By 1st group (Group 9)

1. Historical Background
of Interpreting
Group 9 :
Arfi
Dewi Damayanty (0806050)
Hanifa Muslima (1006322)
Class : 4B

2. Outline :
• Definition of Interpreting
• Historical Background
• Conference Interpreting
• Liaison Interpreting
• Differences in Role and Status
• Bilingual Aides, Bilinguals, Do-gooders
and Other Non-Interpreters

3. The Definition of Interpreting
 Interpreting is the oral transfer of messages between
speakers of different languages.
(Gentile,et al,1996:5)
 Interpreting is thus one of the oldest of human
activities, and the role of the interpreter is arguably
one of the oldest of the professions.
(Gentile,et al,1996:5)

4. Historical Background
• The first written proof of interpreting
dates back to 3000 BC, at which time
the Ancient Egyptians had a
hieroglyphic signifying "interpreter".
• The next widely known use of
interpreting occurred in Ancient
Greece and Rome. For both the
Ancient Greeks and Romans, learning
the language of the people that they
conquered was considered very
undignified.
• Furthermore, during this era and up
until the 17th century, Latin was the
lingua franca, or the language of
diplomacy, in Europe, and therefore
all nations had to have some citizens
who spoke Latin in order to carry on
diplomatic relations.

5. • Throughout the centuries, interpreting became more and more widely
spread due o a number of factors :
I. Religion
II. Age of Exploration
III. International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland in 1927
• However, multilingual situations do not always require interpreting for
some reasons :
I. For some groups, individual and multilingualism is a common
feature. e.g : the notable multilingualism of Australian Aboriginal
groups
II. Communication problems may be overcome by use of a recognize
lingua franca, generally not the mother tongue
III. Certain social groups gain multilingual skills because their particular
roles. e.g : Traders
IV. Where geographical boundaries are sharp, there may have been little
understanding of the language of others who lived even a little
distance away.

6. Type of Interpreting
1. Conference Interpreting
2. Liaison Interpreting
1. Conference Interpreting
A significant advance for conference interpreters
came immediately after World War II when at Nurembergh
war crimes trials, new technology allowed experiments with
simultaneous interpreting, whereby interpreters worked from
sound- proof booth and relayed their messages through
earphones to listeners in the court-room.

7. 2. Liaison Interpreting
It has not always been seen by conference interpreters
as an area of interpreting in its own right, but rather as a
residual arm of language work at best or multilingual welfare
work at worst.
In the post- World war II decades, several social and
economic developments led to its growth. The two main areas
of development were in international business contacts and
less spectacularly but more pervasively, in relation to
immigrant and indigenous populations who did not speak the
dominant language of their society.

8. Differences in role and status
O Just as international conference
interpreters gain their status from the
reflected status of the clients they
serve, so do liaison interpreters in their
varied work settings. The question of
status and reflected status in turn very
influences how their role and
contribution are understood: prevailing
social and institutional norms will
strongly affect the way in which
interpreter’s function is understood

9. Bilingual Aides, Bilinguals, Do-gooders
and Other Non-Interpreters
O Bilinguals
- Someone who is able to use two languages, especially with equal or
nearly equal fluency.
O Bilingual Aides
- Someone who has a capacity in two or more languages and use
another language in the direct conduct of their primary role.
(e.g : an airline booking clerk, a social welfare officer etc.)
O Bilingual Guides
- A specific kind of bilingual aide commonly met in tourism, business
travel, cultural and recreational pursuits.
O Community interpreters were once considered amateurs and well-
meaning but misguided "do-gooders" (Gonzalez et al, 1991: 29), but
nowadays they are increasingly recognized as specialists in their own
right.

10. In Summary…
O The development in liaison interpreting has
been subject to two very influential forces
that continue to determine its status and the
understanding of its role.
O The whole field of liaison interpreting has
been profoundly influenced by its own social
settings of minority/majority relationships,
identification with minorities and minority
interests, and broader status issues.

11. Any Questions ?