“C’est une question terrible que je vous pose”: Domande (In)Delicate e Manifestazioni Affettive in un Corpus di Interazioni fra Medici, Interpreti e Richiedenti Asilo in Francia

Abstract

This contribution adopts the methodology of multimodal conversation analysis to study sequences of authentic interactions between doctors, asylum seekers and interpreters in France. The corpus, collected within the framework of the REMILAS project (Réfugiés, migrants et leurs langues face aux services de santé), was recorded at an association of retired doctors who provide medical certificates to asylum seekers. The study focuses on sequences in which the doctor asks the asylum seeker a particularly sensitive question about a painful event of his past, likely to cause strong emotional reactions in the asylum seeker. The analysis highlights the interactional precautions taken by both doctors and interpreters to handle these particularly sensitive moments.