Raising Cultural Awareness in Interpreting Students

AbstractAs we are living in a globalised society, frequent encounters among persons with a different cultural background take place. In such a context, it often happens that the communication partners do not share a common language. The communication process is thus hindered both by the cultural differences and by the incapacity of the speakers to transmit their message in a language that is mastered by all of them. In such a situation, the interpreter's role is obvious: s/he needs to take into account the cultural background of the communication partners in order to relay the message as accurately as possible and to facilitate the oral exchange effectively. The present paper draws attention on some cultural issues that should be taught to interpreting students in order to improve their intercultural communication skills