Teleworking Translators during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Social and Personal Experiences from Iran

Abstract

The year 2020 witnessed the COVID-19 Pandemic, with consequences for translators who had no choice but to turn to teleworking. This study set out to explore the lived experiences of translators turning to teleworking during the Pandemic and is therefore indirectly relevant to translator training. The qualitative study involved 6 participants recruited through criterion sampling from a Telegram group of translators in Iran. Recorded voices were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed by conventional content analysis. The results reflected the participants’ social and personal experiences during the pandemic. A unified set of themes was framed into social and personal aspects, and compensatory strategies. In conclusion, we suggest that translator training must empower translators with the psychological capital required to face these challenges.