Ran Yi
Email: ran.yi@unsw.edu.au
Supervisors: Professor Sandra Hale (Primary Supervisor), Professor Ludmila Stern (Co-Supervisor), Dr Natalie Martschuk (External Supervisor)
Ran is a licensed practitioner with over 10 years of experience working as a staff interpreter in institutional settings. Her work, driven by a deep commitment to linguistic human rights, procedural justice, and equitable access, is rooted in practice-informed research and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange. Together with her advisers, she focuses on the role of court interpreters, particularly for migrants from the Global South.
She works closely with judges, lawyers, judicial officers, legal professionals, and interpreters. Her ongoing doctoral research delves into the critical yet under-explored area of how accurately the phrasing of lawyers' questions and defendants' testimonies is interpreted during courtroom examinations, especially in technology-enabled remote interpreting. The implications of this accuracy, or lack thereof, for judicial outcomes are central to her study.
Ran's passion for linguistic equity and justice is reflected in her work and personal journey. You can learn more about her life story in this 3-minute read. Bridging Voices: From China and North Korea's Borders to Linguistic Equity in Australia
Currently, Ran is an Associate at the Australian Human Rights Institute, Faculty of Law and Justice, UNSW Sydney, where she continues to advocate for the protection of linguistic human rights in legal settings.
- Research areas
- Research outputs
- Presentations
- Court interpreting
- Linguistic equity
- Procedural justice for migrants
Funded Research Projects
- Assessing the Manner of Speech in Australian Courtrooms (AS$5,000), awarded by UNSW Sydney, 2021
- Lawyering or Interpreting: Dealing with Linguistic Evidence in Common Law Courtrooms (AS$3,000), awarded by UNSW Sydney, 2023
- Interpreting the Manner of Speech in Australian Virtual Courtrooms (AS$500), awarded by Australian Human Rights Institute, Faculty of Law and Justice, UNSW Sydney, 2024
Awards
- National Scholarship, Ministry of Education, China
- PGC PhD Research Award, UNSW Sydney
- UK Alumni Achievements Award
Research Articles (WOS Q1/2 Language and Law)
- Yi, R. (2024). Manner Matters: Linguistic Equity Through a Court Interpreter in Australia. Int J Semiot Law. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11196-023-10090-3 (SSCI Q1, 1, 0.8)
- Yi, R. (2023). Interpreting the manner of speech in courts: an overlooked aspect. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1-4. doi:10. 3389/ fpsyg. 2023. 12099 08 (SSCI Q2, 1, 3.8)
- Yi, R. (2023). The promise of linguistic equity for migrants in Australian courtrooms: a cross-disciplinary perspective. Australian Journal of Human Rights, 29(1), 174–180. doi:10. 1080/ 13232 38X. 2023. 22321 71 (SSCI Q3, 12, 1.2)
- Yi, R. (2023). Linguistic human rights: What are they and how can we better protect them? Human Rights Defenders. Accessed 16 January 2024.
- Yi, R. (2023) Justice Under Microscope: Analysing Mandarin Chinese Markers in Virtual Courtroom. Discourse Studies. https://doi.org/10.1177/0123456789123456
- Yi, R. (2023). The promise of linguistic equity for migrants in Australian courtrooms: a cross-disciplinary perspective. Australian Journal of Human Rights, 29(1), 174-180. doi:10.1080/1323238X.2023.2232171
Review Articles (Translation and Interpreting Studies)
- Yi, R. (2023). Institutional Translation and Interpreting: Assessing Practices and Managing for Quality. International Journal of Public Administration, 1-2. doi:10.1080/01900692.2023.2219425
- Yi, R. (2023). New Advances in Legal Translation and Interpreting. International Journal of Speech, Language and the Law, 30(1), 152-157. doi:10.1558/ijsll.26388
- Yi, R. (2023). Translation Policies in Legal and Institutional Settings. International Journal for The Semiotics of Law-Revue Internationale De Semiotiquejuridique, 36(3), 1341-1346. doi:10.1007/s11196-023-10003-4
- Yi, R. (2023). Translation as Social Justice: Translation Policies and Practices in Non-Governmental Organisations. Studies In Social Justice, 17(1), 146-151.
- Yi, R. (2023). Fair trial rights and multilingualism in Africa: perspectives from comparable jurisdictions. International Journal of Multilingualism, 4 pages. doi:10.1080/14790718.2023.2192502
- Yi, R. (2023). Interpreter training in conflict and post-conflict scenarios. Peacebuilding. doi:10.1080/21647259.2023.2187991
- Yi, R. (2023). The Routledge Handbook of Public Service Interpreting. Public Integrity. doi:10.1080/10999922.2023.2206236
- Yi, R. (2023). The Handbook of Linguistic Human Rights. International Journal on Minority and Group Rights (published online ahead of print 2023). doi: 10.1163/15718115-bja10119
- Yi, R. (2022). Intercultural Communication In Interpreting: Power And Choices. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 51(6), 644-646. doi:10.1080/17475759.2022.2130402
- Yi, R. (February, 2024). "Justice Under Microscope: Why Should Court Interpreters Faithfully Interpret the Manner of Speech in Migrant Societies". Asymmetries and Inequalities in Language. Center for the Study of Language and Society. University of Bern, Switzerland. Conference Program and Book of Abstracts.
- Yi, R. (November, 2023). "Interpreters for migrants in court: a cross-disciplinary perspective of linguistic equity and procedural justice". Migration, Refugees and Statelessness Interdisciplinary Conference 2023. Melbourne Social Equity Institute. University of Melbourne. Conference Program and Book of Abstract.
- Yi, R. (June, 2022). "A brief discussion on the practical teaching of interdisciplinary cooperation in court interpretation". The 10th Asia-Pacific Translation Forum. Beijing Foreign Studies University. Conference Program and Book of Abstract.