7. Interpreting in police settings in Spain: Service providers' and interpreters' perspectives
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Juan Miguel Ortega Herráez
Abstract
Interpreting in police settings, as part of public service interpreting, is a field that still lacks empirical and scholarly research which could contribute to shedding light on matters such as service provision and lack of professionalization, crucial aspects that have an influence on the role of the interpreter and which may be at the source of numerous conflicts. Although current legislation in Spain guarantees the right of those detainees who are not proficient in the majority language to be assisted by an interpreter during police proceedings, in practice the situation is much more complex. The intervention of an interpreter is required in many scenarios other than just in detainees’ questioning: transcription-translation of tapped telephone conversations, interpreting for crime victims, translation-data analysis during police investigations, provision of information to people reporting a crime, etc. Given such a wide range of functions, it is clear that interpreters may find themselves in situations that conflict with what is supposed to be their prescribed role. Likewise, despite the provisions in force guaranteeing the presence of an interpreter during questioning, Spanish legislation lags behind social needs, and this creates numerous problems in aspects such as interpreter intervention, the interpreter’s role as cross-cultural and language mediator and the adequate provision of interpreting services. On the basis of evidence acquired through questionnaires and interviews, this chapter analyses both service providers’ and interpreters’ perspectives on the role of the interpreter, the conflicts that may arise as a result and the limits to their functions, all within the framework of current interpreting service provision practices in Spanish police settings.
Abstract
Interpreting in police settings, as part of public service interpreting, is a field that still lacks empirical and scholarly research which could contribute to shedding light on matters such as service provision and lack of professionalization, crucial aspects that have an influence on the role of the interpreter and which may be at the source of numerous conflicts. Although current legislation in Spain guarantees the right of those detainees who are not proficient in the majority language to be assisted by an interpreter during police proceedings, in practice the situation is much more complex. The intervention of an interpreter is required in many scenarios other than just in detainees’ questioning: transcription-translation of tapped telephone conversations, interpreting for crime victims, translation-data analysis during police investigations, provision of information to people reporting a crime, etc. Given such a wide range of functions, it is clear that interpreters may find themselves in situations that conflict with what is supposed to be their prescribed role. Likewise, despite the provisions in force guaranteeing the presence of an interpreter during questioning, Spanish legislation lags behind social needs, and this creates numerous problems in aspects such as interpreter intervention, the interpreter’s role as cross-cultural and language mediator and the adequate provision of interpreting services. On the basis of evidence acquired through questionnaires and interviews, this chapter analyses both service providers’ and interpreters’ perspectives on the role of the interpreter, the conflicts that may arise as a result and the limits to their functions, all within the framework of current interpreting service provision practices in Spanish police settings.
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
