The visible co-participant: The interpreter's role in doctor-patient encounters

Speakers of the more dominant and less dominant cultures come into contact through interpreters. The ways in which interpreters play their roles may vary significantly according to the different settings in which interpretation takes place (e.g., court, community, or conference interpreting) or according to the rules that the various professional associations prescribe. The role of the interpreter is complex and multifaceted. Understanding this role will lead to a deeper understanding of how communication happens between minority and majority speakers when it is brokered by an interpreter. Understanding the complexities that are associated with the role of the interpreter is crucial to studying intercultural communication in its broadest sense (Angelelli, 2000). This chapter explores an example of medical interpreting and demonstrates the complexities underlying this kind of interaction.