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Article published In: Babel
Vol. 67:5 (2021) ► pp.553–578

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Interpreting in Tanzania from the perspective of Tanzanian interpreters

Intercultural communication in inter/national dimensions

 | Charles University
Published online: 29 September 2021
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https://doi.org/10.1075/babel.00241.get
Abstract
The study overviews the role of interpreting services in Tanzania, presenting mainly the experience of practicing freelance interpreters. The two official languages of Tanzania – English and Swahili – have separate roles in the country. Although most Tanzanians accept English as a necessary medium of intercultural communication, Swahili is perceived as an important part of Tanzanian national identity. It is the country’s lingua franca. On the one hand, Tanzania aims to preserve communication in Swahili; on the other hand, there is an inevitable need for intercultural communication with the rest of the world that grows especially in the context of globalization. The paper focuses on the role, status, education, working languages, conditions of Tanzanian interpreters, and the requirements of local and international clients. The study also creates a broader context that mentions crucial historical moments that have influenced the country’s current character of intercultural communication.
Résumé
Cette étude donne un aperçu du rôle des services d’interprétation en Tanzanie en présentant l’expérience des interprètes indépendants en exercice. Les deux langues officielles de la Tanzanie, l’anglais et le swahili, ont des rôles clairement distincts dans la présentation de cette expérience. Bien que la plupart des Tanzaniens acceptent le fait que l’anglais soit un médium nécessaire pour la communication interculturelle, le swahili est perçu comme un élément important de l’identité nationale tanzanienne et comme la lingua franca du pays. Si la Tanzanie vise à préserver la communication en swahili; il existe néanmoins un besoin inévitable de communication interculturelle avec le reste du monde qui s’accroît particulièrement dans le contexte de la mondialisation. Cet article se concentre sur le rôle, le statut, l’éducation, les langues et les conditions de travail des interprètes tanzaniens ainsi que sur les exigences des clients locaux et internationaux. L’approche s’inscrit dans le contexte plus large des moments historiques cruciaux qui ont influencé le caractère actuel de la communication interculturelle en Tanzanie.
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Methodology
  • Tracing the importance of indirect communication in Tanzanian history
  • Language situation in today’s Tanzania
  • Current situation of interpreting in Tanzania from interpreters’ perspective
    • Interpreters in Tanzania – their path to the profession
    • Situations requiring interpreting services in Tanzania
    • Types of interpreting mostly performed in Tanzania
    • Working languages and strategies to bridge intercultural gaps
    • Challenges faced by interpreters and possibilities of self-improvement
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (54)
References
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