Abstract
Intercultural communication is by nature a complex activity. In a multilingual society like ours, it will inevitably surface in the health care sector. The services of an interpreter are often considered to break the impasse in this communication process. The communication problem between the two parties, the service provider and client/patient, is often not simply a matter of language but societal factors of which the liaison interpreter should be aware of also plays a major role for effective extended communication. This article focuses on some of the problems in rendering an oral source text in multilingual and multicultural societies such as South Africa in which there are heterogeneous target audiences for interpreting. It is pointed out that interpreters in such societies must take into account the heterogeneity of the target audiences, or otherwise interpreting will only be symbolic gestures, empty of value, and thus not communicate the message intended. In the process the limitations of the interpreter and how the presence of the interpreter can be facilitated, is also highlighted.
Highlights
Intercultural communication is a complex undertaking - m ore so in the South African context as a result of the previous political policies, which led to cultural and linguistic isolation between various com m unities
The reality is that there are no professional interpreters and isiX hosa-speaking nurses, and general assistants are often called upon to assist; sometimes even the patients’ relatives are requested to interpret. This is confirmed by the Emzantsi report (Cole et al 2003:28-29), which states that the biggest demand for interpreting services is clearly in the Department of Health, where the need for health workers and patients to understand one another is often a matter of life and death
It seems clear that the interpreter has a pivotal role to play in a multilingual and multicultural situation
Summary
Intercultural communication is a complex undertaking - m ore so in the South African context as a result of the previous political policies, which led to cultural and linguistic isolation between various com m unities. The role of the liaison interpreter is to facilitate communication between a public service provider (i.e. doctor, (para) legal professional) and a user of that service who does not share the same language or culture In this case he or she is called a liaison interpreter because the starting point is recognition that the problem of com m unication between these two parties is not a m atter o f language or culture. The reality is that there are no professional interpreters and isiX hosa-speaking nurses, and general assistants are often called upon to assist; sometimes even the patients’ relatives are requested to interpret This is confirmed by the Emzantsi report (Cole et al 2003:28-29), which states that the biggest demand for interpreting services is clearly in the Department of Health, where the need for health workers and patients to understand one another is often a matter of life and death.
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