Abstract

BREWIS, Carmen. The value of Actor-Network Theory and an ethnographical research strategy in exploring educational interpreting at Stellenbosch University. SPiL plus (Online) [online]. 2017, vol.53, pp.13-24. ISSN 2224-3380.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5842/53-0-731.

As the social turn in translation studies progressively gained acceptance, researchers started focusing on the human agents involved in translation, and on the social conditions that apply in the real world. Researchers have increasingly come under the impression of the value of more process-oriented research in translation studies. French sociologist Bruno Latour's Actor-Network Theory (or ANT) allows the researcher to consider the object of study not as a substantive phenomenon, but as a network of relationships by studying both the humans and objects (actors and actants) involved, as well as the interaction between them. Within this theoretical framework, ethnography or an ethnomethodology is particularly useful in bringing the researcher closer to the lived experience. Educational interpreting, or verbal class-based interpreting for students who are not hearing-impaired, is an innovative application of interpreting and constitutes a largely unexplored field of study. It has been included as a language option in the new Language Policy of Stellenbosch University (SU 2016) to facilitate practicable multilingualism. In reality, however, educational interpreting is often subject to unrealistic expectations, and its value in an educational context remains contentious. Empirical research in interpreted lectures within a framework of ANT may possibly shed light on how the various factors at play in educational interpreting interact and operate. This article examines the value of ANT with reference to data that were collected in 36 interpreted lectures at Stellenbosch University. It shows how an ethnomethodology within the theoretical framework of ANT broadens and deepens the researcher's understanding and uncovers previously untold events, relationships, phenomena and situations. Ultimately, these findings may prove useful for language implementation at Stellenbosch University and the pursuit of practicable multilingualism at South African universities.

Keywords : Actor-Network-Theory; educational interpreting; ethnography; interpreting studies; sociology.

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