Chinese public service interpreting

The chapter opens with an introduction of what public service interpreting is and gives a historical overview of its development. It then reviews the increasing need for language mediation in Chinese speaking counties/regions such as China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, where public service interpreting is in nascent development. Some evidence of court and medical interpreting services available in these places are documented. The chapter moves on to explain the modes of interpreting used in public service interpreting, and the essential skills and knowledge required for practitioners. After ethical considerations and role boundaries for public service interpreters are outlined, the chapter finishes by presenting two case studies and some concluding remarks.