INTERCULTURAL GATEKEEPING ENCOUNTERS

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Analyse the following transcripts from selection interviews taken by two Native
speakers of English (NS1 and NS2) two Romanian interviewers (R1! R2)! to Romanian
candidates (R") for a post grad#ate co#rse on social work$ (so#rce% "oposesc#! &h' thesis)$
(o# may want to look specifically for dispreferred answers and so#rces of activity)type
mismatches%
I.
* NS1% had yo# e+pected! if yo# got a place on this co#rse that yo# go abroad! for
practice, on placement, are yo# familiar-,
R".% if like to go,
NS.% mhm
R".% yes$(la#ghs) of co#rse /d like$
(The interviewee fails to istin!"ish #etween what is as$e an what is intene an
res%ons i&%ro%erl' to a ("estion with another ("estion. Pro#a#l') in this *ase) the
so"r*e of a*tivit' t'%e s%e*ifi* &is&at*h is the la*$ of $nowle!e of the interviewer
a!ena) the interviewee sho"l have e+%e*te this ("estion an %re%are #efore han.
,is anwer *an #e efine as is%reffere fro& the %oint of view of the interviewer-
NS1% and er are yo# happy with yo#r English,
R".% not so happy beca#se
for three years! for almost three years didn/t practice and feel it$
* NS1% so what wo#ld yo# do-
R".% at the #niversity and at the fac#lty had English co#rses$
(the interviewer *han!es the to%i*) ro%s alto!ether the to%i* of !oin! a#roa as a
re("ire&ent for the *o"rse) in orer to si!nal a is%referre answer) an now fo*"sses
on the to%i* of the interviewee level of En!lish. The interviewer i&&eaiatel' intro"*es
this to%i* whi*h is relate to the re("ire&ents of the *o"rse an !eare at finin! the
interviewee s *o&&it&ent an *o&%eten*e in En!lish lan!"a!e. The interviewee see&s
to have noti*e the is%referre. "na**e%ta#le answer he !ave an therefore tries to
state that he has one so&e En!lish *o"rses at the "niversit'-
NS1% and and how wo#ld yo# bring it #p to a standard if it were necessary,
R".% if were in this kind of sit#ation,
R2% how wo#ld yo# improve yo#r English,
R".% improve my English,
think my English will be improved thro#gh the disc#ssions!
/ll be more motivated er to to learn at home$ have some books$
(The interviewee oes not "nerstan the ("estion so the interviewer has to refor&"late
the ("estion) si!nallin! therefore a is%referre) "na**e%ta#le answer fro& the
interviewee s %art. -
NS1% if if it wasn/t possible to offer yo# a place this year! on this partic#lar co#rse!
what wo#ld yo# do,
R".% if don/t get a place on this co#rse! what will do,
abo#t what, (la#ghs)
what can do,
NS1% if if we said #nfort#nately we cannot offer yo# a place //this year
R".% //ah! then what,
NS1% yes! what wo#ld yo# do then,
R1% no
R2% no if
NS1% if if if if
R".% yes! #nderstand
R2% nobody knows yet$
R".% wo#ld work! maybe /ll try ne+t year$
NS1% yes! yes
R".% tried once to a master co#rse in "l#0! cum se spune a pica?
( The interviewer) NS/ *han!es a#r"%tl' the to%is alto!ether) si!nallin! the is%referre
answers he has #een !iven all alon!) none of whi*h have %asse as saisfa*tor'. One of
the so"r*es of a*tivit' t'%e s%e*ifi* &is&at*h is the sli%%a!e fro& one a*tivit' t'%e to
another. 0or e+a&%le) when as$e what he will o in the f"t"re if he won t #e offere a
%al*e on the *o"rse) the interviewer) NS/ inire*tl') i&%li*itl' wantin! to $now if he will
*ontin"e to i&%rove his En!lish or to re*eive an answer whi*h is a**e%ta#le) the
interviewee fails to ete*t the *l"es an %rovies 1o$in!l' an answer whi*h is
ina%%ro%riate in the interview *onte+t. RC2 la"!hs) #"t this is not share #' the
interviewer whi*h shows irritation at this fail"re of *o&&"ni*ation *a"se #' %oor
En!lish lan!"a!e) at this %oint) the interview a%%ears to #e *onversational. Also) another
interviewer RI3 is irritate an si!nals the is%referre answers #' #ein! for*e to #e
e+tre&l' i&%li*it) altho"!h %olite in "sin! a *onitional if an *larif'in! the
&isinter%retation "ntil NS/ is !iven a so&ewhat a**e%ta#le answer. RC2 %oor &aster'
of En!lish lan!"a!e #e*o&es ver' o#vio"s at the en when he *annot fin the %ro%er
answer in En!hlish an is for*e to s%ea$ in his native lan!"a!e-
II.
R2% how do yo# think yo#/ll manage
from the time point of view
to do social service,
R".% from my time, #nderstand that the co#rse will be #p to a year!
R2% yo# work only er eight ho#rs, start with eight #ntil fo#r,
R".% don/t #nderstand
R2% yo# have always only eight ho#rs work ,
R".% yes$
R2% not more,
R".% sometimes! now have to-
R1% yo# have any financial s#pport,
( R/3 e+%li*itl' for&"lates the ("estion in orer not to #e &is"nerstoo an re*eive an
"na**e%ta#le answer) he wants RC2 to fo*"ss on how he will &ana!e fro& the ti&e %oint
of view to o the so*ial servi*e re("ire of hi&. RC2) the interviewee fails to "nerstan
the to%i*) the inferren*e an the %referre answer that is e+%e*te of hi&. R/3 is for*e
to refor&"late the ("estion) to f"rther *larif' it) this is therefore a *ase of a*tivit' t'%e
s%e*ifi* &is&at*h.-
III
NS2% if yo# were the mayor of 1rasov!
R"2% if were -,
NS2% the mayor of 1rasov!
R"2% ah! yes$
NS2% if yo# had all the money that yo# needed
R"2% (la#ghing) don/t know if that/s possible
( This is a *ase of a*tivit' t'%e s%e*ifi* &is&at*h where NS3 intens to %"t the
interviewee RC4 in a h'%othethi*al sit"ation in orer to !ain insi!ht on his %ersonalit'
or *reativit' or other ("alities to #e f"lfille as re("ire&ents for enterin! this %arti*"lar
*o"rse) #"t the interviewee fails to "nerstan the %"r%ose of the to%i* an first of all)
see&s to nee &ore *larif'in! *l"es at what the %referre answer sho"l #e fro& NS3
who tal$s a#o"t what #ein! a &a'or i&%lies5 if 'o" ha all the &one' in the worl. RC4
1o$in!l' isre!ars the serio"sness of the h'%othethi*al sit"ation an its %"r%ose in the
*onte+t) #"t *lai&in! it to #e i&%ossi#le) therefore irrelevant in the interview *onte+t)
whi*h he &isinter%rets as *onversational rather than for&al-
I6.
NS1% ok$ 0#st one more 3#estion$ er
what yo#/re doing now in the social system$
what what do yo# act#ally do
that is what is yo#r work ,
R".% yes$ o#r er serviciu cum se spune?
R1% office
R".% o#r office$ work in the office!
NS1% yo# said yo# had yo#r office
R".% we/re si+!
we/re si+ people who are working in this instit#tion in this department$
er in an office
NS1% in an office! yes$
R".% have to to to make an assessment abo#t the instit#tion!
to give a sit#ation! er at the client!
to find er to! with the client! sol#tions
and er third! to try to prevent children (#nclear) in these instit#tions$
NS1% b#t yo#r primary goal!
R".% primary goal! yes!
to to keep the children in a family! or to p#t them into other families$
NS1% and yo# do that thro#gh co#nseling and
R".% yes yes thro#gh co#nseling er we can er not too m#ch!
we can s#pport them in a way$
NS1% yes! yes! yes
R".% to s#pport with clothes and er to get (#nclear)
NS1% ah that/s fine$ yes! thank yo# very m#ch$ E,

(In orer to avoi a is%referre answer) the interviewer refor&"lates the
("estion two ti&es) ini*atin! that he wo"l want to $now the s%e*ifi* a*tivities that the
interviewee oes in his line of wor$. There is also a &a1or o#sta*le that the' en*o"nter in
the *onte+t of the interview7 the interviewer oesn t have the %ro%er lin!"isti*
$nowle!e in orer to answer the ("estion) he nees to as$ so&e#o'else a#o"t the
translation of the wor servi*i" in En!lish. The interviwee !ives a ver' a&#i!o"s) not
ver' strai!htforwar es*ri%tion of his wor$) !ivin! a is%referre answer) while the
interviewer has in &in a *ertain to%i* whi*h he is for*e to &a$e e+%li*it) that is the
interviewee %ri&ar' !oal in the instit"tion.-
En of UNIT TEST
1$ Answer the following 3#estions%
8hat is a !ate$ee%in! en*o"nter9
Gate$ee%in! en*o"nter is a term that has been first #sed by Erickson and Sh#lt4 (1562)
in their research on co#nseling interviews in academic advising$ 7atekeepers have been
identified as individ#als who have been given the a#thority to make decisions on the behalf of
instit#tions that will affect the mobility of others$ E+amples of gatekeeping enco#nters are%
8ob interviews
9egal trials
"o#nselling sessions
Selection interviews (interviews involving the selection of applicants for training co#rses)
8hi*h are the *hara*teristi* feat"res of 1o# interviews a**orin! to 6ers*h"eren9
:he characteristic feat#res of 0ob interviews according to ;ersch#eren are%
:he interloc#tors are typically one interviewee and one or more interviewers$ :he goal of
selection interviews is to assess the candidates/ potential for the training co#rse on the
basis of ed#cational 3#alifications and previo#s work e+perience$ :he interviewer/s
3#estions foc#s on two specific things% backgro#nd information abo#t the applicant/s
ed#cation and work e+perience! and his<her motivation for applying for the co#rse$
:he interviewee comes to the interview with the intention to present him<herself in s#ch a
way as to ma+imise chances of being selected$
nterviews are arranged at certain times and places and the interviewers come to the
interview with a pre)set agenda$
'ifferent types of temporal references are involved depending on the topical segment of
the interview$ :here is #s#ally some talk abo#t past events in the candidate/s ed#cational
backgro#nd! and an e+ploration of skills and attit#des$
:he positioning of the interloc#tors in physical space is typically face)to)face$ :he
interviewee/s physical appearance! gest#res and ga4e are caref#lly monitored$
8hi*h are the %ro#le&s that interviewees &a' en*o"nter in inter*"lt"ral 1o#
interviews9
n interc#lt#ral selection interview conte+t interviewees are likely to face two ma0or obstacles%
first! a lack of knowledge of the r#les and proced#res of the activity type= secondly a lack of
ade3#ate ling#istic knowledge
,ow *an anal'sts ientif' :is%referre; answers of interviewees9
) :he interviewer drops the topic b#t immediately afterwards introd#ces a topic abo#t
reading habits! which is also geared at finding o#t the interviewee/s commitment to
gaining knowledge in the field of a interested area of knowledge$
) nterviewers may refor&"late the initial ("estion to force the interviewee to e+pand
or clarify the previo#s response #ntil it passes as >satisfactory/
) nterviewers/ 3#estions can be indirect and ine+plicit with a hidden agenda! th#s
offering no cl#e! initially as to what wo#ld co#nt as >preferred/ response$ A candidate
who ro#tinely participates in the >interview game/ may be able to disting#ish between
what is asked and what is intended and th#s foc#s on the interviewer/s intended
3#estion$
) range of topics! and a long march of 3#estions to obtain a clear image abo#t the
interviewee$
In what wa's is $nowle!e a#o"t !ate$ee%in! en*o"nters relevant to 'o"9
) 7atekeeping enco#nter is relevant to me beca#se it helps me do well at any interview! and
prepare beforehand! knowing the interviwer agenda and what to e+pect to be asked$
) t helps me better prepare the answers and give the re3#ired reponses$
3. <es*ri#e 'o"r e+%e*tations for the a*tivit' t'%e of a 1o# interview in Ro&ania
?or the secretary 0ob for which wanted to apply! this wo#ld prove very #sef#l beca#se it
wo#ld help me to infer the preferred! acceptable answer which sho#ld give to my
interviewer$ @ne of the most desired feat#res of a 0ob interview is that the 3#estions sho#ld be
clearly form#lated from the beginning so there is no need for the interviewer to clarify or
reform#late them$ :he 3#estions asked sho#ldn t vary too m#ch An range of topics beca#se
one might miss the c#es given by the interviewer$