- 200 years
- Study
- International
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- Research
- About us
https://webcdn.mmu.ac.uk/profiles/img/profile-images/Karl-McLaughlin-crop-145x145-605b780172930.jpg
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 am a qualified 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.
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!
"Nothing worth doing is ever easy"
With enthusiasm, careful planning and understanding, but also with a realistic perspective on what is required in the demanding disciplines I teach.
• 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, 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 central and eastern 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).
1988-98: Lecturer/Course Coordinator, M.A. in Conference Interpreting, University of La Laguna, Spain
2001-2004: Course Director, M.A. in Interpreting and Translating, University of Bradford.
2004-2008: Lecturer (part-time), M.A. in Interpreting and Translating, University of Bradford
2010: Tutor, English Retour Interpreting Training Course for European Parliament staff interpreters, Centre for Translation Studies, University of Leeds.
2013-2014: Teaching Fellow in Interpreting, Centre for Translation Studies, University of Leeds.
Non-academic (selection):
Freelance interpreter, accredited by European Commission and European Parliament. Interpreter at majority of Olympic Games since 1992. Personal interpreter for three Spanish Prime Ministers (1988-2006)
Freelance translator and Contract Translator (Spanish/French→English) for United Nations and International Atomic Energy Agency. Translator of technical reports, ministerial conference addresses, political articles for media publication, etc for Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Environment (Spain).
1992-2016 Media translator, Island Connections newspaper. Translation and adaptation of Spanish media texts for printed and digital publications.
2011-13 Media translator for Diario de Avisos (Spanish newspaper). Translation and adaptation of a broad range of Spanish media texts (politics, economy, education, health) for publication in weekly English version of daily newspaper. Author of regular column (in Spanish) on current affairs and sport.
2016-present. Translator, Bara Bara Communications Medida Group. Translation of media articles, cultural materials and content for magazines, including in-flight magazines.
Unit Leader: Issues in Translation, Introduction to Spanish Interpreting (Level 5); Spanish Translation and Interpreting (Level 6)
Personal tutor to Level 5 and Level 6 students
Departmental Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions Coordinator
Outbound Erasmus Coordinator for Spanish
Former Departmental Schools Liaison Coordinator
Spanish, French, Portuguese
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!).
• Contextualising Foreign Language Learning (Level 4)
• Issues in Translation (Level 5)
• Introduction to Interpreting (Spanish) (Level 5)
• Spanish for the Business World (Level 5)
• Advanced Translation (Spanish) 1 & 2 (Level 6)
• Independent Research Project (Dissertation) (Level 6)
I am happy to supervise dissertations in the fields of - among others - theoretical aspects of interpreting and/or translation, Golden Age literature, Spanish politics, media in Spain, sport and nationalism.
Previous B.A. dissertation supervision (examples):
• Aspects of humour in the Spanish subtitling of Friends
• Use of sport/football by the Franco regime for political aims
• Football and nationalism in Catalonia
At previous universities: Masters-level programmes in Interpreting and Translation
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
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.
I have collaborated with, among others, the popular academic online journal The Conversation, contributing articles on politics in Spain and Latin America. I have also collaborated with the EU-funded ORCIT (Online Resources for Conference Interpreter Training) project. I am working on a multi-disciplinary project on Spain’s La Vuelta cycling race and contribute to a popular blog called The Language of Football.
I. Puig, K. McLaughlin (2019). Spanish Golden Age Texts in the Twenty-First Century: Teaching the Old Through the New. I. Puig, K. McLaughlin. Peter Lang.
KP. McLaughlin, A. Borrachero Mendíbil (2010). Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán, Obra Poética. Editora Regional de Extremadura.
KP. McLaughlin (2018). Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán: Llerena's Academy Poet?. Bulletin of Spanish Studies. 95(8), pp.957-982.
K. McLaughlin ‘Engaging Very Young Learners with Female Authors: A Comic on Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán’. Institute for Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of London, 22/1/2024.
K. McLaughlin "Tenerife’s Carnival Murgas: harmless festival fun or an effective platform for social issues?". University of Leeds, 14/6/2023.
K. McLaughlin Influence and Skullduggery: What the Vetting of Inquisition Archives Tells us about the Family of Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán (1618-c.1685). University College Dublin, 6/12/2019.
K. McLaughlin (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). Llerena, Spain, 6/6/2019.
KP. McLaughlin Learning by doing: using Media Translation for language enhancement in the MFL classroom. Durham, 21/4/2018.
KP. McLaughlin Meaningful parallels for students: Golden Age poetic production as examples of talent shows and celebrity spats. Manchester Metropolitan University, 14/4/2018.
KP. McLaughlin CATALINA CLARA RAMÍREZ DE GUZMÁN: LLERENA’S ACADEMY POET?. Cork, Ireland, 25/11/2017.
KP. McLaughlin Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán: a poet for all occasions. University of Durham, 5/7/2017.
KP. McLaughlin TROUBLESHOOTING NOTE-TAKING AND OTHER ISSUES IN CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETING: METHODS AND TOOLS FOR (SELF)DIAGNOSIS. Belo Horizonte (Brazil),, 7/7/2015.
"Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán: a Unique Spanish Golden Age Writer", lecture delivered to Instituto Cervantes, Manchester, 17 February 2022.
"Enemistades, intrigas y rumores: la difícil relación de la familia de Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán con el Tribunal de la Inquisición llerenense", Keynote lecture delivered to the Sociedad Extremeña de Historia, Llerena (Spain), 6 June 2019
“Influence and Skullduggery: a look at the vetting of Inquisition officials in 17th century Spain”, History Research Seminar Series, Manchester Metropolitan University, January 2019
"The challenges of assessing translation and interpreting skills: reconciling industry expectations with Higher Education realities", 1st Annual APTIS Conference, Aston University, November 2018
"Interpreting in the world of High Diplomacy: a view from the inside", 4th Annual Careers in Translation and Interpreting event for graduates, University of Liverpool, April 2018
"Learning by doing: using Media Translation for language enhancement in the MFL classroom", UKLingua , Durham April 2018
"Media Translation", University of Granada, February 2018
"Public and private-sphere poetry in the work of Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán", Spanish and Latin American Studies Research Seminar Series, University of Manchester, October 2017
“Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán: A Poet for All Occasions”, Second Durham-Northumbria Colloquium on Medieval and Golden Age Hispanic Studies, July 2017
“Interpreting as a language class activity: constructive or counterproductive?”, Networking Event for MFL Teachers, Manchester Metropolitan University, June 2017
'Translating for the Media: a hybrid profession', “3rd Annual Careers in Translation and Event”, University of Liverpool, April 2017
'Invisible Voices: the challenges of Diplomatic Interpreting', paper delivered at conference on “L’interculturel et ses langages”, University of Paris 7, Denis Diderot, March 2017
“Catalina Clara Ramírez de Guzmán and Literary Academies”, Golden Age Research Symposium, University College Cork, November 2016
“Bridging the gap: Translation in the language classroom”. Networking event for Modern Foreign Language teachers, Manchester, June 2016.
“Interpreting at Olympic Games”, 2nd Annual Careers in Translation and Interpreting Event. University of Liverpool, April 2016
“Troubleshooting note-taking issues in consecutive interpretation: methods and tools for diagnosis”, 5th IATIS Conference, Innovation paths in translation and intercultural studies, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, July 2015
“Diplomatic Interpreting”, Professionalisation Talk, University of Leeds, Centre for Translation Studies, November 2014 https://www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/news/article/4016/prof_talk_report_diplomatic_interpreting
"Note-taking for cosecutive interpreting", Jornadas sobre Traducción e Interpretación, Xunta de Galicia, April 1990
Co-organiser of International Symposium Teaching the old through the new: approaches to teaching Spanish Golden Age texts in the 21st century, Manchester Metropolitan University (April 2018)
Co-organiser of Tilting at Windmills: Cervantes ‘Meets’ Shakespeare 400 years on. Manchester Metropolitan University (April 2016)
Session Chair, Annual Conference of the British Association of Applied Linguistics, Manchester (August 2019)
Expert reviewer and stylistic corrector/proofreader for Comunicar
Occasional reviewer for The Interpreter and Translator Trainer
Manchester Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence for organisation of 'Tilting at Windmills, Cervantes "meets" Shakespeare 400 years on' (with I. Puig).
https://manmetlife.wordpress.com/2016/04/29/success-for-shakespeare-meets-cervantes-event
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.
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 appear regularly in a range of media, including BBC Radio, covering current affairs relating to Spain.
Creator and funder of Annual Award for A-Level Spanish, Carrickfergus Grammar School
I am a magistrate for England and Wales, sitting on the Greater Manchester Bench
Close links to the translation/interpreting industry through professional practice and to media sector, also through practice.
As a correspondent, I am 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:
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
Xavier Giralt Prize for Spanish, Queen's University Belfast
Visiting Lecturer in interpreting, M.A. in Conference Interpreting, Universidade do Minho (Portugal) 1998-2001
Member of Editorial Board, The Linguist (Chartered Institute of Linguists)
Member of Editorial Board of Bara Bara Comunicación, Spanish media group (multilingual newspapers/magazines)
Fellow, Higher Education Academy
International Association for Translation and Cultural Studies
Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland
Fellow and Chartered Linguist, Chartered Institute of Linguists
Member, European Society for Translation Studies