Interpreters as cultural advisors

We, as language service providers, and our interpreters are often asked if we can give guidance on working with people from different cultures – how to communicate effectively, and how not to give offence by inadvertently doing something considered rude. We usually decline – but why?

There are two main reasons. Firstly, although we know all our interpreters are trained in interpreting skills and are highly proficient in their language, there are many different sub-cultures in any group of people that speaks the same language. So it would be wrong to assume that an interpreter is an expert on the culture of anyone who speaks the interpreters’ languages. After all, would you expect the average Jamaican or Singaporean native English speaker, even if resident in NZ, to be an expert in tikanga Māori? The second reason, and this is an important one, is that the interpreter’s role is to help you overcome the language barrier, not to act as an advocate, a cultural mediator, or conflict resolution expert.

Although the primary role of the interpreter is that of linguistic communication, this can sometimes fail because of cultural differences. It is important then for the interpreter to gauge whether they should intervene. Here are some examples:

• In Japanese, the person you are talking to would say “hai” (yes) frequently in the middle of a conversation. This doesn’t mean “yes, I agree with you” or “yes, that is correct”. The person is just letting you know they are paying attention to what you have to say, but they may actually not agree with you at all. Similarly, it is considered very impolite to reject an invitation or a request with a simple iie (no). So instead of turning down your invitation to a coffee with a “iie, arigato” (no, thanks), a Japanese speaker would say “ikitai desu ga, chiotto isogashii…” (I’d love to, but I’m a bit busy…). S/he is certainly not implying “let me finish this, and we’re off”. Should the interpreter intervene and clarify that what s/he means is a definite no?

• In Venezuela, it is very common to speak quite plainly about appearance, for example, telling someone that they’re fat, or thin, or black or blonde. In general, you wouldn’t expect the interpreter to change anything, but it may be that the situation needs an explanation so that the English speaker understands that no insult or racism is intended. The same might apply if a Chinese speaker asked “How much money do you earn?”; something considered perfectly polite in parts of Asia, but the opposite by most New Zealanders.

In any situation, the thing to remember is that the interpreter is not a cultural mediator. In other words, they’re not trying to help the parties to reach agreement; they’re merely making sure that the message is clear. Every situation will be different, so if you’re running the meeting and you’re not sure what’s happening, make a point of asking.

In any culture, in any language, negotiating successfully with different parties is a skill that takes time and experience to master. Don’t expect the interpreter to close the deal for you. However, they can help you enormously by removing the language barrier. Use this expertise and learn to negotiate/interact directly with other cultures.