About this Episode
As part of Radio ARA’s ongoing interview series within the ReDes_Ling project, researcher Ester Saiz de Lobado García shares her perspective on language inequality. A lecturer in interpreting at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, she explores how language access—or the lack of it—deepens existing power imbalances.
Ester explains that interpretation isn’t just about words. In emotionally complex situations, such as hospital visits or asylum claims, interpreters must navigate silences, gestures, and cultural context. She recalls a case where a family from Senegal faces a medical crisis, relying entirely on an interpreter to understand and express their emotions.
Currently, Ester works on two projects. One critically analyses public language use in conflict zones, showing how terms like “Zionism” shape political discourse. The other focuses on community interpreting in Latin America, where speakers of Indigenous languages often face institutional barriers. She supports grassroots initiatives where local leaders—many of them women—push for interpreter training and language rights, often in hostile environments.
This interview is one of several in the ReDes_Ling series, which brings together voices from different countries to explore how language inequality plays out globally. The aim is to highlight diverse experiences and push for systemic change.
