Participation in multilingual constellations: 4. Ad hoc interpreting for partially language-proficient patients

Meyer, Bernd

doi:10.1075/btl.102.05mey

In:Coordinating Participation in Dialogue Interpreting
Edited by Claudio Baraldi and Laura Gavioli
[Benjamins Translation Library 102] 2012
► pp. 99–114

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4. Ad hoc interpreting for partially language-proficient patients

Participation in multilingual constellations

Bernd Meyer

Published online: 7 November 2012

https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.102.05mey

The article discusses the notion of ‘language barrier’ regarding communication with patients with a migration background. These patients usually show some level of proficiency in the official language of the hospital. However, their proficiency is usually limited so that they still need interpreters to communicate effectively with medical staff. Thus, the language constellation between participants is partly “transparent”, to use Müller’s (1989) term. Based on two case studies it will be shown that the forms of participation of interpreters in such interactions are influenced by the specific multilingual competencies of the patients.

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