Challenges faced by court interpreters while interpreting for children in South African courts
| dc.contributor.author | Chikele, Heather Mikateko | |
| dc.contributor.co-supervisor | Maliko, Natasha Parkins | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Dladla, Celimpilo P. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-11-15T09:50:30Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-11-15T09:50:30Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Translation(Interpreting) to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | The study investigated the challenges faced by court interpreters in South Africa when working with child witnesses within the legal system. The objectives of the study included investigating interpreter challenges, identifying their role in safeguarding children’s well-being and rights, and evaluating the effectiveness of interpreter training. The country’s linguistic diversity, characterized by 12 official languages and distinct cultural distinctions, adds layers of complexity for interpreters (Powell, et al., 2017). The problems encountered during the process includes linguistic barriers, encompassing the clear conveyance of child testimonies, interpretation of child-friendly legal terminology, and ensuring the child’s understanding of legal proceedings. The study recognized the involved interplay of language, culture and age, which highlights the need for interpreters to address the emotional state, comprehension level, and communication capacities of child witnesses. To tackle these challenges, the study highlighted the crucial requirement for specialized training and support for court interpreters handling cases involving children in South African courts (Moeketsi & Wallmach, 2005). This involved cultivating a sophisticated understanding of child psychology, cultural sensitivity, and legal terminology to effectively bridge communication gaps (Jianqing, 2008). By doing so, the study contended that South Africa could strengthen its commitment to safeguarding children’s rights and welfare within the legal system, ultimately ensuring equitable access to justice for all residents. The study utilized a quantitative research methodology, utilising a structured questionnaire distributed through Google Forms. The questionnaire was designed to gather insights from court interpreters about their experiences and challenges. The questions were crafted to elicit detailed responses on topics such as the impact of the child’s age on interpretation, linguistic and cultural challenges, and training and qualifications of court interpreters. The research focused on obtaining valuable information directly from court interpreters through the survey instrument, so as to understand their perspectives in a more streamlined manner (Cheung, 2014). | |
| dc.description.submitter | GM2024 | |
| dc.faculty | Faculty of Humanities | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Chikele, Heather Mikateko. (2024). Challenges faced by court interpreters while interpreting for children in South African courts [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10539/42588 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | |
| dc.rights | © 2024 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. | |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | |
| dc.school | School of Literature, Language and Media | |
| dc.subject | Interpreting for children, court interpreting, interpreter, training, language, culture and age | |
| dc.subject.other | SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions | |
| dc.title | Challenges faced by court interpreters while interpreting for children in South African courts | |
| dc.type | Dissertation |