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This chapter contains a discussion of the findings of a small study in which the authors applied voice recording technology to enable student interpreters to practise authentic legal question-and-answer discourse from the examination-in-chief and cross-examination phases of two jury trials in New Zealand. The chapter discusses the purpose of lawyers’ questions in the common law adversarial courtroom, and identifies the question types used in the video clips shown to students. It then focuses on student renditions, identifying which types of questions were interpreted most accurately, and which types of questions were interpreted least accurately. The authors offer some suggestions as to why some question forms may pose difficulties for interpreters, and make some practical suggestions to improve student understanding of the pragmatic intent of questions in the different parts of the trial process.

Published online: 03 June 2020
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.151.02bur