Dialogue Interpreting and the Distribution of Responsibility

The sense-making work carried out by anyone in interaction can be described as based on different aspects of meaning, basically the propositional meaning of talk and the interactional or situated meaning of words spoken. Moreover, in a conversation involving three or more persons, sense is arguably made also on the basis of the participation framework (Goffman, 1981), continuously negotiated in and by talk. This composes a theoretical platform for the analysis of the distribution of responsibility in an interpreter-mediated encounter; responsibility for the substance and for the progression of talk. The paper suggests an interactionistic, non-normative, dialogical approach to studies of interpreter-mediated talk for a deepened, developed understanding of the interpreter’s role in face-to-face interaction

In and Off the Show: Co-constructing ‘invisibility’ in an Interpreter-Mediated Talk Show Interview

This paper examines how participants in an interpreter-mediated televised interview communicate involvement in a shared event. It takes as a case in point an interview where Michail Gorbachev, accompanied by his interpreter Pavel Palazchenko, appear on the ALL TALK show, hosted by the BBC journalist Clive Anderson. Detailed analysis of the interview demonstrates how the interpreter’s physical presence helps shape a shared image of him as someone “just translating.” It is suggested, that the efficiency by which his translation work is communicated, apart from owing to the interpreter’s fluency in English and Russian, is due to the others’ communicative behaviour. While addressing one another as conversational partners and interacting with the studio audience and the viewer, they cast him variably as sharing and not fully sharing their ongoing exchange. Moreover, his efficiency as interpreter is shown to be a result of his ability to anticipate grammatical and pragmatic features of turn composition. Overall, the study demonstrates how detailed analyses of real-life interpreter-mediated interaction can assist in explaining and teasing apart the illusive “invisibility” of interpreters.Cet article examine comment les participants à une interview télévisée assistée par un interprète signalent leur engagement dans un événement partagé. Un exemple est fourni par l’interview où Mikhaïl Gorbatchev, accompagné de son interprète Pavel Palazchenko, intervient dans le ALL TALK show, animé par le journaliste de la BBC Clive Anderson. Une analyse fouillée de l’interview montre comment la présence physique de l’interprète aide à modeler une image partagée de sa personne en tant que « simple interprète ». L’analyse montre que l’efficacité de son travail de traduction est due non seulement à sa parfaite connaissance de l’anglais et du russe mais aussi au comportement communicatif des autres. Tout en discutant ensemble comme des partenaires de conversation et interagissant avec l’auditoire du studio et le téléspectateur, ils lui attribuent à la fois un rôle de participant et de non-participant à leurs échanges. De plus, son efficacité d’interprète semble résulter de sa capacité à anticiper les dispositifs grammaticaux et pragmatiques de la composition des tours de paroles. Plus généralement, cette étude montre comment des analyses détaillées en temps réel des interactions assistées par un interprète peuvent aider à démêler et mieux comprendre l’invisibilité illusoire de l’interprète

On myths about interpreting and their revelation: Abstract of the plenary lecture

Myths are often used for practical purposes. Calling a certain view or understanding ‘a myth’ is often a step in the introduction of an alternative view. For instance, in the literature on interpreting there are recurrent references to ‘the myth of the invisible interpreter’ and ‘the myth of neutrality’. What purpose do alleged revelation of these ‘myths’ serve? What alternative views are introduced? In this paper, I will discuss the potential productivity – and counter productivity – of designating ‘myths’ and arguing against them, using examples drawn from recent studies of interpreting

Interpreting as Interaction : Theoretical and Analytical Implications

This article sheds light on some theoretical and analytical implications of defining interpreting as interaction – i.e., a specific form for human communication involving translation. Approaching interpreter-mediated encounters as interaction implies considering interlocutors’ (primary participants and interpreters) situated sense making and the complex nature of spontaneous spoken interpreter-mediated interaction. Exploring interpreting not just as a type of translation of source-language utterances into renditions but also as a specific kind of communicative situation opens up new research avenues such as exploring and explaining the interdependence between interpreters’ and monolingual participants’ verbal and non-verbal communicative behaviours. Moreover, this article highlights some practical implications of approaching interpreting as interaction in the education of interpreters and those they assist and in the professionalization process of public service interpreting.

Syntolkning : forskning, tankar och visioner

Introduktion till boke

Skolans flerspråkiga personal som tolkresurs i kartläggningssamtal om litteracitet

I denna artikel redogör vi för några utmaningar som parterna ställs inför i kartläggningssamtal med nyanlända elever där flerspråkig skolpersonal fått i uppdrag att tolka. Analyser av transkriberade och översatta sekvenser ur fem videoinspelade samtal visar att den flerspråkiga skolpersonalens pedagogiska kompetens i mycket liten utsträckning utnyttjas under samtalen och att deras avsaknad av tolkkompetens kan begränsa elevens möjligheter att visa sina kunskaper. Det får konsekvenser inte enbart i form av att elevens svar kan komma att återges på ett missvisande sätt utan även genom att kartläggarens samspel med eleven påverkas

Language brokering in multilingual caregiving settings

Using the methodology of conversation analysis to examine audio-recorded multi-party conversations between a Swedish-/Farsi-speaking resident and multilingual staff in a Swedish residential home, this article describes a practice for establishing shared understanding by one caregiver enacting the role of language broker. The focus is on caregiving settings where caregivers assist an elderly person with her personal hygiene. We demonstrate how brokering is used to (1) maintain the conversational flow in a small talk sequence and (2) address the contents in the resident’s complaints. The article thus advances our understanding of language brokering as an activity that multilingual staff in a linguistically asymmetrical workplace setting take on to assist a colleague in performing client-oriented activities.Flerspråkiga praktiker och pedagogiska utmaningar i äldreomsorge

Some Considerations on the Testing of Interpreting Skills

The overall aim of the Qualitas project is to achieve quality communication in legal systems that are in need of interpreter services. In addition to accommodating the relevant context for interpreting, this entails engaging interpreters with documented interpreting skills. The activity of interpreting rests on a multitude of sub-skills, each of which is quite complex. Accordingly, the testing of such skills may present the test administrators with reliability and validity issues. Are the tests equal to all candidates? Are they testing the skills they are supposed to test? The aim of this section is to draw attention to some general and specific challenges associated with the testing of interpreting skills, i.e. in short, the ability to coordinate and render in another language other persons’ talk (Wadensjö 1998).Qualitas: Assessing Legal Interpreting through Testing and Certificatio

Vårdelever om flerspråkighet på arbetsplatsen

Flerspråkiga praktiker och pedagogiska utmaningar i äldreomsorge