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- Volume 24, Issue 1, 2022
Interpreting - Volume 24, Issue 1, 2022
Volume 24, Issue 1, 2022
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When two languages are competing
Author(s): Damien Chiaming Fan, Aymeric Collart and Shiao-hui Chanpp.: 1–37 (37)More LessAbstractPast studies have shown that expert interpreters were better than novices at using contextual cues to anticipate upcoming information. However, whether such sensitivity to contextual cues can be traced by means of neural signatures is relatively unexplored. The present study used event-related brain potentials (ERPs) along with a language-switching paradigm – including non-switched (Chinese–Chinese, L1–L1) and switched (Chinese–English, L1–L2) conditions – to investigate whether interpreters with many years of experience, interpreters with a few years of experience and post-graduate-level interpreting students differed in the way they process contextually congruent or incongruent sentence-final target words. The results show that while the manipulations of congruency and switching independently induced a strong brain response in all three groups, the interaction between the two factors elicited different patterns across groups during 500–700 ms: (1) while a sustained congruency effect was found in the two less-experienced groups for the switched condition, such an effect was observed in the most experienced group for both switched and non-switched conditions; (2) only the least-experienced group showed a frontal negativity towards incongruent trials in the switched condition. These 200 ms transient group differences revealed that it might be possible to trace the development of interpreting ability by examining the ERP components in a language-switching setting.
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Listeners’ perception of the quality of simultaneous interpreting and perceived dependence on simultaneous interpreting
Author(s): Andrew K. F. Cheungpp.: 38–58 (21)More LessAbstractWith the rise of the use of English as a lingua franca (ELF), the number of conference speakers and attendees who use English is increasing. Simultaneous interpreting (SI) into and from English may be provided at conferences to meet the needs of individuals with differing levels of English ability. This paper reports on the findings obtained from two sets of experiments that explored the link between listeners’ perceived dependence on SI and their perceptions of its quality. The first set of experiments was conducted onsite and the second using a remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI) setting. Native Hong Kong Cantonese-speaking participants were divided into two groups: one with Russian as the source language (SL) (Russian group) and the other with English as the SL (English group). Both groups listened to the same prerecorded simultaneous interpretation into Cantonese performed by a non-native interpreter. In the onsite setting, the Russian group perceived the non-native-accented interpretation more favorably than the English group did. This suggests that in onsite settings, perceived dependence on SI may be associated with perceptions of its quality; the greater the perceived dependence on SI, the higher the perceived SI quality. However, no significant differences were found between the two groups in the RSI setting. Factors such as the inaudible SL in the background, similar levels of perceived dependence, negative feelings about online learning and tensions in the state-society relationship may contribute to the similar quality perception ratings across the two RSI groups.
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Assessing spoken-language interpreting
Author(s): Chao Hanpp.: 59–83 (25)More LessAbstractIn this study, we applied and evaluated a scoring method known as comparative judgement to assess spoken-language interpreting. This methodological exploration represents an extension of previous efforts to optimise scoring methods for assessing interpreting. Essentially, comparative judgement requires judges to compare two similar objects and make a binary decision about their relative qualities. To evaluate its reliability, validity and usefulness in the assessment of interpreting, we recruited two groups of judges (novice and experienced) to assess 66 two-way English/Chinese interpretations based on a computerised comparative judgement system. Our data analysis shows that the new method produced reliable and valid results across judge types and interpreting directions. However, the judges held polarised opinions about the method’s usefulness: while some considered it convenient, efficient and reliable, the opposite view was expressed by others. We discuss the results by providing an integrated analysis of the data collected, outline the perceived drawbacks and propose possible solutions to the drawbacks. We call for more evidence-based, substantive investigation into comparative judgement as a potentially useful method for assessing spoken-language interpreting in certain settings.
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Video remote interpreting for home-based cognitive assessments
Author(s): Andrew Simon Gilbert, Samantha Croy, Kerry Hwang, Dina LoGiudice and Betty Haralambouspp.: 84–110 (27)More LessAbstractMany health and social care services are implementing video remote interpreting (VRI) to deal with supply shortages and high costs of language interpreting for linguistically diverse clients. This qualitative study examines stakeholders’ perspectives on using VRI for home-based cognitive assessments, which are routinely performed with older people during aged care assessments in Australia. We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with clients, assessors and interpreters in Melbourne and a regional Victorian city. We found that across stakeholder groups participants usually regard VRI as an acceptable alternative to face-to-face interpreting when the latter is not possible. Freelance interpreters said VRI saved on travel time and expenditure and afforded them financial and practical benefits that enabled them to better meet the high demand for their work. However, stakeholders also pointed to the limitations of VRI, including technical challenges, sound and video quality, and difficulties with positioning equipment optimally during interviews. The assessors and interpreters agreed that VRI was inappropriate when clients are known to be cognitively impaired, and that face-to-face interpreting is necessary to support these clients and ensure assessment accuracy. We suggest that plans by health or social care services to replace face-to-face interpreting with VRI should be balanced against the needs of clients and any impacts on professional practice.
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Interprofessional education in interpreter training
Author(s): Jim Hlavac, Claire Harrison and Bernadette Saunderspp.: 111–139 (29)More LessAbstractInterpreters work with clients from many professions and in different contexts and settings. A facilitator of interpreters’ ability to provide an optimal interlingual transfer of another’s speech or signing is possessing knowledge of other professionals’ perspectives and goals. Interprofessional education is a teaching or learning method that includes learning activities in which trainees from two or more disciplines interact with each other in real or simulated settings. This article reports on the participation of interpreting students in interprofessional education with medical and social work students over a three-year period. Responses were obtained from 109 interpreting students across four medicine–interpreting and three social work–interpreting sessions relating to their perception of the roles of the other student groups pre- and post-intervention and how best to work with each group. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that pre-intervention knowledge of the doctors’ work was significant while knowledge about social work was varied; there were high levels of agreement that knowledge of the other group had increased post-intervention; future intentions were related to greater awareness of a briefing, applying knowledge of the relevant genre of spoken interaction, the need for the allophone interlocutors to establish rapport with each other, and awareness of source speakers’ tone and intent in addition to form and content.
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Review of Salaets & Brône (2020): Linking up with Video: Perspectives on interpreting practice and research
Author(s): Jemina Napierpp.: 147–154 (8)More LessThis article reviews Linking up with Video: Perspectives on interpreting practice and research
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Review of Chen & Han (2021): Testing and assessment of interpreting: Recent developments in China
Author(s): David B. Sawyerpp.: 155–162 (8)More LessThis article reviews Testing and assessment of interpreting: Recent developments in China
Volumes & issues
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Volume 26 (2024)
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Volume 25 (2023)
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Volume 24 (2022)
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Volume 23 (2021)
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Volume 22 (2020)
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Volume 21 (2019)
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Volume 20 (2018)
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Volume 19 (2017)
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Volume 18 (2016)
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Volume 17 (2015)
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Volume 16 (2014)
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Volume 15 (2013)
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Volume 14 (2012)
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Volume 13 (2011)
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Volume 12 (2010)
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Volume 11 (2009)
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Volume 10 (2008)
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Volume 9 (2007)
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Volume 8 (2006)
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Volume 7 (2005)
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Volume 6 (2004)
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Volume 5 (2000)
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Volume 4 (1999)
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Volume 3 (1998)
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Volume 2 (1997)
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Volume 1 (1996)
Most Read This Month
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The bilingual individual
Author(s): Francois Grosjean
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