Description

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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.

About the Author

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Susan Berk-Seligson is research professor of Spanish linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, an affiliate faculty member of the Center for Latin American Studies, and a faculty fellow in the Latin American Public Opinion Project, all at Vanderbilt University. She is the author of Coerced Confessions: The Discourse of Bilingual Police Interrogations.

Praise For…

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“One of the most fascinating studies of the judicial process that I have read in a long, long time.”
— Criminal Justice Review, on the previous edition

“Perhaps the first comprehensive empirical study of its kind. . . . The Bilingual Courtroom is a pioneering work which throws light on an aspect of court interpreting that has hardly been treated in any depth in previous publications.”
— Translator, on the previous edition

“An essential text for the vigilant lawyer eager to ensure that his or her client understands the proceedings and their consequences. The book will give even the most hard-edged lawyer empathy for the work of the interpreter and awareness of the potential damage that an interpreter can wreak.”
— Criminal Justice, on the previous edition

“The Bilingual Courtroom ushers in the first stage of a full revolution. . . . If the case demonstrating widespread inadequacy of services for linguistic minorities had not already been locked up tight by the accumulated labors of the previous twenty years, this volume will surely persuade any remaining open-minded skeptics. As such, it will be a landmark book which should be required reading for every person involved in the administration of justice.”
— Judicature, on the previous edition