LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL MEDIATION IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS: AN OVERVIEW OF RUSSIA AND TURKEY

Ekaterina Zvereva¹, Kamo Chilingaryan²*
¹PhD at RUDN University, RUSSIA, frakatr@yandex.ru
²Associate prof. at RUDN University, RUSSIA, chili1@yandex.ru
*Corresponding Author


Abstract

People with limited official language proficiency in any non-native country are among the vulnerable groups.  Mediation service for these people, especially in health care domain is a topic of great importance. The paper lays special emphasis on cultural, as well as language barriers in interpreter-mediated communication in health care domain. To be able to enhance the effectiveness of the actors - doctor-patient communication the interpreter needs to have necessary competencies. The aim of the paper is to identify these competencies through scrutinizing the existing practices in ensuring access to health care services in the Russian Federation as well as Turkey.  Nowadays we witness a huge flow of people - immigrants, refugees, migrant workers travelling across borders having little or no knowledge in languages of host countries. 

The authors apply qualitative and quantitative methods as the research methodology. We also include methods of empirical experiment as well as statistical data. In the course of the experiment students were directly involved into interpreting practice for people with limited official language proficiency in health care domain.

The research findings obtained before and after the experiment suggest that linguistic and interpreting competences “per se” are not sufficient enough to ensure effective interpreter assisted communication. Terminology knowledge is not sufficient and a medical interpreter has to act as lingua-cultural mediator. The research also provides data on patients’ assessment on importance of cultural mediation component. The results of the article are of both theoretical and practical value as they can be used in determining the content and structure of master degree courses on interpreting and translation in health care domain. Keywords: health care domain, linguistic barriers, public service interpreting, lingua-cultural mediation