“Top-down” or “Bottom-up”? Language Policies in Public Service Interpreting in the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Spain

Abstract

Economic prosperity along with ensuing labour shortages and a marked increase in the number of asylum seekers and political refugees have had a significant impact on the ethnic and linguistic make-up of many of our societies. The past number of years has witnessed a renewed interest in issues of language policy and planning, emerging from these changes, where nation-states are becoming more varied, diverse and at the same time more global. Language policy and planning initiatives in the area of public sector interpreting in Ireland, Scotland and Spain are examined in this paper. All three contexts offer examples of cases where there has been a marked increase in the number of economic immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers in recent years. Language policy and planning measures which regulate for the provision of interpreting services to non-indigenous ethnic minority language groups in all three contexts are critically explored. This paper explores both overt and covert “top-down” policies at government and institutional level, as well as “bottom-up” and grassroots initiatives taking place to resist, protest about or negotiate declared language policies and to propose alternatives.