"I know it is Wrong but I do it Anyway" : How do Speech Interpreters Respond to Ethical Dilemmas?

Abstract: Interpreters working in the Speech Interpretation Service clarify speech and language that is unclear due to voice-, speech-, or language disabilities as for example dysarthria and aphasia. Ethical guidelines of interpreting in general, demand the interpreter to function neutrally and impartially. In this study, four different ethically challenging situations are presented to speech interpreters through a questionnaire. The aim is to investigate how the interpreters would deal with the situations. Eleven speech interpreters from Sweden and eleven from Finland participated in the study. Results show that a majority of respondents do not follow a strict interpretation of ethical guidelines in three of the four situations. There is no significant difference between the responses of Swedish and Finnish participants in this study. The study finds that the speech interpreters are more personally involved in the interpreted event than ethical guidelines require. A discussion is needed, about the limit of what should be included in the professional role of speech interpreters.