"It they want to try to say it in English, you just let them be" The linguistic and interactional response of professional interpreters to speakers with limited English proficiency

Interpreted interactions are typically understood as taking place between people who do not share a common language. However, even people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds who have some, but not enough English, to be able to communicate effectively, need interpreters to bridge the communication gap. This thesis describes how patients use their languages to achieve their communicative goals, how this affects the flow of an interpreted interaction, and the strategies interpreters use to deal with these challenges. The findings from this study can help health care practitioners and interpreters improve the delivery of health care to patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.