HEALTH CARE INTERPRETING: CASE STUDY OF SPAIN AND RUSSIA

The paper analyzes provision of interpreting services in the health care settings for people with limited official language proficiency in Russia and Spain. Special emphasis is laid on issues of health care interpreters' professional training to deal with cultural, as well as language barriers in interpreter-mediated communication in health care domain. The aim of the research is to identify interpreter's competencies relevant for enhancing the effectiveness of doctor-patient communication through studying the existing practices in ensuring access to health care services in both countries for people with no or very little command of the host country's official language. The paper also aims at analyzing existing practices of medical interpreters' professional training implemented in the countries under study and to identify trajectories for their further development in line with current society needs. The research methodology applies qualitative and quantitative methods as well as methods of empirical experiment and statistical analysis. The experiment involved 50 students doing pre-thesis interpreting internship within the framework of master degree programs on interpreting in specialized contexts. The research findings obtained through surveys of students suggest that linguistic and interpreting competences alone are not sufficient enough to ensure effective interpreter assisted communication. Besides knowledge of field related terminology, medical interpreter has to act as lingua cultural mediator, master communication skills, be able to integrate and work in a team, remaining at the same time within the boundaries of the professional role.