earticle

영어

In the past, research topics have mainly included analysis of text or discourse, which are the results of interpreting and translation. Nowadays, however, there is a growing number of papers intensively paying attention to translating agents. Most research that discusses translating agents in Korea conducted surveys and in-depth interviews with interpreters in certain types of employment conditions, which is respondent-centric in order to review occupational satisfaction level and interpreting experience. This paper, however, focuses more on interpreters who can be found by general searches (not through private accounts) on a social network service (in this case, Instagram) by analyzing the status of Instagram usage and the characteristics of their Instagram posts. Accordingly, positive effects and concerns are drawn based on the mentioned analysis. Key findings include that about 40% of interpreters who use Instagram reveal their real names, the languages they work with and the names of graduate schools where they had their training. Most postings and content interpreters created are informative regarding interpreting and translation. It is encouraging that individual interpreters or the industry as a whole uses social network services as a means to enhance the image of interpreters. However, it is recommended that users take care with such services while avoiding any damage due to the exposure of personal information, which often happens as social media activities mainly happen on the Internet. It is also recommendable that interpreting & translation educational institutes educate interpreters to properly use such services by establishing guidelines so that the public perception and reliability regarding interpreters as professionals are not undermined.