6. Controversies over the role of the court interpreter
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Sandra Hale
Abstract
Role definition in Community Interpreting in general remains a controversial issue. The different levels of development of the profession across the world, make consensus on this issue even more difficult. Different roles have been proposed and practised. However, a multiplicity of conflicting roles leads to confusion among users of interpreting services and to insecurity among practising interpreters. The consequences of each of the suggested roles have not yet been fully investigated, with personal opinions and ideology forming the basis for the selection of roles. This chapter will deal specifically with Court Interpreting, as a specialised branch of Community Interpreting. It will outline and analyse each of the most commonly practised and proposed roles, providing examples of each from authentic data based evidence. It will then speculate on the consequences of the application of each role and provide the reasons behind the adoption of a particular role for court interpreters as the most appropriate.
Abstract
Role definition in Community Interpreting in general remains a controversial issue. The different levels of development of the profession across the world, make consensus on this issue even more difficult. Different roles have been proposed and practised. However, a multiplicity of conflicting roles leads to confusion among users of interpreting services and to insecurity among practising interpreters. The consequences of each of the suggested roles have not yet been fully investigated, with personal opinions and ideology forming the basis for the selection of roles. This chapter will deal specifically with Court Interpreting, as a specialised branch of Community Interpreting. It will outline and analyse each of the most commonly practised and proposed roles, providing examples of each from authentic data based evidence. It will then speculate on the consequences of the application of each role and provide the reasons behind the adoption of a particular role for court interpreters as the most appropriate.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- 1. Introduction 1
- 2. Interpreting as mediation 9
- 3. The role of the interpreter in the governance of sixteenth and seventeenth century Spanish colonies in the "New World": Lessons from the past for the present 27
- 4. Role definition: A perspective on forty years of professionalism in Sign Language interpreting 51
- 5. Evolving views of the court interpreter´s role: Between Scylla and Charybdis 81
- 6. Controversies over the role of the court interpreter 99
- 7. Interpreting in police settings in Spain: Service providers' and interpreters' perspectives 123
- 8. The role of the interpreter in the healthcare setting: A plea for a dialogue between research and practice 147
- 9. Hospital interpreting practice in the classroom and the workplace 165
- 10. Intercultural mediation: An answer to healthcare disparities? 187
- 11. Community interpreter self-perception: A Spanish case study 203
- 12. Sign Language interpreters and role conflict in the workplace 231
- 13. Migration, ideology and the interpreter-mediator: The role of the language mediator in education and medical settings in Italy 245
- 14. Perceptions of a profession 267
- Index 289
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- 1. Introduction 1
- 2. Interpreting as mediation 9
- 3. The role of the interpreter in the governance of sixteenth and seventeenth century Spanish colonies in the "New World": Lessons from the past for the present 27
- 4. Role definition: A perspective on forty years of professionalism in Sign Language interpreting 51
- 5. Evolving views of the court interpreter´s role: Between Scylla and Charybdis 81
- 6. Controversies over the role of the court interpreter 99
- 7. Interpreting in police settings in Spain: Service providers' and interpreters' perspectives 123
- 8. The role of the interpreter in the healthcare setting: A plea for a dialogue between research and practice 147
- 9. Hospital interpreting practice in the classroom and the workplace 165
- 10. Intercultural mediation: An answer to healthcare disparities? 187
- 11. Community interpreter self-perception: A Spanish case study 203
- 12. Sign Language interpreters and role conflict in the workplace 231
- 13. Migration, ideology and the interpreter-mediator: The role of the language mediator in education and medical settings in Italy 245
- 14. Perceptions of a profession 267
- Index 289
