ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the challenges of requesting clarification and persisting until clarity is reached in language discordant meetings. The focus is on how conversations transpire in situations when something is unclear to one of the parties in the conversation and how repairs are initiated and made. Moreover, particular attention is given to situations where this lack of clarity is not resolved after several attempts at repair and remains unresolved. The challenges of requesting clarification and reaching clarity are found in all language discordant meetings, but in the interpreter-mediated meetings, the communicative dynamics are different and more complex as compared to unmediated meetings. Insight into these issues are important for professionals working in language discordant settings, as communication problems, misconceptions, and misunderstandings might otherwise go undetected.
