The Extralinguistics of Conflict-Related Political Discourse: Towards a Systematic Framework for Simultaneous Interpreters

Abstract

Simultaneous interpreting is a challenging task that necessitates the concurrent management of multiple tasks. To effectively navigate such challenges, Interpreters draw upon linguistic and extralinguistic knowledge. This article tries to assist interpreters' efforts in acquiring the relevant extralinguistic knowledge pertinent to conflict-related political discourse by proposing a framework for conflict analysis. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is utilized as a case study to illustrate this framework. The study employed qualitative document analysis (QDA) to investigate the conflict and utilized thematic analysis to discern themes and identify extralinguistic factors. The proposed framework encompassed additional factors than those suggested in previous translation and interpreting theories; the located factors, which define the reality of the conflict, included the parties involved, roots of conflict, factions and alliances, history narratives, geography and demography factors, and the dynamics political power. Also, the study determined the speakers' role is in designing the message that reflect the reality of the conflict. Additionally, the extralinguistic anticipation developed by interpreters' extralinguistic knowledge, stemming from their understanding of the conflict's reality, can help reduce the likelihood of misinterpretations.