Appraising Media Interpreting Landscape in Cameroon

This paper paints a picture of the media interpreting the landscape in Cameroon. To garner the needed data, research instruments such as documentary sources, and two sets of questionnaires – a set for media interpreters and the other for conference interpreters. The collected and analyzed data spawned the findings herein after. 1) There are many types of media interpreting practiced in Cameroon: conservative, semi-conservative, sight translation, simultaneous, signed language religious denomination. 2) A majority of media interpreters have mixed feelings about the practice of media interpreting in Cameroon. 3) Most media interpreters prefer recorded media interpreters to other types, and interpret ‘simultaneously’ without booths or equipment. 4) A good number of media interpreters leaves parts of discourse uninterpreted due to several reasons – lack of training, lack of preparation, technicality of domain, short notice, speaker’s speed, etc. 5) The most highlighted reason for leaving out parts of discourse uninterpreted is lack of training in the art of interpreting. 6) To salvage this seemingly ballpark situation and give a fillip to the media interpreting landscape in Cameroon, most conference interpreters, and media interpreters themselves recommend need for formal training or on-the-job training. Some conference interpreters recommend that only well trained professionals should be employed, and that journalists should acquire some interpretation skills.