Mode Switching in Medical Interpreting and Ramifications on Interpreters' Training

Abstract

Mode switching is a frequent practice in healthcare interpreting, but has received very little attention. This research aims to bridge the aforementioned gap by investigating the instances of mode switching in interpreter-mediated healthcare encounters and the implications of this practice (or lack thereof) in managing effectively the administration of patients' care. To achieve this aim, the investigator created an online survey intended for trained healthcare interpreters alone. Seventy-five responses were collected over a period of three months (May to July 2019) and analyzed using a mixed methods approach. The objective was to demonstrate how interpreters envisage mode switching from the perspective of the training they received, the applicability of switching in relation to the nature of assignments that call for such shift in modes, the differences in mode switching between spoken and sign language, the institutional or other constraints (such as time limitations, number of participants, power differential among interactants) that call for or hamper mode switching, etc. The collected answers reveal a discrepancy between training and practice as well as between prescriptive requirements and reality in the field of healthcare interpreting. The respondents' comments allow the investigator to make key training recommendations.