interp Flashcards
- Name and explain 5 differences between CI and SI.
- production effort
- heavier time pressure of target speech
- processes associated with note-taking
- demand on working memory because of note-taking
- more long term memory in consecutive
- What are the advantages of CI in comparison to SI?
greater accuracy ( vocal intonations, pauses, repetitions; additional time for reformulation and expression - can be lost if memory is poor or average; reduces stress; easier to interpret complex or highly technical content
- Explain the terminological difference between interpretation and interpreting.
Interpretation - the product of the process of interpreting, or the target text. An interpretation should accurately reproduce the grammatical and lexical features as well as the style and content of the source text
Interpreting - the process or activity involved in transferring a message from one language to another in real time. The message is usually spoken rather than written. A feature that distinguishes translation from interpretation is that the interpreter is part of the communication process
Name the six categories of competencies essential for a successful interpreter
- linguistic competencies
- cognitive competencies
- methodological competencies
- cultural competencies
- subject matter competencies
- interpersonal competencies
- What does the term “linguistic competencies” include? Explain the individual competencies.
- Word recognition skills
- Transfer competence - allows to understand it in one language and transfer to another and do it appropriately from the point of view of style
- Discourse competence - ability to combine ideas into a coherent and cohesive act
- Cognitive flexibility - ability to effectively and rapidly manage memory, acuity, repetition, and other skills that need to happen with precision durine the interpreting process; coordination effort
- What are cultural competencies? Why is it “dangerous” for the interpreter to know too much about the topic?
- Cultural Competencies: Knowledge of customs, traditions, and cultural nuances of both languages to avoid misinterpretation.
- Danger: Knowing too much may lead to bias or assumptions, which can distort the message
Knowing too much may hinder the message of the original speaker by trying to input more than necessary. This includes bi-cultural competence - deep knowledge and appreciation of the cultures of working languages. Includes the knowledge of the basic beliefs, alues, experiences, and behaviors of characteristics of SL
- What does overall suitability for interpreting profession include? Do you think you are fit to be an interpreter?
Appropriate use of personal space, eye contact, stamina, curiosity, mental agility
- What are the two phases of the CI process according to Gile? What efforts may those phases include?
- Listening phase
a. Listening effort
b. Production effort(note-taking)
c. Short-term memory effort - Reformulation phase
a. Note-reading effort
b. Production effort (producing the message in the target language)
- Name the 8 basic errors in interpretation
- Literal translation
- Inadequate language proficiency
- Error in register conversation
- Distortion
- Omission
- Added information
- Protocol, procedure and ethics
- Nonconservation of paralinguistic elements
When does literal translation appear?
Literal translation occurs when the interpreter focuses too much on the word-for-word meaning of the source language, often due to inadequate language proficiency or preparation in interpreting procedures or pressure to produce a quick response.
- How can an interpreter overcome weaknesses in vocabulary leading to lexical errors?
Can be overcome by accurate paraphrasing skills if interpreter can explain the topic or term in different words even when they do not know the specific term in the target language
- In what interpreting settings is register conservation important?
in the courtroom. Scared to death - ba’t’ sa niecoho ako cert kri’za; mat’ srcde az v hrdle
- What are the main reasons for distortion in interpreting, and when is it likely to happen?
probably occur when the beginner interpreter does not understand the importance of preserving the whole message. Three possible reasons: deficient language skills, memory, or interpreting skills; very likely to happen when the message is very short or if contains technical language, emotional intensity, hedges, particles, false starts, unfinished sentences, and incoherent language
- Why do omissions occur in interpretation?
when experienced interps - due to fatigue; less experienced - due failure to comprehend, inability to express a concept in target language, or ohter language based problems. Processing or memory problems also
- When do additions happen in interpretation? Why do interpreters add information not originally in the source message?
When does not understand the source message; when does not remember the source message
- In what interpreting situations is it necessary to stick to protocol and procedures, and why?
legal and more, can cause confusion and harm when some potentially damaging errors remain
- What are the three phases of interpreting when errors can occur, and why does it matter in what phase the mistake happened?
- Comprehension Phase: Errors from mishearing or misunderstanding.
- transform Phase: weakness in trans from sl to tl
- reformulation Phase: Errors in pronunciation, pacing, or expression, volume, clarity of structure
* Seriousness of the error depend on the phase in which occur - 1. most serious
- Why is it important to identify the type of error?
to work on them now and refine our interp skills before moving to simultaneous
.Describe Gillie’s concept of “idea” essential for note-taking
Gillie emphasizes focusing on capturing the core idea or meaning of the message, rather than individual words or structures, to ensure accurate. Idea - part of the message
- What sentence structure is it based on, and why is it so important for note-taking (NT)?
- Structure: Simple Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structures.
Importance: Simplified structures reduce cognitive load and help in organizing and recalling information quickly.
- What will you later, as an experienced interpreter, find out NT is about?
Experienced interpreters realize that note-taking is about:
1. Capturing key ideas and relationships, not every word.
2. Creating a personal shorthand system that supports memory.
3. Structuring notes logically for efficient recall
- Following the strategy introduced by Gillies in the first example, try to identify the relevant sentence structure in the speech by Denis McShane (pp. 40–41).
The strategy involves isolating the Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure and identifying key relationships in the speech.
* For Denis McShane’s speech (if referring to notes in the PDF), identify main subjects (e.g., “government,” “economy”), actions (verbs), and objects impacted by the actions.
* Example: “Government [Subject] invests [Verb] in infrastructure [Object].”
- What factors influence the interpreter’s comprehension of the message? Why is it so important for the interpreter to have more extralinguistic knowledge?
Factors Influencing Comprehension:
1. Speaker’s delivery: Speed, accent, clarity.
2. Complexity of content: Technical or abstract ideas.
3. Interpreter’s knowledge: Vocabulary, cultural context, topic familiarity.
4. Noise or distractions: Physical or cognitive barriers.
Importance of Extralinguistic Knowledge:
Understanding cultural, historical, or contextual elements helps interpreters grasp implied meanings, avoid distortions, and maintain fidelity.
- In what ways does interpreted communication differ from direct communication between people sharing one language?
- Mediation: Interpreters act as intermediaries, potentially altering dynamics.
- Delay: Time lag in relaying messages.
- Risk of Misinterpretation: Nuances or non-verbal cues may be lost.
- Simplification: Messages may be condensed or restructured
According to Weaver, what are the three important types of processing related to listening?
- identifying the meaning unit in the message
- identifying the speaker’s intent
- calling appropriate ELK or context into play to help frame the information
- When is it especially necessary (and more difficult) for the interpreter to focus on listening to the message, and why?
- Necessary During:
1. Fast-paced or highly technical speeches.
2. Speeches with unfamiliar vocabulary or accents. - Why Difficult:
The interpreter must simultaneously process information, identify key ideas, and begin reformulating the message.
What happens to the main idea if the interpreter omits the supporting ideas?
the overall main idea is not changed substainly
- Why is it important for the interpreter to distinguish the main idea from the supporting ones?
to prioritize important points
- When does the main idea usually occur in the speech?
usually early in the speech (summarized in a topic sentence)
- What does the “Hop, Skip, and Jump” Rule imply for the interpreter?
When the interpreter cannot keep up with the pace of the speaker, the interpreter must hop and skip over some details and jump to the next main point
This rule suggests that interpreters should:
1. Hop: Focus on essential information.
2. Skip: Ignore irrelevant details.
3. Jump: Connect ideas quickly and logically.
- Define the concept of “keyword.” Why are keywords so important for the comprehension of the message?
- Keyword: A word or phrase central to the meaning of the message.
- Importance: Helps the interpreter identify and retain critical concepts while filtering out less relevant information.
- Keywords used over and over in the speech.
- Crucial to the theme/topic of the discussion;
- Represent basic concepts of the speech;
- Point to the main idea;
- Identifying keywords helps to comprehend.
What are summarizing skills generally about?
Summarization skills mean:
1. you can get the big picture of what the speech is about;
2. you do not get confused with the details;
3. you do not miss the main point.
Ability to get the big picture – being able to recall the gist of the information.
During interpretation – the constant sorting of information
- What helps the interpreter decide on the importance of the information?
Interpreter makes the decision based on:
1. what they know about the topic;
2. what they know about the audience.
Process of interpreting – Interpreters constantly sorts info to decide which points are most important .
They then use those points to create a summary
- What is the relation between the original speech and NT? What does NT reflect, represent?
The original speech is a group of ideas in a certain order - your notes become the visual representation of your analysis of the source speech
- What tasks are the parts of Gillies’ model of CI?
- Listening and analyzing.
- Note-taking.
- Reformulating the message.
- Delivering the interpretation
- Why is it so risky to note “everything”?
- Overloading the interpreter’s memory and notes.
- Losing focus on the speaker.
- Wasting time on unnecessary details.
- What does automatization (and internalization) mean in NT, and how can they be achieved?
- Automatization: Developing a habit of taking structured notes quickly. comes from repeated practice
- Internalization: Adopting symbols and methods as second nature.
- Achieved Through: Regular practice and consistent use of symbols or shorthand.
- What type of notepad should we be equipped with, and what language should we note in? What are the advantages of note-taking in SL and TL?
10:15 spiral bound from the top, firm sheet of card as the back page, plain pages, write on one side. In which you feel more comfortable with usually mother tongue
- What can you expect in an introductory speech to occur and to be interpreted?
Introductory speeches typically include:
1. Formal greetings.
2. Speaker’s background.
3. Purpose or agenda of the event.
- What is a structure map? Would you rather go for a mini-summary? Which one is the collection of abstract ideas in the source speech?
- Structure Map: A visual representation of the logical flow and relationships in the speech, often hierarchical.
- Mini-Summary: A concise version of the speech focusing on essential ideas.
- Which Represents Abstract Ideas: The structure map is better for organizing and analyzing abstract ideas.
- What type of source speech is the mind map suitable for? What is a 3D mind map?
- Suitable Speech: Speeches with complex or interconnected ideas, such as academic or technical presentations.
- 3D Mind Map: An enhanced mind map incorporating multiple dimensions (e.g., themes, priorities, and relationships) to show the depth and complexity of the speech
- When deciding what language to take notes in, what are the reasons for choosing the target language and, on the other hand, the source language?
- Reasons for Target Language:
1. Speeds up reformulation.
2. Reduces mental translation during delivery. - Reasons for Source Language:
1. Retains the original phrasing and meaning.
2. Avoids ambiguity in interpreting unclear terms.
Give a short summary of Rozan’s NT method (p. 98).
Rozan’s note-taking method emphasizes:
Noting the idea and not the word
2 The rules of abbreviation
3 Links
4 Negation
5 Adding emphasis
6 Verticality
7 Shift
- What are the basic questions when analyzing a speech during the interpretation?
What is a gist of the message?
Are the sentences active or passive?
Do i know what the word means?
What types of relations can be identified between the units of speech?
- Logical Relations: Cause-effect, condition-consequence.
- Temporal Relations: Sequence of events.
- Spatial Relations: Locations or directions.
- What do temporal relationships describe, and in what types of speeches are they relevant? How can you write them down when taking notes?
between the events as they occur in time, directions for cooking, describing where to go; have to be preserved in that specific order.noted by arrows, numbers
- In what way or by what skill can an interpreter preserve the spatial relationship of the speech?
imagine by means of symbols
- What do logical relations refer to in the speech?
refer to cause and effect; or condition and consequence (if-then clauses)
- What do links signal for the listener (and the interpreter in CI), and why are they so important for the speech and NT?
speech without links is a meaningless list of ideas; as important as the ideas themselves are the relationships between them - links. They signal the way the speaker wants the listener to relate what is about to be said to what has been said again.
- Name at least 8 denominators Gillies suggests for the links in the speech.
B - but, however
THO - although, despite, even though
COS - because, the main reason for this
→ - hence, so that
TO - in order to, so that
eg - for example
+ - also, in addition
// - the paragraph mark, end of idea
- Why would you note the links on the left of the page if only you used links?
for visibility and readability
- How do you note parallel values? What is tiering? Give examples of structures suitable for using this technique.
tiering or vertically is a technique used to note parallel values - noted parallel to each other/ under each other. Can be multiple subjects, verbs, objects and adjectives
- What are brackets used for in NT? What is to be put in the brackets? Do you always have to put something in them?
Vertically below another but in brackets to show that one belongs to another, but is subordinate
Can use empty brackets to remind that something is supposed to be in that place
- What is shifting values?
can be shift to the left or right depending on the importance for the target message (left - important, right - less important)
- What is a symbol in NT, and what should it represent? Why are they more convenient for an interpreter than real words?
something that represents something, underlying the meaning of a word or expression that is important to us rather than the word. Concept, not a word; Why? quicker and easier, easier to read, represent concepts not words
- Name at least 5 symbols you use in your NT – with their explanation.
$ - money; heart - love, like, adore; 1. → - consequence; arrow up - increase
- What rules should you follow when using a particular symbol?
clear and unambigous; quick and simple to draw; prepared in advance
- What are organic symbols? Give examples.
one symbol should be the starting point for many other symbols, base, common root; square for nation, country, national, nationally
- Do you use an arrow in NT? Explain in what way it can be used.
left - return, come back, reverse, regress; up right - rise, increase, grow, climb; down right - fall, decline, slide, slip, drop, shrink; both ends - exchange, relations; right - lead to, therefore, consequence; circle down - continue
- What is underlining?
important, more important - 2
- What are smilies used for?
Smilies (e.g., 😊 or ☹️) indicate tone, speaker emotion, or audience reaction, adding nuance to the interpretation.
- Explain in what way your memory is important in the phases of the interpreting process (listening, reformulation, and correction phases).
listening - must remember long enough to analyze and process it in tl;
reformulation - what message meant and your notes meant;
correction - what you said and compare it to the source message
- What is chunking, and why is it so useful for an interpreter? What does chunking depend on?
metho to improve retention capacity (remembering sth); organizing into units easier to remember; even changing the sequence of ideas. Depends on careful listening, density, rate, coherence of SM delivery
- List the factors that affect storing and retrieving.
if you want to remember - likely to do so;
if similar to what you know;
if you use info in some way;
stress can reduce;
moderate stress can improve;
irrelevant stimuli can distract
- What stimuli can reduce or, on the other hand, improve your ability to remember and recall information?
developing auditory memory + notetaking + repetition - increase;
irrelevant stimuli can distract
- What does reformulation mean in relation to interpreting and the target language?
a result of the interpretation process, allows the message to take form in the tl
- What are the communication situations regarding the speaker’s stating the topic of their speech, and why should you as an interpreter be concerned about it?
- Clear Statement of Topic: The speaker introduces the topic explicitly, making it easier to follow.
- Implicit Topic Introduction: The topic is hinted at, requiring more effort to infer context.
* Concern: Misunderstanding the topic can lead to errors in interpretation.
- What helps your interpretation to be consistent regarding the location of actions and objects in the speech?
reformulation
* Clear note-taking: Using spatial symbols or diagrams.
* Logical organization: Structuring notes to reflect relationships.
* Visualization: Mentally mapping locations as they are described.
- What are the basic questions that help you reformulate the concepts and relationships present in the speech?
Who is doing the action?
Who is receiving the action?
What is the action?
What is the reaction?
- In what way is the illocutionary force of the source speech relevant to the interpretation?
TM must have the same discourse function and the equivalent impact on the audience as the SM
- Name the three methods of reformulation at the word level.
borrowing - using the source language word
modulation - shift in the point of use
adaptation - using cultural equivalent response
- How can you simplify your NT using brackets?
the very presence of brackets may remind you of all the information to which it referred
- Give an example of noting the simple for the complicated.
Instead of writing:
* “The economic situation is deteriorating rapidly due to inflation.”
Write:
* “Econ ↓ fast; infl.”
- Why are stories and jokes usually easy to note? Why are things you are familiar with easy to note?
you can remind things you already know or stories with one key word
- What is the role of memory in monitoring and correction? What do monitoring skills include?
In CI – the I can reinspect the interpretation without the interference of an ongoing message (as in SI)
Disadvantage – the delay, one must remember their interpretation in order to compare it to the source message, remember both SM and TM
- possibility to forget info either from SM or TM
Interpreter is required to make corrections to the interpretation if necessary to make it most precise –
to do so, one must closely monitor the output
If more capacity consumed for comprehension, less capacity available for monitoring and correction;
Listening and attending to your own output in TL,
making sure TM agrees with the meaning of the source message
Checking the sense and cohesion of your output
self-correction skills to provide the correct output
If error detected – may be in form or meaning
- What is a meaning error? What is an error in form?
Meaning error – the info that was not in the source message (added info) or omitted from the SM
Error in form – inappropriate syntax, illocutionary force
- What factors should you check when monitoring your interpretation? (Explain in 2–3 sentences for each.)
- Intelligibility – clear diction and pronunciation of words, appropriate syntax (it is not about accuracy, see 3)
- Volume – is the interpretation loud enough?
- Message accuracy – message in TL must match the message in SL in meaning, intent, and content
Linguistic needs, composition and cultural background of the audience taken into consideration, language fluency necessary - illocutionary force – if the ST is a question seeking infor – your interpretation should seek info too, rhetorical question likewise etc.
- Fillers – show the uncertainty of the speakers (uhm, ah), but if the speaker uses them, an interpreter should not, cause the skew the message
If the speaker uses silence to increase the impact of to allow time for reflection, the interpreter should be confident enough to allow silence to occur in the interpretation, not use fillers –
Adding fillers – the opposite effect of silence - Repetitions – a sign of disorganization or overstating the message by the speaker, if it is not the case, the I should not use them
One should avoid them unless they are part of the speech, not generate them
- Why are fillers and repetitions used in interpretation, and what’s wrong with them?
- Fillers – show the uncertainty of the speakers (uhm, ah), but if the speaker uses them, an interpreter should not, cause the skew the message
If the speaker uses silence to increase the impact of to allow time for reflection, the interpreter should be confident enough to allow silence to occur in the interpretation, not use fillers –
Adding fillers – the opposite effect of silence - Repetitions – a sign of disorganization or overstating the message by the speaker, if it is not the case, the I should not use them
One should avoid them unless they are part of the speech, not generate them
