interpreting; professional ethics; professional conduct; deontology; ethical dilemma; curriculum; education

Educational curricula for interpreters must include the subject known as praxeology, which includes professional ethics. Interpreting is among the fields which place increased ethical demands on professionals, along with law, education, medicine etc. Even though students encounter basic methods of resolving certain ethical dilemmas in practical interpreting lessons, experience has shown that it is suitable to include specialized topics devoted directly to basic orientation in professional ethics and deontology. In this way, students can acquire a basic overview of the subject and the essential professional awareness that will provide them with a knowledge base to justify their decisions. Based on our experience, a basic specialized course in professional ethics can be provided through a set of thematically focused lessons which should include: 1. the ethical complexity of interpreting; 2. the principles of professional ethics (professionalism; confidentiality; neutrality; collegiality); 3. international and national ethical standards (deontology); 4. analyses of specific situational studies and discussions on them. It is important to link ethics to practical exercises where the teacher uses suitable texts, discusses with students the specific decisions that show signs of ethical dilemmas, and trains them to make ethically responsible decisions as well as justify them.