Interpreting as a part of language planning

Abstract

The paper opens with a brief overview of the reasons behind the decline of the Breton language in the mid-19th to early 20th Centuries in order to contextualise on-going revitalisation efforts that began in earnest in the 1980s. The discussion then turns to a theoretical review of the literature concerning the key role that translation has been shown to play within the framework of language planning for minority languages within the complementary fields of Polysystems Theory and the Sociology of Translation, arguing that the related yet considerably under-researched field of interpreting can also make a significant contribution to language planning and revitalisation by heightening visibility and symbolic prestige. Finally, the paper presents the results of a limited yet revelatory survey of the main interpreters active in the field in order to shed light on key aspects of the current state of the emerging phenomenon of Breton language interpreting (including interpreter profiles, training, directionality, modalities, voluntary vs. paid work, the clientele, etc.) and their implications with a view to gauging its potential impact for language planning and possible directions for the future.