Bridging the Gap: Requirements of International Organizations and their Implications for the Training of Language Professionals

Abstract

Abstract The International Annual Meeting on Language Arrangements, Documentation and Publications (IAMLADP), a mechanism that brings together international organizations (IOs), is led by the United Nations and addresses such functions as the organization and management of language services, publications and conferences. This study uses the R Project for Statistical Computing to collect and analyse the discourse patterns of job descriptions issued by IAMLADP members for their job vacancies for language professionals, including interpreters, translators, revisers, editors and verbatim reporters. We also make recommendations regarding the interaction between IOs and universities in training qualified language professionals. Our finding was that, among the six UN official languages, English and French language skills are still most frequently required by IAMLADP organizations. In addition, this study identifies the competencies, level of education and years of working experience most frequently required of job applicants. Therefore, it aims to provide some insights into job requirements of IAMLADP organizations, and to inspire universities to adapt their training programs accordingly.