The interference of Maltese in English retour interpreting

Abstract

When interpreters work from their native, or first, language (L1) into a non-native, or second, language (L2), this is known as ‘retour’ (L1àL2). In this regard, Maltese-to-English (MTàEN) retour — where Maltese is the L1 and English the L2 — is a common language combination among Maltese interpreters working for European Union (EU) institutions, considering the relatively few speakers of Maltese compared to those of English. In Malta’s linguistic landscape, the influence of Maltese on English has given rise to a variety known as ‘Maltese English’ (ME), and interpreters specialising in MTàEN retour undergo training to minimise potential crosslinguistic interference. This dissertation seeks to identify elements and qualities in L2 EN which demonstrate an influence of L1 MT, and how the L2 EN spoken by Maltese interpreters differs to the general ME spoken in Malta. In the process, this will provide the first empirical and qualitative data for MTàEN and expand on the existing quantitative data for this language combination. The data substantiating this study was collected through observational research of 17 MTàEN performances during European Parliament (EP) plenary sessions throughout the 2019–2024 mandate. The findings during the analysis, in turn, suggest that interpreters demonstrate noticeable yet varying degrees of influence of L1 MT during MTàEN, particularly in phonology, and that this influence is generally comparable to the ME spoken by L2 EN speakers outside of an interpreting context.