Full Description
This book introduces dialogist interpretation as an innovative approach within interpreting studies, offering a critical examination of interpreter-mediated asylum encounters. Based on a case study of a legal consultation in the Netherlands, the book reveals how internal dialogues, linguistic assumptions, institutional constraints and systemic biases influence credibility assessments and shape asylum narratives. Drawing on the author's experience as a researcher, interpreter and former asylum seeker, this study examines the power dynamics between interpreters, legal professionals, asylum seekers and the institutional structures governing legal procedures. Through detailed textual analysis and reflective interviews, it demonstrates the active role interpreters play and offers a new paradigm for understanding and improving asylum procedures. Challenging dominant narratives and calling for systemic reform, this book offers practical recommendations for interpreters, educators, legal professionals and policymakers as well as essential insights for scholars in interpreting studies, law and communication.
Contents
A Note to the Reader
Chapter 1. Asylum - Historical Contexts and Contemporary Challenges
Chapter 2. Navigating the Nexus: Language, Law and Politics in Asylum Procedures
Chapter 3. The Case Study: Lost in Translation - Exploring Sense-Making in Interpreter-Mediated Encounters
Chapter 4. Theoretical Foundations: Enhancing Understanding of Communication Practices in the Asylum Procedure
Chapter 5. Enhancing Equity in Asylum Procedures: The Dual Role of Retrospective Interviews in Research and Practice
Chapter 6. Asylum Interviews and Hearings: The Problem of Information Loss in Asylum Procedures and How to Address It
References
