International trade between the Canary Islands and Africa: interpreting needs

Abstract

Translation and Interpreting are often needed in Foreign Trade activities when two parties that speak different languages and belong to different cultures come into contact for trading purposes (Suárez-Ortega et al. 2017). Companies operating in international markets form part of a multicultural and multilingual framework where linguistic diversity plays a significant role in new and established trade arrangements and negotiations, giving rise to a need for translators and interpreters that specialize in international trade (Socorro Trujillo 2008). The Canary Islands are a group of eight Spanish islands located off the coast of West-Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean. They lie a thousand kilometers from mainland Spain and just one hundred kilometers from Africa (https://canaryislandshub.com). The language spoken in the Canary Islands is Spanish, but in most of the African countries in the region, French, English or Portuguese is the vehicular language. As a result of the proximity of these two areas, and other factors, the Canary Islands and West-African countries have increasingly close business relations (http://www.gobierno decanarias.org/istac). Our study explores the specific need(s) for both translators and interpreters in different language combinations to work with different text types and in different communicative situations within this specific international trade context. We have already presented some initial results (Álvarez Díaz & Adams 2021), but we will here focus on the specific need(s) for interpreters in this context, based on the 61 responses received to our questionnaire administered to 79 companies based in the Canary Islands with business dealings in West African countries. The results obtained reflect the need, i.e. demand, for interpreters by mode (simultaneous, consecutive or dialogue interpreting), by language combination (Spanish <> English, French and Portuguese) and by communicative setting (on-site meetings with potential clients, on-site meetings with partners, company trips to the African countries, phone calls or videoconferences). Ruiz Mezcua (2018) maintains that when a company looks to expand business overseas, the interpreter plays a key role in reaching agreements, and Roney (2001, p.7) underscores the value of quality interpreting in international business: “if you choose wisely, a good interpreter can be a business asset, making your ‘dream’ of global expansion a ‘reality’”. Our results show, among other things, that the most common mode of interpreting required in this context is dialogue interpreting, which requires the interpreter to be able to work both into and out of both the languages in question, and that French is the language that most Canary Islands businesses need to work with. Our results are of interest to companies in the Islands looking to broaden their business base to include neighboring African countries, to business organizations such as Chambers of Commerce, to practicing interpreters and also for training providers, particularly local universities, who need to ensure that the requirements of the business community are adequately catered to.