Interpretation Strategies Used by Iranian Tour Guides in Translating Cultural Specific Items: A Discourse Analysis Perspective

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the interpretation strategies used by tour guides to interpret cultural specific items in their interactions with tourists as well as other verbal and nonverbal behaviors on both tour guides and tourists parts. Accordingly, for this purpose, a qualitative approach was adopted as the method design. In this approach, the data were gathered from 50 tour guides and 20 tourists using questionnaires, interviews and observation as research instruments. The findings of the study revealed that, the most frequent interpretation strategies used by Iranian tour guides while encounter obstacles, were  addition, localization, globalization, transformation and the least frequent ones were creation and omission. This relates such strategies with the main goal of tour guides which is providing tourists with proper cultural information using the most appropriate CSI strategies. As a conclusion, the majority of tour guides were competent enough in terms of linguistic abilities although some improvements are still required. Most tour guides were aware that linguistic abilities as well as interpretation strategies are crucial for conveying the genuine meaning of CSI items. According to tour guides, multilingualism was also one of the essential requirements for tour guiding. Tourists were also satisfied with Iranian tour guides in general. Numerous implications can be considered from this study. Tour guides and tourist can benefit from this study by becoming more aware of linguistic and cultural features and therefore have a better communication. More precisely, tour guides can benefit from training programs prepared thanks to this study.