The Quandary of Church Interpreters in Ghana: Conduit or Interventionist?

Résumé

This study examines the varied roles of church interpreters in Ghanaian multilingual congregations, focusing on how they balance their primary function as conduits with necessary interventionist approaches. This study relied on Hanna Niska’s role pyramid as an appropriate theoretical model to unravel the complex role of the church interpreter. Through qualitative research involving 12 interpreters from six churches in the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly area, transcripts of recorded sermons, interpreted texts from these churches, and participants’ observations at church services, the study revealed that while interpreters view their role as divinely mandated, they often must adapt beyond mere translation to serve their congregations effectively. Interpreters often take on additional roles as conduits, interventionists, and culture brokers. They help listeners better understand or explain how an idea in the sermon applies to Ghanaian life. Sometimes they even become advocates. This differs from court or hospital interpreters, who typically have separate roles for each assignment. Because interpreters feel called by God and valued by their community, they move between tasks fluidly. However, the study also pointed out that some of these interpreters are not well-educated, sometimes leading to misinformation and misinterpretations. The study recommends developing specialised training programmes for church interpreters and establishing guidelines for appropriate interventionist practices. Fora for interpreter-preacher collaboration should be created, and finally, it is crucial for further research to be conducted in different denominational settings. This paper serves as relevant literature for translation and interpretation studies, communication studies, mother-tongue translations, religious and theological studies, and African cultural studies. Keywords: Interpreter, Church, Conduit, Interventionist, Culture Broker

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