Communicative hurdles in multilingual interpreter-mediated consultations: what trainee data teach us

ABSTRACT

This paper reports on an interprofessional training initiative for medical students and trainee interpreters. Relying on a mixed-method analysis of 10 video-recorded simulated consultations at Ghent University (Belgium), the paper investigates which factors impact on trainee interpreters’ (in)complete rendition of medical students’ communicative goals. Our analysis reveals that incomplete renditions can be attributed to (i) long turns including more than one communicative goal; (ii) long turns including large chunks of information; and (iii) a combination of old (i.e. previously given) and new information. Based upon these results, we formulate the following recommendations for the interprofessional training of trainee interpreters: (i) familiarise students with the Calgary Cambridge guide (ii) prepare them for the interpretation of longer turns (iii) teach them how to interrupt a doctor as a safeguard against inaccurate interpretation and (iv) instruct them how to find the right balance between inserting old and new information.

KEYWORDS:

• Interpreter training
• clinical communication skills
• communicative goals
• medical interpreting

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. UZIS stands for UZ (Dutch name for the Ghent University Hospital) Interpreting Sessions.

2. It should be noted that the physical examination of the patient was not addressed during the role-plays.