The Profile of the Employed Croatian Sign Language Interpreter

Abstract

Authors: Nives Gotovac Title of thesis: “The Profile of the Employed Croatian Sign Language Interpreter” Number of pages: 82 and 11 pages of appendices Supervisors of the thesis: Liisa Halkosaari, Sanna Nordlund, Annelies Kusters This study addresses key questions concerning the profile, education, professionalization, and challenges faced by Croatian sign language interpreters proficient in HZJ (Hrvatski znakovni jezik), the local sign language. To uncover the characteristics of employed HZJ interpreters, the study portrays a typical interpreter as a 40-year-old married female residing in Zagreb with native Croatian proficiency and informal HZJ exposure from interactions with deaf family members. She has limited informal training, a decade of experience, and a fixed-term contract. Her primary role involves interpreting from Croatian to HZJ. While this study explores the educational paths of HZJ interpreters, it underscores the need for formal interpreter training programs at universities and continuous professional development initiatives. The implications of the findings highlight the importance of equitable interpreter distribution, tailored training, gender diversity, and fair compensation. The study recommends integrating HZJ interpreting into established academic programs, ensuring precise terminology, and addressing compensation issues. It also suggests future research directions, such as investigating sources of funding and overlapping between HZJ interpreters working in associations and educational settings. Despite limitations inherent to online questionnaires, this study lays the groundwork for decision-making and interventions to enhance the professionalism and accessibility of HZJ interpretation services in Croatia. Keywords: HZJ interpreter, sign language, interpreting, Croatia, education, professionalization, compensation, accessibility, qualitative research.