Interpreting in institutions

Liaison interpreting generally is carried out in face-to-face encounters between officials and laypeople who are meeting for a particular purpose at a public institution. Traditionally, interpreters are expected to assume a passive neutral role in relaying information. However, researchers have argued that due to the imbalance of power and differences in sociocultural norms, interpreters need to actively monitor and intervene in the communicative process to ensure effective and appropriate interactions. Context (e.g., institutional, sociocultural, interpersonal, and communicative contexts) not only shapes interpreters' interpreting strategies but also other participants' communicative behaviors and their expectations for interpreters' appropriate performances.