Social and Cultural Competence of Interpreter in the Context of Intercultural Dialogue

Abstract

The article highlights some of the linguistic and socio-psychological aspects of the interpreter’s work in the polycultural environment. It emphasizes the significance of the holistic social and cultural competence, and some of the new role functions that an interpreter is to undertake in the context of intercultural dialogue.

Socio-cultural competence is one of the basic interpreter’s competences that help a communication act between the representatives of different languages and cultures to be successfully performed. Contemporary global polycultural environment issues some new challenges that an interpreter working in the sphere of international and cross-cultural cooperation is to accept. Intercultural dialogue as a universal idea and fundamental principal of the global world order has enriched all languages vocabulary with the cluster of special words connecting to the specifics of cross-cultural and interethnic communication at present time. Yet the polycultural vocabulary is in process of formation and hasn’t been completely sorted out. The situation gives an interpreter a chance to be an active participant of the world polycultural dictionary formation.

The process of general socialization causes the socialization of a language itself. The extending of socio-cultural aspect in the interpreter’s activity is taking place thanks to its social component. An interpreter may face a necessity to get used to new peacemaker’s roles in the process of communication. Sometimes an interpreter is to correct extra linguistic factors of communication for its successful realization in the intercultural dialogue context. Professional activity in the area of intercultural dialogue helps an interpreter to improve his/ her socio-cultural competence yet it has to be in focus during the professional training of interpreters and translators in the polycultural world we all are learning to live in.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.sal.0.20.1781