This thesis focuses on the need for education of community interpreters with Arabic. It presents community interpreting, interpreting as mediation, expressions ‘interpreter’ and ‘bilingual’, and explains the differences between those two expressions, introduces the master’s degree programme for interpreting at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana and the new programme for community interpreters at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. An anonymous survey was carried out as a part of this thesis. The hypothesis assumes that the majority of community interpreters are ad hoc interpreters who did not study interpreting or translation, and that their mother tongue is Arabic, therefore the need for education of community interpreters with Arabic is extensive. Additionally, the hypothesis assumes that ad hoc interpreters are facing problems, which they would not, or they would solve them better, if they had been professionally trained. The results of the survey analysis showed that the hypothesis can be partially confirmed. The first part of the hypothesis that says that the majority of community interpreters are ad hoc interpreters and that they did not study interpreting or translation is confirmed by the analysis since only one out of thirteen respondents studied interpreting. The second part of the hypothesis that states that the mother tongue of respondents is Arabic is rejected, because Arabic is the mother tongue of the majority, but not of all respondents. The third part of the hypothesis says that the need for education of community interpreters with Arabic is extensive. Due to the fact that only one respondent studied interpreting, this part is confirmed. The respondents also stated that they wish for more courses and workshops for community interpreters. The last part of the hypothesis says ad hoc interpreters with Arabic are facing problems, which they would not, or they would solve them better, if they had been professionally trained. According to the results, this part is rejected, because the majority did not face any problems and even those who did, managed to solve them – from their point of view – in a suitable manner.
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