Interpreting In Australia:Policies And Practices In The Context Of Multiculturalism

This paper aims to deliver an overview and analysis on the historic and current development of interpreting in Australia,especially against the length of Australia’s multicultural background.Australia,as a traditional immigration country has witnessed,over the years,large inflows of immigrants,refugees and foreign settlers.It provides a fervent ground for the multiculturalism to take hold when this immigration culture meets with its Aboriginal community,whose existence long predates the arrival of European settlers.As multicultural as it is,interpretation,innately born as a critical cross-cultural communication vehicle,has received much attention and is about to grow even stronger in such an interesting social fabric,which carries enormous academic weights to be investigated thoroughly.This author gives a chronological documentation on the policy development of interpretation profession,both from the federal level and state level;later gives in-depth look into TIS service,the Australia invention in the modem days that overshadows other countries;and the problems it faces.Equally intensively covered is the institution of NAATI,where its accreditation,testing,training functions have been widely explored.This paper is written to shed lights on how China’s interpreting field may chart its way forward and explore possible areas two countries may cooperate on.