INTERPRETING PRACTICE FOR INTERNAL CIRCULATION students of english language

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUẢNG BÌNH KHOA NGOẠI NGỮ -    - INTERPRETING PRACTICE FOR INTERNAL CIRCULATION Students of English language Tran Thi Phuong Tu Quảng Bình, 2015 INTRODUCTION This interpreting course is designed to meet students’ needs of English in their training course at the Department of Foreign Languages, Quang Binh University The purpose of this course is to help students in understanding of techniques and methods of English language interpretation Those are definitely important notions in using a interpreting tool It is hoped that learners will find the course useful and practical The material presented here borrows heavily from different materials of both international and Vietnam authors Quang Binh, 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Lesson INTRODUCTION TO INTERPRETATION Lesson CODE OF ETHICS FOR INTERPRETERS- Lesson 3: MEMORIZING SKILL Lesson NOTE-TAKING SKILL IN INTERPRETATION Lesson 17 OTHER HELPFUL SKILLS ATTRIBUTED FOR INTERPRETING 17 Lesson 6- PRESENTATION SKILLS 21 Lesson 7: PRESENTATION SKILLS - LIAISONS AND SPEECHES……24 REFERENCES 24 Lesson INTRODUCTION TO INTERPRETATION THE ROLE OF MESSAGE ANALYSIS IN INTERPRETATION General Introduction Translation and interpretation are the ultimate jobs for people who love language However, there are a lot of misunderstandings about these two fields, including the difference between them and what kind of skills and education they require This is an introduction to the fields of translation and interpretation Both translation and interpretation (sometimes abbreviated as T + I) require superior language ability in at least two languages That may seem like a given, but in fact there are many working translators whose language skills are not up to the task You can usually recognize these unqualified translators by extremely low rates, and also by wild claims about being able to translate any language and subject Translation and interpretation also require the ability to accurately express information in the target language Word for word translation is neither accurate nor desirable, and a good translator/interpreter knows how to express the source text or speech so that it sounds natural in the target language The best translation is one that you don't realize is a translation, because it sounds just like it would if it had been written in that language to begin with Translators and interpreters nearly always work into their native language, because it's too easy for a non-native speaker to write or speak in a way that just doesn't sound quite right to native speakers Using unqualified translators will leave you with poor-quality translations with mistakes ranging from poor grammar and awkward phrasing to nonsensical or inaccurate information And finally, translators and interpreters need to understand the cultures of both the source and target languages, in order to be able to adapt the language to the appropriate culture In short, the simple fact of speaking two or more languages does not necessarily make a good translator or interpreter - there's a lot more to it It is in your best interest to find someone who is qualified and certified A certified translator or interpreter will cost more, but if your business needs a good product, it is well worth the expense What is Interpreting? Interpreting happens whenever two people or two groups of people not share a common language but need to or want to communicate with each other in order to conduct a business or share information and ideas When people who are deaf (and who use sign language) and people who are not deaf (and who use spoken language) want or need to talk to one another, that is when the interpreter their work Interpreters must understand the meanings and intentions expressed in one language (the source language) and then express those meanings and intentions in the other language (the target language) In order to this, interpreters have to have a high level of fluency in each language Most of the time interpreters work simultaneously, which means expressing what someone just said while at the same time focusing on what someone is saying right now Sometimes interpreters work consecutively, which means listening until someone has completed an idea and then interpreting that idea Interpreters also have to follow a professional Code of Conduct; one of its most important tenets is to maintain confidentiality This means keeping private whatever happens in the interactions that are interpreted Interpreting is a very challenging and rewarding career especially for those who enjoy the way languages work, enjoy the way that people use language to get things done and enjoy playing an important role in helping people interact with each other Interpreting is essentially a verbal form of translation It entails taking ideas and words spoken in one language and rendering them in another language It may sound simple enough but more often than not this is a complex task It requires extensive understanding of source and target language, and of the culture of both Otto Kade, a groundbreaking researcher on interpretation said that Interpreting is a form of Translation in which a first and final rendition in another language is produced on the basis of a onetime presentation of an utterance in a source language (Pöchhacker p.11) Interpreting is not only a verbal translation but also an immediate one The immediacy may vary to a degree in the different settings but it is always a factor The interpreter must re-render the utterance in the target language without interrupting the flow of the event he takes part in This aspect separates most distinctively between interpreters and translators and often a person’s ease in such circumstances determines which profession people choose It is arguably a different skill to be able to delve into a text and spend great time and effort on finding the exact equivalent meaning and feeling of a text that can hold up to the original on print, than it takes to form an utterance quickly and accurately without dwelling on detail Kade (1968) defined interpreting as a form of Translation in which: * The source-language text is presented only once and thus cannot be reviewed or replayed, and * The target-language text is produced under time pressure, with little chance for correction and revision Translation is the interpretation of the meaning of a written message or text in one language (target language) from another language (source language) The function of translation is to make the readers of the target text able to understand the semantic and stylistic meaning of the source text Interpreting is the transformation of a source text, either in oral or sign or even written form, from one language into a target language Interpreting a sourcelanguage text, interpreters only can hear or see the text once and have to convey the ideas of the target text under time pressure Modes of Interpreting The two major modes of interpreting are Simultaneous and Consecutive Simultaneous Interpreting Typically, while performing Simultaneous Interpreting, the interpreter sits in a booth wearing a pair of headphones and speaks into a microphone Strictly speaking, "simultaneous" is a misnomer: the interpreter cannot start interpreting until he or she understands the general meaning of the sentence Depending for example, on how far apart in the sentence to be interpreted the subject and the verb are located, the interpreter may not be able to utter even a single word until he or she has heard the entire sentence! This fact should make it evident how difficult the task of the interpreter really is: she must transfer the sentence into the target language while simultaneously listening to and comprehending the next sentence You can experience the difficulty of the task even if you only speak one language: try paraphrasing someone's speech with a half-sentence delay while making sure you understand the next sentence and paraphrasing the previous one One of the key skills of the simultaneous interpreter is decisiveness: there is simply no time to weigh the merits of variant translations, or to recall just the right idiom in the target language Any delay and a few words (and possibly a complete thought) that the speaker uttered could be lost, and since the speaker may be far away, or even in a different room than the interpreter, the loss may be permanent The interpreter listens to a speech and simultaneously interprets it, using headphones and a microphone This is commonly used when there are numerous languages needed, such as in the United Nations Each target language has an assigned channel, so Spanish speakers might turn to channel one for the Spanish interpretation, French speakers to channel two, etc Simultaneous interpretation should only be done into one's A language Consecutive Interpreting During Consecutive Interpreting the speaker stops every 1–5 minutes (usually at the end of every "paragraph" or complete thought) and the interpreter then steps in to render what was said into the target language A key skill involved in consecutive interpreting is note-taking, since few people can memorize a full paragraph in one hearing without loss of detail Interpreter's notes are very different from those of, say, a stenographer, because writing down words in the source language makes the interpreter's job harder when he has to translate the speech into the target language Many professional interpreters develop their own "ideogramic" symbology, which allows them to take down not the words, but the thoughts of the speaker in a sort of languageindependent form Then the interpreter's output is more idiomatic and less source-language bound The interpreter takes notes while listening to a speech, then does his or her interpretation during pauses This is commonly used when there are just two languages at work; for example, if the American and French presidents were having a discussion The consecutive interpreter would interpret in both directions, French to English and English to French Unlike translation and simultaneous interpretation, consecutive interpretation is commonly done into the interpreter's A and B languages * Some others types of interpretation: Whispered: The interpreter sits or stands next to a small target-language audience and whispers a simultaneous interpretation This method is generally used only when a few audience members not speak the source language Relay: A source-language interpreter expresses the message to a group of interpreters who have a language in common and each speaks another language as well In turn, these interpreters convey the message to their respective target audiences For example, a German speech is first interpreted in English to a group of interpreters, and is then interpreted by each into French, Japanese, Spanish, and Italian Liaison interpretation, also known as ad hoc and relay: this is a type of two-way interpreting, where the interpreter translates every few sentences while the speaker pauses This is common in telephone interpreting as well as in legal and health situations The interpreter supports people who are not fluent in the language being used to ensure their understanding Sign language interpretation: interpreters convert spoken statements into sign language and vice versa Message Analysis in Interpretation Message Analysis is an attempt not only to make theory usable, but also to some extent, to de-mystify interpreting skill Comprehending another's message is of great importance to the interpreters They it without thinking Six "faces" of the crystal are important to the interpreter’s task: content, function, register, affect, contextual force, and metanotative qualities These six parameters are generally useful in analyzing language for a number of purposes Although there are others, these six are most directly related to the interpreter's task Content "Content" refers to the facts, ideas, information and other objective material expressed in an utterance In the sentence, "Tom has a brown four door," the content relates information about a specific car, its color, and who owns it Propositions A proposition is an idea, thought, or any objectively expressed concept within the discourse A sentence may include several propositions Returning for a moment to the first example used in this section, the difference between a sentence and a proposition can be clarified "Tom has a brown four door," is one sentence, made up of six words and four propositions: there is a car the car is brown the car has four doors the car is owned by somebody named Tom Note that the first proposition is not overtly stated, but is implied by the other three Van Dijk (1972) separates the two by saying that propositions represent facts, and sentences express propositions Function Every time we say something, there is a general purpose behind our words We intend to accomplish something Whether it is to entertain, to inform, or to persuade, we communicate because we have a desired result These purposes, the very reasons we speak at all, are called the functions of the message The function of the message greatly influences how something is expressed If the aim is to convince another that our opinion is correct, certain features are likely to appear in our speech and gesture We might raise our voices to a higher volume than is necessary for our listener to hear us, or we might stress certain key words, and various hand movements might be incorporated to add emphasis to our conviction It is for this reason that Cokely (1983) stresses the importance of understanding "communicative functions" for students of interpreting Indeed, any interpreter who works at understanding the function behind the words of the speaker has a great advantage When interpreters can make their purpose the same as the speaker's, then the choices in delivery will be naturally shaped by that common goal Register There are an infinite number of ways to express an idea in any language In fact, it is impossible to say the same thing exactly the same way twice We can vary the way an idea is expressed through vocabulary choice, syntax, intonation, facial expression, gesture and the like Each of these ways of varying expression can be analyzed for the relative effect it may have on the communication For our purpose as interpreters, however, we are more concerned with the effects which result from variations of several of these components simultaneously These variations in the surface structure have been called "linguistic style levels" (Joos, 1967; Cokery, 1983b), and are also commonly referred to as "registers." One speaks differently when addressing a parent, a close friend, or a teacher These differences reflect our relationship to the person we are addressing, and the situation we find ourselves in Cokery describes this phenomena as "social distance” Affect Affect is the emotion and tone conveyed in the text Affect is perceived by listeners through volume, stress patterns, vocabulary choices and other linguistic and paralinguistic clues given by the speaker Affect is nothing new to the field of interpreting Most of us have received feedback regarding our attempts to relate the affect of the speaker All too often, however, volume and pitch are the only tools employed to show emotion As interpreters, we need not only to be aware that it is our responsibility to convey affect, but to be consciously aware of how this is accomplished in any of the languages we are working with Knowing how elation is expressed in the source language does not: guarantee that these same stratagems can be used in the target language Finding equivalence in affect does not necessarily mean imitating the delivery of the speaker Contextual force Contextual force is the relative impact (low to high) a message has on its receiver Hirsch (cited by Morton, 1979) calls it "significance" and contrasts it with "meaning." He points out that, depending on the listener, particular proposition has a relative impact or charge to it It is either an emotional topic or it is not; it causes interest or it does not; it stimulates memories of past experiences or it does not Aside from these parameters, there is another aspect - called "context" - which is necessary to understanding any message Context is not included in the list above, for one must apply the notion of context to each of the parameter One might say that the context is the pair of glasses one needs to see any part of a message Understanding another's message when it is not intended for us is not an easy task This is because we lack the background information a typical listener would possess We operate at a disadvantage Although the kinds of situations where interpreting occurs are those where the speaker and the listener not know each other intimately, we still are left with a lot of guesswork about our consumers and their relationship to each other Context is the tool we use to fill in the gaps As interpreters, we must listen consciously/or these clues we use so automatically everyday This information provides enormous insight into each speaker's message, and is necessary for analyzing the other parameters Not only must we listen for situational context to provide us with clues about the message, we must then use the message to help fill out our understanding of the situation A cycle is formed Understanding a little of how these people see the world and each other helps us to understand their discourse The more we understand their discourse, the more we can understand their relationship and the way they view the world THE PROCESS OF INTERPRETATION Interpreting is both a professional task and one of trust The interpreter undertakes the task of extemporaneously conveying messages between languages and cultures while also keeping the professional content According to a Hungarian saying, words slip away This, however, is not true anymore for the words used in interpreting The interpretation has to stand the test of time The Process of Interpreting The order is received by our Project Managers, who assess the order (date, place, duration, languages, profession, etc.) and clarify any arising questions It is especially important to determine the professional field of the interpreting job and the types and amount of reference materials the customer can provide for the job that helps the interpreter prepare and thus provide good quality services On the basis of this information, the Project Manager defines the personal and technical (interpreting equipment) requirements of the job Interpreting Equipment If the customer so wishes, our company can provide interpreting equipment for conference interpreting The equipment can be installed anywhere in the country, and we will also provide the necessary technical personnel Administration of the Interpreting Process MULTI-LINGUA, Inc has at its disposal an integrated software system that records and tracks the whole interpreting process and the related accounting and financial tasks Our Project Managers record the following in the database of the system: orders and all related data the details of the subcontracting agreement concluded with the interpreter the scheduling of partial deliveries and final deliveries the professional and financial completion of the process: proof of completion, sending of the invoice, archiving, etc The necessary information: a clear and definite description of the professional field of the interpretation job interpreter The interpreter must have some background knowledge about it The following are some common names in abbreviation : World Bank WB European Union EU Asian Development Bank ADB World Trade Organization WTO World Health Organization WHO International Monetary Fund IMF United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO Food and Agriculture Organization FAO Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC b Symbols A symbol is something such as an object, picture, written word, sound, or particular mark that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention Symbols are quicker and easier to write than words Similar to abbreviations, firstly, symbols need to be prepared in advance Any symbol improvised in the middle of interpretation could drive the interpreter into a difficult and intense situation One basic rule for the interpreter: only use the symbols which are already stuck in the mind Secondly, symbols must be consistent That means symbols are instantly associated for the interpreter himself with the meaning he gives them Attending to this point, the interpreter can avoid mistakenly "deciphering" the meaning of the symbols he or she uses See some sample symbols as follows; ,,■ Note arrangement a Diagonal Layout It would seem that whenever the question of how to take notes arises, a technique named “diagonal presentation" would come up Diagonal presentation was introduced by Rozan in 1956 Also regarded as vertical arrangement, diagonal has been widely used by professional interpreters The creation of diagonal layout is based on the fact that subject, verb and object are the most important elements of a sentence which contain nearly all information or meaning of the sentence, then they should be clearly represented in notes Applying this technique, the subject, verb and object are arranged diagonally, from left to right and from top to bottom of a page However it does not mean that the interpreter only notes the subject, verb and object 11 elements Based on the structure, the interpreter can add other details in the notes if he or she wants Diagonal layout is highly recommended because of its clear presentation of notes Notes in diagonal arrangement are concise and succinct; focusing on ideas rather than words, unlike notes in horizontal form which often tempt the interpreter to write as many words as possible Diagonal layout is also called- "decalage" which is translated into English as "shifting", figuratively referring to "gap" or "discrepancy" According to Rozan, "shift means writing notes in the place on a lower line where they would have appealed had the text on the line above been repeated" b Left-hand margin The way in which ideas are connected to each other is as important as the ideas themselves, In terms of meaning, idea is a single unit It is only when they are linked together that a complete message is formed Thus the crucial role of the links between ideas is never denied As mentioned above, one of the most major elements that must be reflected in notes is the link In other words, the interpreter when taking notes cannot afford lo ignore "link words", for instance: therefore, consequently, nevertheless, as a result, on the other hand, however, but, or, and, yet etc There is already diagonal layout for ideas to be put in logical order, then there should be some spaces "dedicated to" the links only It is best to leave a left-hand margin of one or two centimetres for links to make sure that they are not confused with the other parts in notes Obviously left-hand margin will make links stand out and easy to identify That is the reason why a left-hand margin is frequently found in the notes of professional consecutive interpreters Furthermore, a left-hand column is ideal for marking missing ideas or denoting any change in the flow of speech When to take note An interpreter should know when to take notes It is a very important and also tough decision that requires the interpreter to arrive at properly and wisely Interpreters should start the notes as soon as possible without having to wait for a complete "unit of meaning" Therefore, when (he interpreter can sense the meaning of a sentence which might has not been completed, he or she should note it down Here the interpreter has the ability to "forecast" or "feel" upcoming things Besides the interpreter is not required to take everything exactly the same way as the speaker, his or her notes are not presented in exact order as they were said by the speaker, so there is no need for the interpreter to wait until the speaker finishes an utterance to take note It is also worth mentioning that as soon as speakers finish their utterances, the interpreter should stop taking notes instantly and start reproducing ideas If the interpreter is too preoccupied with notes, he or she will delay the interpretation, which is not wanted The interpreter cannot afford to take longer than the speaker He or she is expected to react immediately after the speaker has finished 12 NOTE! - Start as soon as possible, arrange the notes later with various symbols or signs when having understood the whole ideas - Only take notes during the speech, stop noting when the speaker finishes the speech - Avoid being left behind; adjust between timing and note-taking - When anticipating that numbers or lists are going to be presented, the interpreter needs to be highly attentive to the speech to note down the numbers and lists Languages used to take note The question of consecutive interpreters' choice of language for their notes is still open for debate A large volume of literature and research papers have been written on the issue There are diverse opinions about which language should be used in notes by the interpreter: the source language or the target language The source language means the language in which a speech is made in the original, and from which an interpretation is to be made The target language is the language into which a speech spoken in another language is to be interpreted An ideal "language-independent system" for note-taking was proposed by Matyssek However, up to now, this suggestion has not come into reality for the reason that such "complicated system of ciphers" would definitely place a big burden on the interpreter's memory Except for Matyssek, most writers about note-taking in consecutive interpreting tend to adopt one of two contrasting positions: some advocate the use of the target language, e.g Herbert 1952; Rozan 1956; Seleskovitch 1957; Dejean Le Feal 1981; Laplace 1990 while others like'llg 1988; Alexieva 1993; Gile 1995 argue that the source language may be a better choice (as cited in Dam,) Those who recommend using the target language basically have two reasons: first, the target language logically forces the interpreter to put aside the surface form of the incoming speech, instead, to concentrate on the meaning layer, that means the interpreter can avoid "intellectual laziness", following the speaker and noting their words passively; second, taking notes in the target language is thought to effectively facilitate the re-expression phase For others who doubt the benefits of using the target language for taking notes defend their point of view that writing notes in the target language, the interpreter has more activities to deal with during listening, understanding and analyzing phase The activity of language transformation from the source into the target makes the interpreter's concentration divided Moreover, taking notes in the target language, the interpreter cannot have "a full set of notes at the end of a speech" as he takes notes in the source language However, some recent findings from a research paper conducted by Hellen V Dam have showed that "the choice of language in note-taking is governed by mainly the status of the language in the interpreters' language combination, i.e whether it is an A-language or B-language (Alanguage is also called mother tongue and B-language is the language of which the interpreter 13 has perfect mastery), and much less than by its status in the interpreting task, i.e whether it functions as the source language or the target language" This would seem to be true because in an attempt to save processing capacity for other requirements throughout the whole process of note-taking, the interpreter is likely to take notes in whichever language is easier Obviously, writing in the first language (A-language) is always faster and easier than writing in another language (B-language) which is not mother tongue Practice Exercise 1: Write the notes for the following sentences I went to the store and bought oranges, which were huge, apples, pears, and bananas Then I went home to the laundry, sweep, mop and wash the dishes I bought meat, rice, and vegetables Then I went home and cooked the meat, which my wife loves I needed to see the bathrooms, the bedrooms, the kitchen, which is very important, and the living room so I could get an idea of the market I will buy a house by Jan of next year Exercise 2: Write the complete sentences from the following notes a 14 b Suggested answer: 1.And today? The changes, even since 1973, when Britain entered the European Economic Community, are remarkable "Over the course of 1954, prices rose, although not to the same extent as income, thus the population's net income increased." 15 Lesson OTHER HELPFUL SKILLS ATTRIBUTED FOR INTERPRETING Listening Skill What is listening? “Listening is the activity of paying attention to what speakers say and trying to work out what they mean.” (Underwood, 1989) There is a distinction between just hearing the words and listening for understanding When interpreters listen effectively they work to understand what the speaker is thinking and feeling According lo Jones (2002: 5-6), a consecutive interpreter "listens to the totally of a speaker's comment, or at least a significant passage, and then reconstitutes the speech with the help of notes taking while listening; the interpreter is thus speaking consecutively to the original speaker, hence the name" Thus, Listening is one of the main skills that have to be mastered by a good consecutive interpreter As what has been explained before, Listening Phase is the first phase to in consecutive interpreting Listening is an activity of paying attention to what speaker say and trying to work out what they mean Listening requires full focus, engagement involvement and comprehension If comprehension is incomplete, interpreting will not be complete either; it will not be a success interpreting as comprehension of the entire meaning is the first condition of interpreting Sample Activity 1: Active Listening Write down three to five sentences in a paragraph that describes your morning In pairs, one will be the speaker and one will be the listener The speaker will read their paragraph When the speaker stops, the listener states what he or she thinks the speaker said This allows the speaker to find out whether the listener really understood If the listener did not, the speaker can restate it again After the listener is able to restate the information correctly, the activity will be repeated with the first listener becoming the speaker Sample Activity 2: Listening for Understanding and Content A) Listen carefully to the speaker (facilitator) reading a paragraph and answer the following question: What is the speaker trying to say? (What is the main idea?) Listen to the paragraph again This time, answer the following questions: What is the speaker talking about? What is the speaker’s tone? What is the speaker’s opinion about the subject? What information does the speaker use to support her beliefs? 16 B) Listen carefully to the speaker (facilitator) reading a paragraph and answer the following questions What is the speaker talking about? What is the speaker’s main concern? What suggestions does the speaker offer? Try to explain what the speaker said in one or two short sentences (Imagine that you are telling this to a friend who just walked in your room and has not heard the information.) The sentence should capture as much as possible Public Speaking Skill 'Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively." - Gerald R Ford Public speaking is a process, an act and an art of making a speech before an audience Absolutely everyone from the age of 10 to 90 has found themselves in situations where they have had to speak publically However, telling an anecdote at a corporate party, introducing yourself in class or delivering a paper at a conference does not necessarily make you a public speaker It is not enough to talk in front of a group of people to be a brilliant public speaker Your goal should not be limited with informing your audience or expressing your thoughts publically but to changing emotions, actions, and attitudes, and to leaving your listeners moved by the words and touched by their meaning The importance of this final phase of interpreting resides in the fact that it leads directly to the final product of the process, i.e the target speech It is this speech that reflects the outcome of the first two phases of the process and shows whether they have been carried out appropriately or not When producing the target text, the interpreter must display the utmost fluency as if he were expressing his own ideas naturally and spontaneously in the TL Over and above (this knowledge of TL words, expressions and formulaic transfers, the interpreter must possess textual competence in this language, he must be able to produce texts Incomplete sentences which not make sense, and likewise complete sentences which are totally disconnected and isolated from one another, not serve the purpose of interpreting Improving your ability to speak in front of others and learning to talk about who you are and what you with natural grace and authenticity can go a long way in expanding your social circle, building strong relationships with successful, like-minded people and making new friends Other personal benefits of public speaking include: • Increased self-confidence • Improved communication skills • Increased organizational skills • Greater social influence • Enhanced ability to listen 17 • • • • • Greater possibility of meeting new people Lesser anxiety and fear when speaking in front of others Improved memory Enhanced persuasion ability Greater control over emotions and body language Typical fears and how to overcomes fears in Public Speaking: * Typical Fears: o o o o o o Pounding heart Dry mouth Shaky hands Quivering voice Cold sweaty palms Stomach cramps * How to overcomes fears in Public Speaking o Deep breathing Such strong emotions as anxiety and fear trigger in your body very specific "fight or flight" response: your muscles tighten your heart rate increases, your blood pressure goes up and your breathing becomes shallow While this physical reaction may be helpful in escaping danger it is hardly helpful during the presentation (as you can neither run away from your audience, nor fight with it) However, since your breathing rate is directly connected to your emotional reaction, the fastest and easiest way to take your emotions under control and regain confidence is through deep breathing Whether you are to talk to potential clients or make a presentation to your team, make sure that you remember to breathe deeply and evenly before and during your speech 18 o Shifting focus outwards Paul L Witt, PhD, assistant professor of communication studies at Texas Christian University, believes that many people perform worse than they could because they locus too much on their physical symptoms (i.e butterflies, shaky hands, sweaty palms) and on their embarrassment instead of concentrating on their breathing and their speech This problem could be easily avoided by shifting focus from how we feel or look to the message we want to share with our audience o Visualizing Visualization or mental rehearsal has been routinely used by many top athletes as a part of the training for a competition In addition to athletics, research has shown that visualization helps to improve performance in such areas as communication, public speaking and education To ensure that your presentation goes smoothly, aside from actual preparation and the rehearsal of your speech, take 10-15 minutes a day to relax, close your eyes and visualize the room you are speaking in, the people in the auditorium and yourself confidently delivering your speech, smiling, and moving across the stage o Focusing on facts, not fears Instead of focusing on irrational fears (e.g mind going blank, audience getting bored) concentrate your thoughts on positive facts such as: "I have practiced my speech many times" "I am an expert on this topic", "1 have notes with major bullet points to keep the structure of my talk" Focusing on positive facts and on what you can offer takes your thoughts away from irrational scenarios about what can go wrong o Building your speech on clarity, not complexity While it is often tempting to include as much useful information in your speech as possible, practice shows that this might not be a good idea Organizing the speech or presentation around two three main points, allows you to relax and not worry so much about running out of time or forgetting to mention something important to the listeners 19 Lesson 6- PRESENTATION SKILLS (Interpreting conversation, dialogue) Not all of the principles of good public speaking will apply to consecutive interpreting but many and there are hundreds of books and websites on how to speak well in public - just type "public speaking" into Google for example Below is just one example taken from the Observer newspaper in the UK Take a few simple steps to avoid the squeaky voice syndrome that is associated with inexperienced speakers 'When you get rid of tension, your voice becomes more powerful,' says Maxina Pattison of London-based Corporate Voice Communications Standing in the right way will encourage your body to relax.' Shrug your shoulders out,' she adds 'Get your neck released, stand centred, avoid locking your knees and don't thrust your hips forward.' Give some thought to your voice, and consider some training if you are going to a lot of public speaking Margaret Thatcher's voice got deeper - a sign of authority in a male-dominated world - when she became Prime Minister Few people make it to the top if they speak in a highpitched gabble In a less male business world, deep voices are losing some of their cachet: a voice that can express emotion and range is, in reality, a bigger asset than a Barry White imitation Start getting practice in making the odd short speech You are better off having your first attack of nerves asking a question in a departmental meeting than when you suddenly have to address a conference Knowing how to say 'a few words' is a confidence booster for anyone Many people who say they will never speak in public are, effectively, limiting their career to the bottom rung Make your speech sound spontaneous Apart from the occasional star, most people need to plan carefully You get extra brownie points if you speak without notes, but you then need a firm structure Your performance can be raised several notches if you practise and almost know your script by heart Try to gear what you are saying to the audience People nod off in pews when they not relate to the sermon At the other end of the spectrum, Bob Monkhouse is still a highly popular business speaker, not least because he learns the names of the executives in each company he address so he can weave them into his jokes Keep your speeches short and remember you have to entertain Gordon Brown's Budget speech on Wednesday is not likely to produce belly laughs, but most other politicians (particularly William Hague, a first-rate speaker) will start, finish and embellish their addresses with jokes 20 You have to let your audience know that you are on their side You help keep them awake by giving opportunities to laugh, applaud, raise their hands or boo their enemies 21 Lesson PRESENTATION SKILLS - Interpreting liaisons, speeches Definition of Liaison Liaison interpreting is a very common form of interpreting and takes place in a range of different situations ranging from very formal contexts, such as business or talks between heads of state to less formal situations such as work visits, parties or even casual conversation between people who not share the same language Besides, Liaison interpreting is a facilitation work The interpreter finds for each situation the best way to establish fluid and harmonious communication between the parties Sensibility, perception, top-notch communication and interpersonal skills are paramount to a quality liaison, greatly contributing to the parties’ fruitful negotiation Liaison interpreting involves relaying what is spoken to one, between two, or among many people This can be done after a short speech, or consecutively, sentence-by-sentence, or as a whispering; aside from notes taken at the time, no equipment is used The liaison interpreter has access only to a partial view of texture and structure, both of which would be unfolding piece meal in the two way exchange In this case, context would seem to be the main resource which the interpreter draws on in the task of maintaining the continuity of the exchange (Hatim and Mason, 1997:41) Liaison interpreting is most needed for: -Business meetings – Business trips – Meetings and visits – Trade fairs – Interviews – Notaries, Law Courts, Police Stations, Lawyers Offices 2.4 The differences of Consecutive, Simultaneous and Liaison Liaison A liaison interpreter acts as an intermediary between two people, or small groups of people, who speak different languages and who often come from different cultures The interpreter must be familiar with the subject being discussed It is rather a spontaneous and flexible type of interpreting used to facilitate communication Unlike consecutive interpreting, the speaker during liaison interpretation uses short phrases or sentences This means that he must take breaks long enough for the interpreter to provide 22 translation in targeted language without notes and without the risk of omitting any details or distorting the meaning of the primary information Due to the high level of accuracy and the conditions of liaison interpreting it is mostly used everywhere, where high attention to details is required, for example in court during the hearing of witnesses or experts and wherever it is difficult to take notes or where the speech is accompanied by a presentation It can be also useful during legal consultation, guest relations and business or diplomatic meetings Simultaneous Simultaneous interpreting, as the name would suggest, occurs in close time proximity to the speech of the original speaker It is provided continuously and in a smooth and consistent flow Simultaneous interpreting, also sometimes referred to as conference interpreting, requires specialized equipment (headsets or earpieces for the audience) as well as control units and soundproof booths for the interpreters This is the form of interpreting used at the UN and most international organizations as well as most major international conferences and business meetings Simultaneous interpretation is normally used at multi-lingual conferences It is important to know that simultaneous interpretation is so strenuous that no interpreter should work for more than 30 minutes in one go This means that simultaneous interpreters always work in teams of two, or, depending on the length of the conference and the complexity of the topic, three colleagues Consecutive Consecutive interpreting is employed mainly during meetings between reduced numbers of participants Without headphones, the consecutive interpreter takes notes and interprets the speakers’ orations when the speaker finishes speaking or pauses In consecutive interpreting, speeches, or parts of them, may vary between five to twenty minutes Consecutive interpretation means that the interpreter takes notes while the speaker is talking – although the speaking time should not exceed 15 minutes After the speaker has finished his or her contribution, the interpreter will render this part of the speech in the other language Apart from a notepad, a pen and, if applicable, a microphone, no technical equipment is needed for consecutive interpretation This mode of interpreting can be used, for example, for negotiations or receptions where the conference host does not want to set up an interpreting booth 23 REFERENCES Hung, Nguyen Quoc (2007), Interpreting Techniques, English-Vietnamese, Vietnamese English, Ho Chi Minh Publishing House Newmark, Peter (1988), A Textbook of Translation, Prentice Hall Vân, Hoàng Văn (2006), Translation: Theory and Practice, NXB Giáo dục Yến, Nguyễn Thành (2008), Thực hành Phiên dịch Anh – Việt, Việt – Anh, NXB Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh Tuấn, Nguyễn Văn (2011), Giáo trình Theory of Translation and Interpretation 24 ...INTRODUCTION This interpreting course is designed to meet students needs of English in their training course at the Department of Foreign Languages, Quang Binh University The purpose of this course... the source text Interpreting is the transformation of a source text, either in oral or sign or even written form, from one language into a target language Interpreting a sourcelanguage text, interpreters... "the choice of language in note-taking is governed by mainly the status of the language in the interpreters' language combination, i.e whether it is an A -language or B -language (Alanguage is