Healthcare interpreting is a relatively new profession from two perspectives. Its
many facets are still being studied in the field of Interpreting Studies and, more
often than not, it does not rely on a full-fledged workforce. It requires particular professional
translation and interpreting competences. Moreover, this profession is anchored
in the new multicultural societies and faces new challenges that we will try to analyse
within the framework of the sociology of the professions. This allows us to understand
how a profession works, how it is recognized, and what is needed to achieve this recognition.
We will attempt to define healthcare interpreting and explain the importance of
recognizing it as a social practice. Against this backdrop, we will discuss the paradigm of
invisibility, a principle that has been addressed in training programmes since the beginning
of the professionalisation process of interpreting and translation.
