TY - JOUR
T1 - Prosody instruction for interpreter trainees
T2 - Does methodology make a difference? An experimental study
AU - Yenkimaleki, Mahmood
AU - van Heuven, Vincent J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - This study investigates the effect of explicit vs. implicit prosody teaching on the quality of consecutive interpretation by Farsi–English interpreter trainees. Three groups of student interpreters were formed. All were native speakers of Farsi who studied English translation and interpreting at the BA level at the University of Applied Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Participants were assigned to groups at random, but with equal division between genders (6 female and 6 male students in each group). No significant differences in English language skills (TOEFL scores) could be established between the groups. Participants took a pretest of consecutive interpreting before starting the program. The control group listened to authentic audio tracks and did exercises in consecutive interpreting. The first experimental group received explicit instruction of English prosody and did exercises based on the theoretical explanation which was provided by their Iranian instructor. The second experimental group received implicit instruction of English prosody through the use of recasts. The total instruction time was the same for all the groups, i.e. 10 hours. Students then took a posttest in consecutive interpretation. The results showed that explicit teaching of prosody had a significantly positive effect on the overall quality of interpreting from Farsi into English compared with that of implicit prosody instruction. These results have pedagogical implications for curriculum designers, interpreter training programs, material producers and all who are involved in language study and pedagogy.
AB - This study investigates the effect of explicit vs. implicit prosody teaching on the quality of consecutive interpretation by Farsi–English interpreter trainees. Three groups of student interpreters were formed. All were native speakers of Farsi who studied English translation and interpreting at the BA level at the University of Applied Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Participants were assigned to groups at random, but with equal division between genders (6 female and 6 male students in each group). No significant differences in English language skills (TOEFL scores) could be established between the groups. Participants took a pretest of consecutive interpreting before starting the program. The control group listened to authentic audio tracks and did exercises in consecutive interpreting. The first experimental group received explicit instruction of English prosody and did exercises based on the theoretical explanation which was provided by their Iranian instructor. The second experimental group received implicit instruction of English prosody through the use of recasts. The total instruction time was the same for all the groups, i.e. 10 hours. Students then took a posttest in consecutive interpretation. The results showed that explicit teaching of prosody had a significantly positive effect on the overall quality of interpreting from Farsi into English compared with that of implicit prosody instruction. These results have pedagogical implications for curriculum designers, interpreter training programs, material producers and all who are involved in language study and pedagogy.
KW - Consecutive interpreting
KW - Explicit teaching
KW - Implicit teaching
KW - Prosody instruction
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061397234&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1556/084.2019.20.1.6
DO - 10.1556/084.2019.20.1.6
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85061397234
SN - 1585-1923
VL - 20
SP - 117
EP - 133
JO - Across Languages and Cultures
JF - Across Languages and Cultures
IS - 1
ER -