Showing papers in "Interpreting in 2018"

The cognitive load of interpreters in the European Parliament: A corpus-based study of predictors for the disfluency uh(m)

Abstract: Cognitive load is a major source of processing difficulties in both interpreting and monolingual speech. This article focuses on measurement of cognitive load by examining the occurrence rate of the disfluency uh(m) in two corpora of naturalistic language: the EPICG, with specific reference to Dutch interpretations of French source texts in the European Parliament; and the sub-corpus of non-interpreted parliamentary speeches from the Spoken Dutch Corpus. In both corpora, the frequency per utterance of uh(m) was studied, in relation to delivery rate, lexical density, presence of numbers and formulaicity (i.e. the number of N-grams), as a Generalised Additive Mixed-effects Model: the frequency of uh(m) in interpretations increases with the lexical density of the source text, while it is inversely related to the formulaicity of both the source text and the target text. These findings indicate the maintenance of a cognitive equilibrium between input load and output load.

Using rating scales to assess interpretation: Practices, problems and prospects

Abstract: Over the past decade, interpretation assessment has played an increasingly important role in interpreter education, professional certification, and interpreting research. The time-honored assessment method is based on analysis of (para)linguistic features of interpretation (including such items as omissions, substitutions, un/filled pauses and self-corrections). Recently, use of descriptor-based rating scales to assess interpretation has emerged as a viable alternative (e.g., Angelelli 2009 ; Han 2015 , 2016 ; J. Lee 2008 ; Tiselius 2009 ), arguably providing a basis for reliable, valid and practical assessments. However, little work has been done in interpreting studies to ascertain the assumed benefits of this emerging assessment practice. Based on 17 international peer-reviewed journals over the last twelve years (2004–2015), and other related publications (e.g., scholarly books, reports, documents), this article provides an overview of practices in scale-based interpretation assessment, focusing on four major aspects: (a) rating scales; (b) raters; (c) rating procedures; (d) reporting of assessment outcomes. Problem areas and possible emerging trends in interpretation assessment are examined, identifying a number of future research needs.

Training 'doctor-minded' interpreters and 'interpreter-minded' doctors : the benefits of collaborative practice in interpreter training

Abstract: In response to calls in the literature for more collaborative practice in interpreter training, this paper describes the design, implementation and part of the evaluation of an innovative joint training intervention for interpreting students (Master’s level) and 3rd- and 4th-year medical students at Ghent University. In order to assess the development of the students’ knowledge and skills, we employed self-efficacy questionnaires; the training intervention was evaluated in a debriefing session with trainers from both fields. A development in skills that involve direct interaction with the primary participants and address specific communicative goals was noted. Our initial evaluation suggests that interprofessional education and collaborative practice in interpreter training can create the conditions for interpreting students to develop a more insightful and reflective approach to their interpreting practice.

Interpreter mediation at political press conferences: A narrative account

Abstract: Political press conferences, while playing a significant role in international communication by heads of state and government, are still largely underexplored in interpreting studies. More scholarly attention is needed, particularly to examine the interpreter’s mediating role in these uniquely constrained communicative settings. Drawing on narrative theory and Wadensjo’s model of renditions, this paper investigates the interpreter’s mediating role at a 2011 joint press conference with the American and Chinese Presidents, at that time Barack Obama and Hu Jintao respectively. Specifically, the study examines how the interpretation comprises reduced, expanded and summarized renditions of the speakers’ narratives, and how the resulting mediation can affect not only their image, but also the outcome of the diplomatic communication between their respective countries. Here, the interpreter’s performance is subject not only to his language competence, but also to a number of other factors. On the one hand, his mediation can be facilitated rather than restricted by the constraints of the setting where the interpreting occurs, such as technical problems and time limitations. On the other hand, the mediation can also reflect the interpreter’s institutional role and the public narratives within the socio-cultural context.

Mixed-methods research in interpreting studies: A methodological review (2004-2014)

Abstract: Interpreting Studies (IS) has emerged as an interdisciplinary enterprise, using a diverse array of research methods derived from postpositivist and constructivist paradigms to investigate interpreting/translational phenomena. Mixed-methods research (MMR), which should enable both Erklarung (explanation) and Verstehen (understanding), has for some years been gaining momentum in IS (Hild 2015; Pochhacker 2011). This article draws upon a collection of 312 empirical studies, sampled from 36 peer-reviewed TI (b) the four prototypical MMR designs identified, accounting for 60.2% of the 113 MMR studies, were parallel, sequential, conversion and Survey (Qual & Quan); (c) the prototype designs were innovatively combined by researchers, using addition, substitution, and embedment techniques, to form complex MMR variants suitable for the specificities of different research questions. These findings are discussed in relation to inference making and compared with MMR practice in cognate disciplines. Finally, the article provides a set of suggestions for writing and publishing MMR studies in IS.

Corpus-based terminological preparation for simultaneous interpreting

Abstract: This experimental study examines whether use of a corpus-based terminological preparation procedure, managed by a term extraction tool (Syllabs Tools) and a concordance tool (on the Sketch Engine platform), enables trainee interpreters (Chinese A, English B) to achieve greater accuracy in a simultaneous interpreting (SI) task on a specialised topic. Twenty-two interpreting students on a one-year MA course in the UK were divided into a test group (10 students) and a control group (12 students). Nine days before the experiment, which involved SI from the A into the B language as well as vice versa, both groups were given preparatory documentation in both languages. In addition, the test group received term lists automatically generated by the extraction tool and used the Sketch Engine concordance tool. The control group extracted terms manually and did not have the concordance tool. Terminological accuracy in SI was found to be significantly higher, with fewer omissions, even when terms occurred in rapid succession, in the test group. All students afterwards participated in focus group discussions, providing feedback on the effectiveness of their preparation and an estimate of the time they had dedicated to it. In addition, their recall of terms was tested two months later by completion of a 15-item quiz and was found to be significantly better in the test group.

How sign language interpreters use multimodal actions to coordinate turn-taking in group work between deaf and hearing upper secondary school students

Abstract: This study examines interpreted group work situations involving deaf and hearing senior high school students, using Norwegian Sign Language and spoken Norwegian. The research question is: how does the sign language interpreter explicitly coordinate turn-taking in group work dialogues among deaf and hearing students? Video recordings of authentic learning situations constitute the basis for analysis of how a sign language interpreter uses multimodal actions to convey information that is used by the deaf and hearing students in establishing a shared focus of attention and thus coordinating their turn-taking. Five types of actions were recurrently identified: construction of visual gestures; timing of the interpreter’s input; use of gaze to negotiate for the deaf students’ speaking turns; left-right shifts in body position to convey information about which of the hearing students is speaking; and backward-forward shifts in body position to negotiate for shared attention. The analysis draws mainly on concepts developed by Goffman ( 1959 , 1981 ), Goodwin ( 1994 , 2000 , 2007 ) and Wadensjo (1998) . The discussion examines implications for the educational interpreter’s role set ( Sarangi 2010 , 2011 ), and the dual responsibility s/he fulfils by not only interpreting the students’ utterances, but also explicitly coordinating their interaction.

The headset as an interactional resource in a video relay interpreting (VRI) setting

Abstract: The headset as an interactional resource in a Video Relay Interpreting (VRI) service setting

Interpreters as technologies of care and control? Language support for refugees in Britain following the 1956 Hungarian uprising

Abstract: This article investigates aspects of intercultural communication in institutional interaction with refugees in Britain following the 1956 Hungarian uprising. Their arrival, against a backdrop of Cold War politics and the ongoing Suez crisis, constituted Britain’s first test as a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees. While accounts of displaced persons in 20th century Britain mention communication problems, the impact of interpreters on the early phases of refugee reception can be better understood only through systematic research into their lived experiences and those of their interlocutors: this should include social attitudes and recruitment practices. The use of non-professional interpreters in the period concerned is examined in relation to the metaphor of the interpreter as a technology of care and control, which also serves as a broader critique of post-war refugee treatment in Britain. Contributing to the growing body of interpreting scholarship that explores the sociology of agents and structures in the translation process, the article focuses primarily on the actors concerned with translatorial activity in the many reception camps set up at that time. Artefacts from the National Archives and accounts from the field help identify institutional approaches to mass population displacement, and related discourses about (and by) interpreters.

Conference interpreting and knowledge acquisition: How professional interpreters tackle unfamiliar topics

Abstract: This paper describes knowledge acquisition of professional conference interpreters in Taiwan when dealing with unfamiliar topics: the focus is on how the required knowledge is developed before, during and after a conference. We interviewed 10 Chinese-English interpreters, to find out about their preparation for such conferences and their approach to developing domain-specific knowledge. We first collected each interpreter’s five latest conference programs and used these to analyze the knowledge domains covered. We then based each interview on one conference agenda, considered representative by the interpreter, to examine the knowledge acquisition process from pre- to post-conference. The results show strategic preparation of unfamiliar topics: to facilitate comprehension and reformulation, interpreters make good use of conference documents and compile glossaries in which they organize the concepts and terminology specific to the conference. As they assimilate the language usage of the presenters and other participants during the conference, they use their analytical skills to manage any difficulties. Keeping in mind the aims of the event (e.g., commercial, scientific), as well as the profiles of the speakers and target audience, helps to optimize availability of relevant knowledge at short notice and continue updating it during the assignment.

Non-renditions and the court interpreter's perceived impartiality: A role-play study

Abstract: This experimental study examined whether non-renditions are linked to the court interpreter’s perceived impartiality. A witness examination was simulated in three variations on a scripted role play, with consecutive interpreting between Cantonese and English. A sample of female Cantonese speakers, divided into two experimental groups and a control group, each played the part of the witness in one role play; the interpreter and the English-speaking bench (judge and defense attorney) were always played by the same three actors. In two experimental groups, the interpretation included some utterances with no source speech counterpart (non-renditions): a Cantonese non-rendition group (16 individuals) had procedural and textual non-renditions addressed to them in Cantonese, without English interpretation for the bench; an English non-rendition group (15 individuals) heard some brief exchanges between the interpreter and the bench, with no Cantonese interpretation. A control group (15 individuals) was not exposed to non-renditions. All three groups completed a questionnaire after the role play. The English non-rendition group rated the interpreter significantly lower than the others on impartiality, and was also the only group to comment unfavorably on the interpreter. A possible explanation is that the Cantonese speakers in this group could not follow the English non-renditions and felt excluded.

Review of Cirillo, Letizia & Natacha Niemants, Eds. (2017) Teaching dialogue interpreting: Research-based proposals for higher education

Abstract: This article reviews Teaching dialogue interpreting: Research-based proposals for higher education 978 90 272 5885 4

Review of Valero-Garcés, Carmen & Rebecca Tipton, Eds. (2017) Ideology, ethics and policy development in public service interpreting and translation

Abstract: This article reviews Ideology, ethics and policy development in public service interpreting and translation