Towards a Typology of Challenges and Strategies in Community Interpreting: A Grounded Theory Study in Canadian Settings

Abstract

This thesis adopts Gideon Toury’s model of “Problem of Translation” (2013: 38-45) as a framework of analysis in interpreting research, extrapolating the notion of “translation as process” to community interpreting. Thus, as an attempt to broaden the framework of analysis in community interpreting, this study aims to: 1) Register and classify conflicting situations and coping strategies that community interpreters find and use before, during and after assignments. 2) Understand the types of norms that govern community interpreters’ work. 3) Observe the interplay between institutional norms and interpreters’ actions and interactions. For these purposes, I conducted an exploratory study using Grounded Theory Methodology with 14 participants (9 community interpreters and 5 service providers) in the cities of Toronto, Ottawa, Gatineau, and Montreal. Interpreters’ accounts were triangulated with those of service providers and with institutional codes of ethics for community interpreting. The dialectical analysis carried out across this thesis allowed me to discover that participant interpreters’ coping strategies are twofold: rule bending and rule validating. The major findings shed light on technical aspects of conducting briefings, debriefings, and introductions. Another major finding is the concept of assertiveness, its relevance in the actions and interactions of interpreters, and its potential as a technical competence rather than a social talent. Finally, the challenges and coping strategies presented in the graphics may serve as guidelines for future research.