When healthcare providers and patients do not speak the same language, medical interpreters are called in to help. In this book - the first ever ethnographic study of a bilingual hospital - Claudia Angelelli explores the role of medical interpreters, drawing on data from over 300 medical encounters and interviewing the interpreters themselves about the people for whom they interpret, their challenges, and how they characterize their role. Traditionally the interpreter has been viewed as a language conduit, with little power over the medical encounter or the relationship between patient and provider. This book presents an alternative view, considering the interpreter's agency and contextualizing the practice within an institution that is part of a larger society. Bringing together literature from social theory, social psychology and linguistic anthropology, this book will be welcomed by anyone who wants to discover the intricacies of medical interpreting firsthand; particularly researchers, communication specialists, policy makers and practitioners.

Winner of the NCA Health Communication 2021 Distinguished Book Award. This book examines interpreter-mediated medical encounters and focuses primarily on the phenomenon of bilingual health care. It highlights the interactive and coordinated nature of interpreter-mediated interactions. Elaine Hsieh has put together over 15 hours of interpreter-mediated medical encounters, interview data with 26 interpreters from 17 different cultures/languages, 39 health care providers from 5 clinical specialties, and surveys of 293 providers from 5 clinical specialties. The depth and richness of the data allows for the presentation of a theoretical framework that is not restricted by language combination or clinical contexts. This will be the first book of its kind that includes not only interpreters’ perspectives but also the needs and perspectives of providers from various clinical specialties. Bilingual Health Communication presents an opportunity to lay out a new theoretical framework related to bilingual health care and connects the latest findings from multiple disciplines. This volume presents future research directions that promise development for both theory and practice in the field.

Medical interpreters need words, but its not always easy to find them or to predict the ones youll need for an assignment. Cynthia Maulen, who has trained interpreters who speak more than fifty different languages, created this terminology workbook to help interpreters prepare for a variety of assignments and certification exams. The workbook identifies terms used in a variety of medical settings and is arranged by topic, including categories rarely seen in other interpreting texts, such as Abbreviations, U.S. Healthcare Terminology, Medications, and Talking About Pain. You can write in your own translations and create your own glossaryno matter what language youre working in. Maulen also uses her extensive interpreting knowledge and down-to-earth approach to provide proven guidance on dealing with the challenges youll face on the job as an interpreter. Whether youre an educator seeking to supplement your curriculum, a student determined to pass an exam, or a professional eager to do the best job you can, youll get the tools you need to accomplish your goals with theTerminology Workbook for Medical Interpreters.

Navigating and resolving issues in intercultural communication is an integral part of the interpreter’s role on a daily basis. This book is an essential guide to the interpersonal dimensions of intercultural communication in a variety of key interpreting contexts: business, education, law, and healthcare. Drawing on the unique perspectives of professional interpreters, Cho focuses on two key questions that remain underexamined in the field of intercultural communication: why does intercultural communication often break down, and how do individuals manage intercultural communication issues? Each chapter deals with issues pertinent to small cultural aspects of intercultural communication, including gender, ethnic migrant communities, educational cultures among migrants of Asian backgrounds, and monolingualism/monoculturalism in courtroom and refugee interview contexts. Spanning diverse geographical domains, the book highlights the impact of macro power on interpreting as well as the significance of individual agency and micro power, which can rebalance the given communicative context. Offering a comprehensive, up-to-date, innovative, and critical perspective on intercultural communication in interpreting, this is key reading for student and professional interpreters and those on courses in language and intercultural communication.

Multicultural Health Translation, Interpreting and Communication presents the latest research in health translation resource development and evaluation, community and professional health interpreting, and the communication of health risks to multicultural populations. Covering a variety of research topics in empirical health translation and interpreting, this advanced resource will be helpful for research students and academics of translation and interpreting studies who have an interest in health issues, particularly in multicultural and multilingual societies. This edited volume brings in interdisciplinary expertise from areas such as translation studies, community interpreting, health communication and education, nursing, medical anthropology and psychology, and will be of interest to healthcare professionals, language services in multilingual societies and researchers interested in communication between healthcare providers and users.