La comunicazione multilingue con minorenni nei contesti legali

Interpreting is often only considered as a service for the benefit of adults and taught from this perspective although many foreign children and adolescents use this service. Talking to a child is different from talking to an adult, and the same applies to interpreting. There are several reasons for making a specific distinction.Children and adolescents are vulnerable per se in that they have not achieved their full physical, mental and emotional development. Some other factors may contribute to increase this condition of vulnerability: an unfavourable family, social, economic and/or educational environment, and not least the lack or insufficient knowledge of the language of the country where they live. For these reasons children and adolescents are entitled to special legal protection and safeguards. But how can they exercise their rights if they do not understand them and consequently do not know them? The interpreter, who enables dialogue between people who do not share the same language and culture, plays a central role in ensuring respect for and implementation of language rights, without which no other right or protection can be exercised.In addition to an overview of the national and international legal framework, research work and good practice in interpreter-mediated communication with children and adolescents, this volume offers materials and practical suggestions for a interprofessional training of legal and language professionals, case workers and psychologists working with children and adolescents who do not speak the language of the legal proceedings in which they are involved.