Big Success: LT Students Provide Simultaneous Interpretation Service for AsPac 2023

Supervised by Prof. Jackie Xiu YAN, two doctoral students and one master student from the Department of Linguistics and Translation (LT), City University of Hong Kong, provided simultaneous interpretation (SI) services in English and Cantonese for the Asia Pacific International Mental Wellness Conference 2023 (AsPac 2023, https://aspac2023.richmond.org.hk/) held from 7th to 9th December.

The student interpreters include CHOW Amanda Hiu Tung (PhD candidate), WANG Shuting (PhD candidate), and ZENG Jing (MALS (TI Stream). Their efforts in providing the SI services at AsPac 2023 were commendable. Their diligent preparation during the training sessions and outstanding performance during the conference received positive feedback from the organizers and participants alike, further highlighting their contribution to the success of the event and the effective training provided by the Interpreting Workshop organized by the Department of LT.

AsPac 2023 was organized by the Richmond Fellowship of Hong Kong (RFHK) at UOW College Hong Kong. The conference focused on recovering citizenship, care, collaboration, and citizenship. The conference featured a diverse range of local and overseas experts, including keynote speakers from The Yale School of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, and PeerZone in New Zealand. The experts shared cutting-edge knowledge and insights related to recovering citizenship and mental health. In addition to the conference sessions, there were workshops, parallel presentation sessions, exhibitions, and performances by peers, individuals in recovery, and their families. The interpreters played a crucial role in ensuring the content was accessible to all participants

The organizer of the conference, impressed by the interpreters' remarkable performance, expressed their gratitude after the event. Fiona Wong, the Research and Development Manager of RFHK, conveyed her appreciation and mentioned that the participants were highly satisfied with the quality of interpretation, particularly for Cantonese to English. She also requested permission to share team members' contact information with Mind HK, indicating the potential for future collaboration.

Four training sessions, led by CHOW Amanda Hiu Tung and LIU Guijiao, were held by the Interpreting Workshop before the conference to coach the student interpreters. The comprehensive training sessions ensured that the student interpreters were well-equipped and thoroughly prepared for their responsibilities.