1. Interpreting or interfering?
-
Helen Tebble
Abstract
There is an ever growing need for community or public service interpreting around the world yet there is great disparity between both the quality and availability of educational courses for community interpreters. This chapter focuses on the Australian context and assumes a community interpreter is qualified in interpreting with an undergraduate degree or postgraduate qualification in interpreting/translating, has national accreditation and is subject to the ethics of AUSIT. The AUSIT code of ethics is examined to reveal its operational code which allows the interpreter to coordinate the metalingual function of the interpreted dialogue, permission for which can emanate from the contract, a specific stage of the genre of the interpreted consultation. Empirical data from a major project in medical interpreting are discussed to show how this metalingual function is used to coordinate and repair talk or interpreting that has broken down due to human error and frailty. Such explicit coordination can work nearly as well as implicit coordination, the normal work of an interpreter. The two types of coordination are considered successful interpreting as distinct from intentional interference by the interpreter who would add or omit or attempt to coordinate beyond the specific professional role of the interpreter.
Abstract
There is an ever growing need for community or public service interpreting around the world yet there is great disparity between both the quality and availability of educational courses for community interpreters. This chapter focuses on the Australian context and assumes a community interpreter is qualified in interpreting with an undergraduate degree or postgraduate qualification in interpreting/translating, has national accreditation and is subject to the ethics of AUSIT. The AUSIT code of ethics is examined to reveal its operational code which allows the interpreter to coordinate the metalingual function of the interpreted dialogue, permission for which can emanate from the contract, a specific stage of the genre of the interpreted consultation. Empirical data from a major project in medical interpreting are discussed to show how this metalingual function is used to coordinate and repair talk or interpreting that has broken down due to human error and frailty. Such explicit coordination can work nearly as well as implicit coordination, the normal work of an interpreter. The two types of coordination are considered successful interpreting as distinct from intentional interference by the interpreter who would add or omit or attempt to coordinate beyond the specific professional role of the interpreter.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments ix
- Foreword xi
- Introduction: Understanding coordination in interpreter-mediated interaction 1
- 1. Interpreting or interfering? 23
- 2. Interpreting participation 45
- 3. “You are not too funny” 71
- 4. Ad hoc interpreting for partially language-proficient patients 99
- 5. Code-switching and coordination in interpreter-mediated interaction 115
- 6. Ad hoc -interpreting in multilingual work meetings 149
- 7. Gaze, positioning and identity in interpreter-mediated dialogues 177
- 8. Minimal responses in interpreter-mediated medical talk 201
- 9. Mediating assessments in healthcare settings 229
- 10. Challenges in interpreters’ coordination of the construction of pain 251
- 11. Cultural brokerage and overcoming communication barriers 269
- 12. Interpreting as dialogic mediation 297
- Authors’ bio sketches 327
- Index 331
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments ix
- Foreword xi
- Introduction: Understanding coordination in interpreter-mediated interaction 1
- 1. Interpreting or interfering? 23
- 2. Interpreting participation 45
- 3. “You are not too funny” 71
- 4. Ad hoc interpreting for partially language-proficient patients 99
- 5. Code-switching and coordination in interpreter-mediated interaction 115
- 6. Ad hoc -interpreting in multilingual work meetings 149
- 7. Gaze, positioning and identity in interpreter-mediated dialogues 177
- 8. Minimal responses in interpreter-mediated medical talk 201
- 9. Mediating assessments in healthcare settings 229
- 10. Challenges in interpreters’ coordination of the construction of pain 251
- 11. Cultural brokerage and overcoming communication barriers 269
- 12. Interpreting as dialogic mediation 297
- Authors’ bio sketches 327
- Index 331
