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Interpreting in Legal and Healthcare Settings: Perspectives on research and training
Edited by Eva N.S. Ng and Ineke H.M. Crezee
[Benjamins Translation Library 151] 2020
► pp. 45–62

Chapter 2
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Using audiovisual clips to allow students to practise interpreting authentic court questions

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This chapter contains a discussion of the findings of a small study in which the authors applied voice recording technology to enable student interpreters to practise authentic legal question-and-answer discourse from the examination-in-chief and cross-examination phases of two jury trials in New Zealand. The chapter discusses the purpose of lawyers’ questions in the common law adversarial courtroom, and identifies the question types used in the video clips shown to students. It then focuses on student renditions, identifying which types of questions were interpreted most accurately, and which types of questions were interpreted least accurately. The authors offer some suggestions as to why some question forms may pose difficulties for interpreters, and make some practical suggestions to improve student understanding of the pragmatic intent of questions in the different parts of the trial process.

Keywords: audiovisual practice in interpreter education, legal interpreter education, adversarial court room, student legal interpreters, examination-in-chief, cross-examination, interpreting legal questions
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • 1.Court interpreting discourse: The language of examination and cross-examination
  • 2.Methodology
    • 2.1Error analysis of student interpreters’ renditions
      • 2.1.1Clip one
      • 2.1.2Clip two
      • 2.1.3Clip three
    • 2.2Findings of analysis of renditions by Mandarin-speaking students
  • 3.Findings
  • 4.Analysis of question types
  • 5.Discussion and conclusion
  • References
Published online: 3 June 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.151.02bur
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Burn, Jo Anna
2023. The Use of Self-Reflection to Develop Intercultural and Pragmatic Competence in the Legal Interpreting Classroom. In New Advances in Legal Translation and Interpreting [New Frontiers in Translation Studies, ], ► pp. 197 ff. DOI logo
Jutorán, Mariana Orozco
2023. Dealing with legal terminology in court interpreting. In Handbook of Terminology [Handbook of Terminology, 3], ► pp. 570 ff. DOI logo

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