Interdisciplinary Study to Mitigate the Burden on Judicial Interpreters: Improving the Working Conditions and the Ways of Japanese Language Usage for Smooth Translation

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24653121
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: University of Shizuoka
• Principal Investigator: MIZUNO KAORU 静岡県立大学, 国際関係学部, 准教授 (90262922)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TAKAHATA Sachi 静岡県立大学, 国際関係学部, 准教授 (50382007) ; MORI Naoka 静岡県立大学, 国際関係学部, 講師 (60611829) ; SAKAMAKI Shizuka 静岡県立大学, 国際関係学部, 講師 (10571028) ; TSUDA Mamoru 名古屋外国語大学, 現代国際学部, 教授 (50163811)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 法廷通訳 / 司法通訳 / 法廷通訳人 / 裁判員裁判

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have conducted quantitative surveys on both working conditions of judicial interpreters as well as the ways of Japanese language usage in interpretation in courts. The survey results revealed that court interpreters are feeling heavier burdens both physically and mentally since the introduction of trials by lay judges due to the prolonged trial hours. The products of this study includes the publication of a book which contains quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) data on court interpreters, as well as the results of experiments in interpretation and analysis on the current situation of court interpreters based on various disciplines by collaborating researchers. Specifically, the book focuses on 1) current situation of court interpreters of foreign languages frequently used in Japanese courts; 2) issues of working conditions, language ability, psychological conditions, management of court interpreters; 3) issues of language usage in court translation,etc.

Free Research Field

日本語教育、社会言語学