Susan Berk-Seligson's groundbreaking book draws on more than one hundred
hours of audio recordings of Spanish/English court proceedings in
federal, state, and municipal courts--along with a number of
psycholinguistic experiments involving mock juror reactions to
interpreted testimony--to present a systematic study of court
interpreters that raises some alarming, vitally important concerns.
Contrary to the assumption that interpreters do not affect the dynamics
of court proceedings, Berk-Seligson shows that interpreters could
potentially make the difference between a defendant being found guilty
or not guilty of a crime.
This second edition of the The Bilingual Courtroom includes a fully
updated review of both theoretical and policy-oriented research relevant
to the use of interpreters in legal settings, particularly from the
standpoint of linguistic pragmatics. It provides new insights into
interpreting in quasi-judicial, informal, and specialized judicial
settings, such as small claims court, jails, and prisons; updates trends
in interpreter certification and credentialing, both in the United
States and abroad; explores remote interpreting (for example, by
telephone) and interpreter training programs; looks at political trials
and tribunals to add to our awareness of international perspectives on
court interpreting; and expands upon cross-cultural issues. Also
featuring a new preface by Berk-Seligson, this second edition not only
highlights the impact of the previous versions of The Bilingual
Courtroom, but also draws attention to the continued need for critical
study of interpreting in our ever diversifying society.
