ERIC Number: EJ938064
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Nov
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0167-8507
EISSN: N/A
When Linguistic and Cultural Differences Are Not Disclosed in Court Interpreting
Lee, Jieun
Multilingua: Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, v28 n4 p379-401 Nov 2009
This paper explores the role of the court interpreter in cross-cultural and cross-linguistic communication in the courtroom. Drawing on the analysis of the discourse of witness examinations interpreted by Korean interpreters in Australian court proceedings, this paper argues that in the absence of cultural and/or linguistic explanations by the interpreter, evidence given by witnesses from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds may not be accurately or fully interpreted, and this can have potentially serious consequences for the witness in the adversarial context. The discussion highlights the significance of interpreters' disclosure of linguistic and cultural issues which are related to the accuracy of interpreting during court-room examination and suggests that "conduit" interpreters may in fact adversely influence adversarial court proceedings.
Descriptors: Intercultural Communication, Discourse Analysis, Cultural Differences, Court Litigation, Foreign Countries, Korean, Translation, Asians, Disclosure, Second Languages
Mouton de Gruyter. Available from: Walter de Gruyter. P.O. Box 960, Herndon, VA 20172-0960. Tel: 800-208-8144; Tel: 703-661-1589; Fax: 703-661-1501; e-mail: degruytermail@presswarehouse.com; Web site: http://www.degruyter.de/journals/multilin
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A