What is Delegation Interpreting: A Study of Chinese-language Delegation Interpreting in the Australian Context through the Conceptual Lens of Trust

This thesis, situated in the discipline of interpreting studies, investigates the phenomenon of delegation interpreting and establishes it as a distinct sub-field of interpreting. Specifically, the research focuses on Chinese-language delegation interpreting in the Australian context. Delegation interpreting involves facilitating communication for international delegates of an institution or company during their visit to another country. These visits typically serve education or relational purposes, such as conducting study activities, exchanging ideas and sharing information, and building relationships, rather than seeking direct economic benefits. While such activities have attracted academic attention in fields such as tourism and educational tourism, they remain largely under-explored within interpreting studies. This research defines and describes delegation interpreting through the conceptual lens of trust, exploring its key features and the role of the interpreter in this context. Adopting a qualitative approach, this project conducted semi-structured interviews with all three parties in an interpreter- mediated encounter: the interpreter, the Chinese delegate and the Australian host. Community interpreting is employed as a secondary, comparative dataset, serving as a backdrop against which the unique aspects or otherwise of delegation interpreting are illustrated. To support data analysis, a theoretical framework of trust is developed, drawing on existing literature in both trust and interpreting studies. In this framework, trust is divided into two categories: affective trust and cognitive trust. Findings from the current study reveal that delegation interpreting places strong emphasis on the establishment of affective trust, which is contingent upon the interpreter’s interaction history with their clients, shared social similarities, demonstration of empathy, care and sincerity, and their ability to manage “face”. Through the lens of cognitive trust, the delegation interpreting context highlights the interpreter’s competence and their professional demeanour. In delegation interpreting settings, the interpreter plays an active, multifaceted role, not only facilitating linguistic exchanges, but also bridging cultural gaps and managing interpersonal relations. The current study advances the understanding of delegation interpreting and highlights the crucial role of interpreters in fostering trust and facilitating effective and culturally sensitive communication.