MATI 2017 Webinar Series - Interpreting Culture: The cultural work of professional medical interpreters

Interpreting Culture: The cultural work of professional medical interpreters

This workshop will showcase the results of an international doctoral study exploring the perspectives of 458 medical interpreters from 25 different countries, with respect to bridging the cultural gap between providers and patients. Cultural differences pose certain complexities in the interpreter's work. This study focuses the practitioners' perspectives about interpreting culture and how this affects the provision of culturally and linguistically competent care indifferent healthcare settings. How are interpreters working with healthcare providers to address cultural issues? What are the strategies utilized? What are the advantages and disadvantages of their interventions? How aware are they of the cultures for which they are interpreting? Do interpreters consider themselves truly bicultural and are they even equipped to provide intercultural mediation? What are the outcomes of their intervention? The workshop shares the study results and engages the audience to learn new evidence-based interpreting paradigms. The workshop also explores the role of the medical or healthcare interpreter in providing culturally competent care.

List three learning objectives

1. Participants will be able to identify all the activities that are within the medical interpreters’ scope of practice, with respect to addressing cultural issues.

2. Participants will learn about the practitioners’ challenges, disadvantages, advantages, timing, scope limitations, and other aspects of addressing cultural issues.

3. Participants will learn the latest interpreting research theories related to the addressing culture in an intercultural interpreted communicative event.

Presenter Bio: Dr. Souza (formerly Arocha), M.Ed., CMI-Spanish, Ph.D. works as a certified interpreter (Conference, Legal, Medical, Community, Escort) and interpreter educator in several universities (Boston University, Cambridge College, Osaka University). Dr. Souza has several published articles on topics related to interpreting, intercultural mediation, and language access. Dr. Souza served as president and executive director of the International Medical Interpreters Association (IMIA) and was responsible for launching the first national accredited medical interpreter certification program in the United States. Dr. Souza served as Secretary General for the International Federation of Translators, and provides consulting services at www.drsouza.org.