Professional discourses in contact : interpreters in the legal and medical setting

This chapter looks at the discourse associated with the interpreting profession (in particular "dialogue interpreting" or "liaison interpreting"), taking special account of the sociolinguistically oriented strand of enquiry that has taken shape in this specific area in the last few years. The focus is on two major domains considered to be representative of the profession, the healthcare and the legal domain, using case studies as a starting point. As the interpreter's professional discourse is by definition routinely intertwined with the discourses of those professionals being assisted, the mutual relationship between them in the interpreter-mediated encounter is explored, examining forms of mutual conditioning and the impact of interpreter-mediation on discursive dynamics. The chapter also addresses variation in the interpreter's discursive role in different settings and institutional contexts. Important insights can be gained from a systematic study of the interpreter's relationship with the professional discourse communities s/he serves, providing a basis for the training of dialogue interpreters.