Linguistic first aid

Abstract

This chapter reviews the concept of linguistic first aid. Linguistic first aid refers to a situation in which a person with some proficiency in a foreign language can provide immediate help to another person or a group of people who are not able to communicate in a language to help them overcome linguistic barriers. Linguistic first aid is examined from the perspective of community ethics, that is, acting for the common good on a mutual, direct and personal basis. The chapter also asks how professional interpreters and translators should respond to a linguistic first aid request and what their attitude towards it is. To consider these questions, a small-scale inquiry into professional translators’ attitudes to linguistic first aid was conducted. According to the findings of this inquiry, professional translators and interpreters appear to consider linguistic first aid to be a personal choice derived from the love of one’s neighbour rather than a duty derived from their profession.