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English as a lingua franca vs. interpreting: battleground or peaceful coexistence?
Reithofer, Karin
2010
Abstract
The article addresses the contentious issue of the spread of English as a lingua
franca in a number of domains – a trend that is not viewed very favourably by
many interpreting professionals. After reviewing the development of English as a
lingua franca (ELF) and its unique position in different domains, the advantages
and disadvantages of ELF are discussed on a general level before approaching the
topic from the interpreters’ perspective. The negative stance taken by many
interpreters towards ELF is viewed as a result of work-related as well as economic
and psychosocial reasons. Against this backdrop the paper reports the first results
of a study on the communicative effectiveness of English as a lingua franca vs.
simultaneous interpreting. The findings indicate that under appropriate working
conditions, in a given setting of technical communication, professional
simultaneous interpreting can ensure a higher level of audience comprehension
than the use of non-native English.
Series
The Interpreters' Newsletter
15
Publisher
EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste
Source
Karin Reithofer, "English as a lingua franca vs. interpreting: battleground or peaceful coexistence?", in: The Interpreters' Newsletter, 15 (2010), pp. 143-157.
Languages
en
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