Interpreting as intercultural mediation: A critical moment in an overseas midwife training programme

ABSTRACT

Understanding interpreting as an act of intercultural mediation has gained increased attention in the literature in recent decades. As part of the expanded view of interpreting, there has been greater acknowledgement of the importance of context and the role of the mediator him/herself in the process.

This paper reports on a study focused on understanding interpreting as intercultural mediation in practice, as part of a midwife education programme conducted in eastern Indonesia. The study aimed to investigate the nature of interaction between an Australian medical team and the local Indonesian participants, with a particular focus on the impact of the interpreting process on interaction. Video recordings of the course were taken and critical moments involving intercultural mediation were selected and transcribed.

This paper focuses on one of these critical moments in depth, revealing the intricate processes involved in navigating multiple languages and cultures within the context illuminated in this study. There is evidence of the context-sensitive ways in which intercultural mediation takes place and the complex decision-making and intracultural identity work that are integral to the act of interpreting and mediating across languages and cultures.

KEYWORDS:

• Mediation
• interpreting
• intercultural

Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the valuable work and contribution of the participants in the study, members of the FOHG, the participating Indonesian midwives and officials, and of course, the central participant, Pak Herman.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributors

Michelle Kohler is Senior Lecturer in Languages Education and Indonesian at Flinders University and member of the Research Centre for Languages and Cultures, University of South Australia. She is an experienced language educator and researcher with interests in mediation, particularly in relation to intercultural language teaching and learning, languages pedagogy, curriculum and assessment, and Indonesian language education.