Omnipresent virtual reality and novel text formats interpreted in the 21st century

In the 21st century, interpreters face new challenges. First, there is the Internet generation and the new information society, which may infringe on basic human rights and freedoms. Second, there is the process of globalisation and the spread of English as a lingua franca contraposed to languages of limited diffusion and the phenomenon of immigration. The text to be interpreted comes in novel formats: modern technologies are used in telephone, remote and court interpreting, in video conferencing, and Internet chatting. On the other hand, there is a new field of community/social interpreting which puts increasing pressure on the professionalization of interpreters. How does academia respond to all of these challenges and the current market requirements? The ways of bridging virtual and actual realities in interpreter training may include the following modes: e-learning, coaching, databases of recorded speeches and compact learning platforms.