Tlmočnícky výkon študentov
Students’ interpreting performances

traditional vs. distance training, full-time vs. part-time study

Summary/Abstract: This study presents the results of research comparing the consecutive interpreting performances of full-time students (traditional and distance training) with the performances of part-time students (distance training). In doing so, the authors tried to determine whether the form of training (traditional vs. distance) or form of study (full-time vs. part-time) can influence interpreting performance. The evaluation of the interpreting performances’ semantic component showed varying results on the examined criteria (information transferred and negative shifts). Although the traditionally trained full-time students produced the least negative shifts, they also transferred the least information. The part-time students (distance training only) ranked second in terms of information transferred, but also produced the most negative shifts. Finally, the distance-trained full-time students transferred the most information and ranked second in terms of negative shifts. The evaluation of the interpreting performances’ formal component showed several similar tendencies. The group of listeners (N = 26) assigned higher mean scores to the interpreting performances than the students (N = 15) did in their self-assessments. The listeners rated the interpreting performances of the full-time students (both the traditionally and distance-trained groups) higher than those of the part-time students (distance training only). A similarly self-critical trend was evident for the criterion of voice confidence (the exception being the traditionally trained full-time students, who perceived their voices to be slightly more convincing than their listeners indicated). Analyses of the evaluation forms showed that persuasive and confident interpreting performances contributed to higher scores. On the contrary, lower scores were attributed to a lack of fluency in interpreting performances. These findings suggest the need for and potential benefit of rhetorical exercises in interpreter training. Although the three groups compared were very small (N = 5) and the results are only illustrative, they indicate the potential benefits of blended instruction.

• Details
• Contents