Working paper. Public service interpreting in Madrid: evaluation and challenges in a multicultural context

: In the current multicultural society, the increasing migratory flow present in various geographical regions of Spain has heightened the demand for interpreting services. Despite this growing necessity, the social and humanitarian aspects of interpreting remain one of the least explored areas within the field of translation and interpreting. This research seeks to present a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of public service interpreting in the Community of Madrid. To achieve this objective, a field analysis will be conducted using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, as previously implemented in the city of Córdoba (Policastro-Ponce & Merino Cabello, 2024). The primary aim of this study is to thoroughly examine the functioning of interpreting services across diverse public institutions and to assess the usefulness of this approach in identifying the specific needs of service users.