A success story since December 2017: our “language mediation” project for aspiring lay interpreters, which originated in a migration context. In cooperation with ArrivalAid, a non-profit organisation supporting refugees, we offer volunteers with sufficient communication skills a tailor-made two-day training that provides them with the necessary interpreting skills to support refugees in communication situations such as hearing preparations, legal advice in the field of asylum and aliens law, doctor's appointments or job placements. The initiative operates within the framework of the TranslAid project, which was launched by the four Munich organisations MigraMed, Refugee Law Clinic Munich, Münchner Freiwillige – Wir helfen e.V. and ArrivalAid.

Prof. Regina Freudenfeld is the person to contact at SDI München for the project cooperation. The training uses role-playing, which involves developing, simulating and reflecting on relevant language mediation activities. The volunteer hearing facilitators from ArrivalAid and the students from MigraMed and the Refugee Law Clinic Munich, who cooperate with the organisation, are also involved, so that TranslAid participants can practise in authentic scenarios and also train and reflect on the interaction between clients and professionals.

The project draws on previous workshops for academically qualified refugees, which were carried out within the framework of the Integra DAAD funding. The aim of the training is to develop relevant case studies that will serve as a future guideline for the urgently needed communication skills of lay interpreters.