Dr Karl McLaughlin
Senior Lecturer in Spanish (Translation and Interpreting)
My profile
Biography
In addition to being an academic, I am a professional interpreter and translator (accredited with the European Commission and European Parliament) as well as a journalist. I am passionate about the subjects I teach and am able to bring to them an up to date, real-world view of the profession(s). My personal interests include politics and - in general - all things related to Spain and the Spanish-speaking world. I used to be a football coach and have a keen interest in the vast majority of sports, particularly football, basketball and athletics. My work has taken me to over 50 countries the length and breadth of the world, including most of South America.
Words of wisdom
“Nothing worth doing is ever easy”
Academic and professional qualifications
• 2010 – PhD in Spanish, University of Bradford (by thesis). Thesis title: ‘Defragmenting the portrait: Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán, Extremadura’s ‘No Conocida Señora’ of the Golden Age’.
• 1987 – In-Service Training as Conference Interpreter, European Commission, Brussels.
• 1983 – BA Jt. Hons French and Spanish, Queen’s University Belfast.
I have taught on and/or led postgraduate and undergraduate courses in interpreting and translation at the Universities of La Laguna (Spain), Bradford and Leeds and been a visiting lecturer on programmes in universities in Portugal and Spain. Between 1999-2006, I provided regular pedagogical assistance on behalf of the European Parliament’s Directorate for Interpreting on interpreting courses at a wide range of European universities (in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia). I continue to deliver short courses/workshops for undergraduate and postgraduate Translation and interpreting courses at UK and European universities, including Queen’s University Belfast (2017), Université de Paris 7 Denis Diderot (2017, 2018), University of Latvia (2017), Universidad de Granada (2018), Université Catholique de l’Ouest, Angers, (2019).
Other academic service (administration and management)
Unit Leader: Issues in Translation, Introduction to Spanish Interpreting (Level 5); Advanced Translation (Spanish) and Interpreting (Level 6).
Personal tutor to Level 5 and Level 6 students
Supervisor of Independent Research Projects (Level 6)
Outbound Erasmus Coordinator for Spanish
Former Departmental Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator
Former Departmental Schools Liaison Coordinator
Languages
Spanish, French, Portuguese
Expert reviewer for external funding bodies
Expert reviewer for Comunicar (Media Education Research Journal)
Practitioner roles
As noted above, I am an active interpreter and translator. Many of my commissioned translations appear in academic journals in the fields of e.g. terrorism studies, soil science, education etc, or in official reports by international bodies. I continue to interpret also on a freelance basis, including for European Union Institutions and government bodies. As a journalist, I have appeared regularly in a range of media covering current affairs relating to Spain.
Community, charity and NGO links
I am a magistrate for England and Wales, sitting on the Greater Manchester Bench
Government and industry links
Visiting and honorary positions
Visiting Lecturer in interpreting, M.A. in Conference Interpreting, Universidade do Minho (Portugal) 1998-2001
Editorial Board membership
Member of Editorial Board, The Linguist (Chartered Institute of Linguists)
Member of Editorial Board of Bara Bara Comunicación, Spanish media group (multilingual newspapers/magazines)
Membership of professional associations
Fellow and Chartered Linguist, Chartered Institute of Linguists
Fellow, Higher Education Academy
International Association for Translation and Cultural Studies
Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland
Member, European Society for Translation Studies
Impact
My longstanding research into the 17th century Spanish female author, Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán, has led her home town of Llerena to amend key biographical details which have featured on a statue of the writer for many years. Detailed documentary evidence supplied by me to the authorities have resulted in almost 30 years being added to her life on the plaque accompanying the statue.
Projects
Joint organiser of Tilting at Windmills: Cervantes ‘Meets’ Shakespeare 400 years on (April 2016). Shortlisted for Spain’s official programme of commemorative events marking the anniversary of the death of Miguel de Cervantes.
Teaching
Why do I teach?
Because I truly enjoy passing on to others what I have been privileged to learn myself in the course of my professional and academic lives. There is nothing like the buzz that comes with a successful class!
How I’ll teach you
With enthusiasm, careful planning and understanding, but also with a realistic perspective on what is required in the demanding disciplines I teach.
Why study…
Translating and interpreting are often viewed as the ultimate test of one’s knowledge of a language. The ability to convey written or orally information received accurately, convincingly and under pressure of time is one of the most valued traits of a good linguist. Learning how to do this is challenging but very rewarding, not to say exciting, and there is very little that beats the satisfaction of a job well done. These skills are very much in deand in the world of employment so why not enhance your prospects by studying these disciplines? You are guaranteed to learn a lot about your foreign language and your English, not to mention about yourself!
The Spanish-speaking world is becoming a fast-growing market for international business, including for UK companies. Learning the language of business and exploring the differences in business culture, including the Dos and Dont’s of written correspondence in Spanish are not only rewarding but can also open up lots of post-degree career options (not to mention greatly helping students on their year abroad!).
Postgraduate teaching
At previous universities: Masters-level programmes in Interpreting and Translation
Subject areas
Translation, Interpreting; Spanish for the Business World
Supervision
Final-year Independent Research Projects on a wide range of topics including translation technologies, interpreter ethics, sport and politics, wine and architecture in Spain.
Previous MA dissertation supervision (selection):
• Consecutive interpreting as a training tool
• Extended translation with theoretical commentary
• The use of technology in the interpreting booth
Independent Internal Examiner, Manchester Metropolitan University, PhD Thesis on “Audiovisual Translation in Foreign Language Education”, November 2017
Research outputs
My research focuses on a wide range of areas relating to interpreting and translation, Golden Age literature (particularly female authors and Extremadura), and sport in Spain, particularly its role in politics and national/regional identity. I am currently working on literary academies in 17th century Spain and vetting processes for posts with the Spanish Inquisition. I am particularly interested also in the use of interpreting in legal settings and the quality issues that arise in such contexts. Other areas of research interest include the use of young interpreters as facilitators in schools which have high numbers of pupils with a poor command of English, and the use of low-level interpreting training to enhance language proficiency at A-Level. I am also about to begin a project on the political content of songs by satirical singing groups in the world-famous Tenerife Carnival.
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Puig, I., McLaughlin, K. (2019) Spanish Golden Age Texts in the Twenty-First Century: Teaching the Old Through the New. Peter Lang.
McLaughlin, K.P., Borrachero Mendíbil, A. (2010) Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán, Obra Poética. Editora Regional de Extremadura.
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Chapters in books
McLaughlin, K. (2019) 'Meaningful parallels for students: Golden Age poetic production as examples of talent shows and celebrity spats.' In Puig, I., McLaughlin, K. (ed.) Spanish Golden Age Texts in the 21st Century: Teaching the Old with the New. Bern, Switzerland: Peter Lang, pp. 141-157.
McLaughlin, K.P. (2018) 'Invisible Voices: the world of Diplomatic Interpreting.' Jean-Michel Benayoun (ed.), Langues, Cultures, Représentations. Paris: Michel Houdiard,
McLaughlin, K.P. (2009) 'Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán y Vicente Díaz de Montoya: Un curioso intercambio literario.' Silva de Estudios en Homenaje a Mariano Fernández Daza, IX Marqués de la Encomienda. Almendralejo: Centro Universitario Santa Ana, pp. 269-280.
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Journal articles
McLaughlin, K. (2022) 'Influence and skulduggery: what the vetting of Inquisition officials in 17th-Century Spain Reveals about the family of Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán (1618-c.1685).' Bulletin of Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies, 47(1) pp. 1-1.
McLaughlin, K.P. (2018) 'Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán: Llerena's Academy Poet?.' Bulletin of Spanish Studies, 95(8) pp. 957-982.
McLaughlin, K.P. (2018) 'Public and Private Social Realities in the Poesía de Circunstancias of Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán.' Modern Language Review, 113(4) pp. 753-777.
McLaughlin, K. (2018) 'Manchester's Language Army: Young Interpreter Schemes in Manchester and UK.' The Linguist, 57(3 Jun)
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Non-peer reviewed articles / reviews
McLaughlin, K. (2023) Come fly with me: translating in-flight magazines.
McLaughlin, K. (2022) Twenty Years On.
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Conference papers
McLaughlin, K. (2024) '‘Engaging Very Young Learners with Female Authors: A Comic on Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán’.' In Imagining Early Modern Iberia in Graphic Novels. Institute for Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of London, 22/1/2024 - 22/1/2024.
McLaughlin, K. (2022) '"Tenerife’s Carnival Murgas: harmless festival fun or an effective platform for social issues?".' In European Popular Musics Seminar Series 2022-23. University of Leeds, 14/6/2023 - 14/6/2023.
McLaughlin, K. (2019) 'Enemistades, intrigas y rumores: la dificil relación de la familia de Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán con el Tribunal de la Inquisición llerenense (in Spanish).' In XX Jornadas de Historia en Llerena. Llerena, Spain, 6/6/2019 - 6/7/2019.
McLaughlin, K. (2019) 'Influence and Skullduggery: What the Vetting of Inquisition Archives Tells us about the Family of Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán (1618-c.1685).' In UCD Symposium of Golden Age Studies. University College Dublin, 6/12/2019 - 7/12/2019.
McLaughlin, K.P. (2018) 'Meaningful parallels for students: Golden Age poetic production as examples of talent shows and celebrity spats.' In Teaching the old through the new: approaches to teaching Spanish Golden Age texts in the 21st century/. Manchester Metropolitan University, 14/4/2018 - 14/4/2018.
McLaughlin, K.P. (2018) 'Learning by doing: using Media Translation for language enhancement in the MFL classroom.' In UK LINGUA 2018 – Multilingual Language Learning and Teaching Colloquium. Durham, 21/4/2018 - 22/4/2018.
McLaughlin, K.P. (2017) 'CATALINA CLARA RAMÍREZ DE GUZMÁN: LLERENA’S ACADEMY POET?.' In Golden Age Research Symposium. Cork, Ireland, 25/11/2017 - 27/11/2017.
McLaughlin, K.P. (2017) 'Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán: a poet for all occasions.' In Second Durham–Northumbria Colloquium on Medieval and Golden Age Hispanic Studi. University of Durham, 5/7/2017 - 6/7/2017.
McLaughlin, K.P. (2015) 'TROUBLESHOOTING NOTE-TAKING AND OTHER ISSUES IN CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETING: METHODS AND TOOLS FOR (SELF)DIAGNOSIS.' In IATIS 5th International Conference. Belo Horizonte (Brazil),, 7/7/2015 - 10/7/2015.
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Other
McLaughlin, K. (2023) Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán (Comic).
McLaughlin, K. (2019) Enemistades, Intrigas y Rumores: La difícil relación de la familia de Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán con el Tribunal de la Inquisición llerenense.
Press and media
Media appearances or involvement
As a correspondent, I have been a regular contributor to media in UK and Spain on wide range of topical issues and current affairs, from terrorism in Spain to the impact of translation technologies. Appearances include:
1 September 2022 Cape Talk Radio (South Africa): The Morning Review (current affairs programme) on the subject of global anti-mass tourism sentiment, particularly in Spain.
20 August 2020 National TV Spain: Espejo Público prime-time current affairs programme, on repercussions for the Spanish Royal Family of Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein’s controversial BBC interview on her 5-year romance with Spain’s King Juan Carlos.
27 July 2020 Sky News interview on Impact of UK Quarantine measure for travellers from Spain
27 July 2020 BBC Radio Ulster. Stephen Nolan Show interview on impact of UK Quarantine measure for travellers from Spain
Previous (selection)
October 2017 BBC Radio 5 Live Drivetime interview on impact on language-learning of Google Translation Earphones
August 2017 BBC Radio 5 Live Interview as Spain Expert on Barcelona terrorist attacks
August 2017 Voice of Islam interview on Barcelona terrorism attacks
May 2017 Various Spanish media interviews on Manchester Arena Bombings
April 2017 BBC World Service, World Business Report. Interview on Spain’s Eat and Run phenomenon and the ethics of civil disobedience
January 2017 Various Spanish media on impact of Brexit in EU workers in UK
2016-17 As Spanish football expert, weekly appearances as pundit on Spain’s national Estudio Estadio football programme