Bridging The Communication Gap In Multilingual Service Encounters: A Brussels Case Study

The massive influx of refugees into Europe in the past few years has given rise to different kinds of challenges among which is the challenge to successfully communicate with newly arrived immigrants. In this article, we will focus on the public service provision sector where quality of service is to a large extent determined by the capability of a service provider and his or her “client” to understand one another. The article centres on a study involving public organisations providing asylum services or (mental) healthcare services in the multilingual and multicultural city of Brussels. Several interviews were conducted to gain insight into the communication problems such organisations face, as well as their communication requirements and solutions when providing services to people of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. We will focus on the types of bridging functions commonly deployed by these organisations in multilingual service encounters and on the motivations for using them. In addition, we will discuss the subject of technology-enabled communication in the context of public service provision. Finally, in presenting the results of our study we will formulate specific recommendations on how to improve the use and integration of bridging functions into common service practice.