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Maallikkotulkkien negatiivisia kokemuksia tulkkauksesta

Authors

• Svetlana Probirskaja Itä-Suomen yliopisto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61200/mikael.129380

Keywords:

lay interpreting, negative experience, pilot study

Abstract

This pilot study attempts to open a discussion about lay interpreters’ negative experiences of interpreting. Studies on non-professional interpreting usually concentrate on positive sides of this activity or on child language brokering. A study that would focus on adult lay interpreters’ experiences is difficult to find. Such study would reveal, among other things, whether interpreting is as easy for lay interpreters as it is sometimes thought. To fill a gap in the research, I conduct a pilot study in which I interview immigrants who have an experience in lay interpreting. The sites of research include the international women’s club Naistari in Tampere, and the Russian culture club in Riihimäki, Finland. The findings of the pilot study show that lay interpreters are aware of their limited language proficiency, and they turn to professional interpreters in demanding circumstances, such as healthcare. Their negative experiences seem to derive from the subject matter of interpreting, from the participants’ attitudes towards them, and from the tensions between participants in the interpreting event. However, negative experience is not so evident, and more research is needed.