As indicated by the title, this book steers away
from traditional, atheoretical, praxis-oriented frameworks
for studying interpreting. Its strength lies in its call
for research that describes interpreted events
as a means of moving away from prescriptive approaches
to the discipline. The book discusses Roy's own application
of discourse theory in her analysis of a videotaped interpreted
event. The languages represented in that event are American
Sign Language (ASL) and English, but the conclusions and
recommendations made by the author are equally relevant
to both signed and spoken language researchers, interpreters,
interpreter trainers, and interpreters in training. Drawing
on research in interactional sociolinguistics, Conversation
Analysis, and ethnography of communication, Roy provides
a rich description and analysis of a 30-minute meeting
between a deaf student and a professor at a U.S. university.
Through her analysis, Roy challenges the belief that interpreters
serve as a conduit providing direct interaction between
primary interlocutors.