedad de perspectivas metodologicas, que se ocupan de temas que van desde la formacion de interpretes a la practica profesional y que incluye las dos lenguas que se hablan.Desde la perspectiva de la formacion de interpretes, los trabajos abordan temas tales como la aplicacion de la teoria de la interpretacion, la etica, la atencion y la importancia de la informacion visual para la interpretacion simultanea.Las contribuciones relacionadas con la practica profesional se centran en aspectos como la anticipacion en la interpretacion simultanea, la transferencia de conocimientos especializados y de las limitaciones impuestas por el mercado, mientras que la evaluacion de las habilidades de interpretacion ha recibido la atencion especial como un tema transversal. Los editores esperan que este libro anime y provoque asi una mayor investigacion en estas areas.

nterpreting is a complex phenomenon with semiotic, cognitive, and social dimensions. The second half of the 20th century witnessed increasing professionalization in this field, and in recent years, market conditions have been evolving rapidly. Communication has become faster and more technical, information and communication technologies have empowered users and altered workflows, societies are undergoing unforeseen transformations, and language regimes are changing, both in terms of diversification and of the use of lingua francas.The challenges and opportunities associated with these developments call for a reframing of quality assessment and assurance. Output-focused research is being joined by investigation on cognitive and social processes, the various subfields of interpreting studies are beginning to gel, and research is becoming more interdisciplinary. This volume offers a glimpse of the stimulating research on interpreting quality made possible by the collaboration of scholars, trainers, and practitioners