Article published In: Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics
Vol. 27:2 (2014) ► pp.365–381
When the speaker is a great performer
A case study on the role of the interpreter in consecutive interpreting
Published online: 8 December 2014
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.27.2.06err
https://doi.org/10.1075/resla.27.2.06err
This article analyzes an interpreter-mediated speech event from Spanish into Italian. In the case study, the interactional dominance of the main speaker and his communicative style repeatedly challenge the participatory status and the face of the interpreter, who is constantly coping with the speaker’s attempts to involve her in the interaction as an entertainment resource. Although the communicative setting — a book presentation — is typical of conference interpreting events, this encounter was structured unconventionally as an informal story-telling session interspersed with several ad-libs and impromptu conversation exchanges with other participants, all interpreted in the short consecutive mode. The high degree of interactivity that emerged among the participants suggested the adoption of a qualitative multidisciplinary approach which, in addition to conference interpreting research, also draws on dialogue and media interpreting, as well as sister disciplines such as social psychology and conversation analysis in intercultural settings.
References (20)
Brown, P., & Levinson, S.C. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Calvi, M.V. (2004). Apprendimento del lessico di lingue affini [Learning lexicon in typologically similar languages]. Cuadernos de Filología Italiana, 111, 61–71.
Errico, E., & Morelli, M. (2013). La calidad percibida en interpretación consecutiva: Un estudio en ámbito social con estudiantes en prácticas [The perception of quality in consecutive interpreting: A study on trainees in a social setting]. In R. Barranco Droege, E.M. Pradas Macías & O. García Becerra (Eds.), Quality in interpreting: Widening the scope. Proceedings of the 2nd international conference on quality in interpreting. Vol. 21 (pp. 61–86). Granada: Comares.
Gile, D. (1995). Basic concepts and models for interpreter and translator training. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
. (1998). Observational studies and experimental studies in the investigation of conference interpreting. Target, 10(1), 69–93.
Goodwin, C. (1981). Conversational organization: Interaction between speakers and hearers. New York: Academic Press.
Kelly, D., Martin, A., Nobs, M.L., Sánchez, D., & Way, C. (Eds.). (2003). La direccionalidad en traducción e interpretación: Perspectivas teóricas, profesionales y didácticas [
Directionality in translation and interpreting: Theoretical, professional and teaching perspectives
]. Granada: Atrio Editorial.
Morelli, M. (2010). La interpretación español-italiano: Planos de ambigüedad y estrategias [
Interpreting between Spanish and Italian: Coping with ambiguity
]. Granada: Comares.
Riccardi, A. (1999). Interpretazione simultanea: Strategie generali e specifiche [Simultaneous interpreting: Global and specific strategies]. In C. Falbo, M. Russo & F. Straniero Sergio (Eds.), Interpretazione simultanea e consecutiva: Problemi teorici e metodologie didattiche [
Simultaneous and consecutive interpreting: Theoretical problems and teaching methodologies
] (pp. 161–174). Milan: Hoepli Editore.
Sacks, H., Schegloff, E.A., & Jefferson, G. (1974). A simplest systematics for the organization of turn-taking for conversation. Language, 50(4), 696–735.
Straniero Sergio, F. (1999). The interpreter on the (talk) show: Interaction and participation frameworks. The Translator, 5(2), 303–326.
Taibo, P.I. (2006). Pancho Villa: Una biografía narrativa [
Pancho Villa: A narrative biography
]. Barcelona: Planeta(tr. P. Cacucci, Un rivoluzionario chiamato Pancho. Milan: Edizioni Tropea, 2007).
. (2007). Paco Ignacio Taibo racconta Pancho Villa [
Paco Ignacio Taibo tells the story of Pancho Villa
]. Video files at [URL] (consulted 2 August 2013).
. (2006). Le dinamiche dell’interpretazione dialogica e la negoziazione della personhood [Dialogue interpreting dynamics and personhood negotiation]. In E. Banfi, L. Gavioli, C. Guardiano & M. Vedovelli (Eds.), Atti del 5° congresso internazionale dell’associazione italiana di linguistica applicata [
Proceedings of the 5th international AITLA conference
] (pp. 13–34). Perugia: Guerra Edizioni.