Research Information System
RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol.0, no.23, pp.1100-1118, 2021 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
It is a fact that interpreters act as important language facilitators by bridging the gaps between the parties. Especially Cecilia Wadensjö’s (1998) influential research on community interpreting presented a new perspective in which the interpreter started to be perceived as an active participant assuming different roles and having power during the interactions (Van de Mieeroop, 2012:1). Thus, various scholars started examining the interpreters as active participants. On the other hand, user expectations and perceptions are also among the key factors defining the role of the interpreter. With this purpose, this study attempts to explore, compare and contrast the role perceptions and expectations of medical doctors and healthcare interpreters in accordance with the expectancy norms and the professional norms, as part of an ongoing PhD thesis. The data analyzed in this paper were obtained from questionnaires submitted to 22 medical doctors working in private hospitals and clinics, and interviews conducted with 13 interpreters working in private hospitals in Turkey. Preliminary findings reveal that interpreters mostly meet the doctors’ expectations in terms of role. However, there are also certain aspects that diverge from this finding. The comparative analysis that this study aims to undertake is hoped to provide an insight into the conflicting views on perceptions and expectations that shape the healthcare interpreter’s role.