Sight translation as an
assessment tool
Yvonne Fowler
Centre for Forensic Linguistics
Aston University
Programme
• Describe Gile’s (1995) interpreting and sight
translation models
• Differences between interpreting and sight
translation
• Using sight translation as an assessment tool
• Sight translator behaviour
• Examples and discussion
Gile, D. (1995) Basic Concepts and Models for
Interpreter and Translator Training
The concept of “Effort” in
interpreting
• Interpreters have a limited supply of
processing capacity
• Interpreters have to learn to manage that
supply so that they do not run out of
capacity
Gile’s Effort Model for
(consecutive) interpreting:
Phase 1: L + N + M + C (the Listening
and Note-taking phase)
• The Listening and Analysis or Comprehension
Effort (L)
• The Note-taking Effort (N)
• Short term memory operations (M)
• The Co-ordination Effort (C)
Phase 2: Rem + read + P (the speech
production phase)
• Remembering (Rem)
• Note-reading (Read)
• Production(P)
The Effort Model
Phase 1: L + N + M + C
Phase 2: Rem + read + P
The Listening and Analysis Effort
• Understanding the underlying logic of each
sentence (but 100% comprehension is not
mandatory)
• Goes beyond mere word recognition
• Based on anticipation and probability in
speech
The Note taking Effort
• It is paced by the speaker, but notes can be
in any form to help the interpreter
• Notes can occasionally be dispensed with
• This releases capacity for production
The Memory Effort
• Associated with the moment that
information is heard and the moment it is
written down, or between the moment it is
heard and the interpreter decides not to
write it down
The Co-ordination Effort
• The Effort required to manage Listening
and Analysis, Note-taking and Memory
Efforts simultaneously
• The Effort required to move from the
Memory Effort to phase 2, the REM + READ
+ P.
Phase 2: the speech production phase
The Remembering Effort
• The Effort devoted to recalling successive
parts of the original speech
The Reading Effort
• Reading the interpreter’s notes, which, if
effective, can reduce Remembering
processing requirements
The Production Effort
• The output part of interpreting
• Consists of the whole process from mental
representation of the message to speech
planning and the performance of the
speech plan
• Focus on meaning not words
Differences between ST and
interpreting
Listening/Analysis Effort
Reading Effort
Production Effort
Production Effort
Memory Effort
No Memory Effort
Other differences
• Not paced by source language speaker
• No help from vocal indications
• Listening/Analysis Effort is limited by need
to read and segment into translation units
simultaneously
• Output must be smooth
• Difficulty with long embedded clauses
More differences
• Written texts have greater density than
unrehearsed speech
• Higher probability of interference because
source text is visible to speaker
• No resort to glossaries or dictionaries
• Some features of written text must be
rendered orally (punctuation/layout)
Qualities of a good sight
translator
• Ability to retrieve information stored in
long term memory
• Familiarity with terminology
• Ability to focus on meaning not words
• Ability to analyse text quickly
• Excellent reading and comprehension skills
• Ability to make inferences
And also…….
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Intuition
Imagination
Agility of mind
Flexibility
Resourcefulness
Self control
Ability to keep calm
1. Attitude to task
•
•
•
•
•
Flustered ?
Hesitant ?
Unwilling to try ?
Gives up easily ?
Doesn’t finish
sentences ?
• Looks very worried ?
• Keeps calm
• Reasonably smooth
delivery
• Willing to have a go
• Finishes sentences
• Looks relaxed
• Makes mistakes but
makes sense
2. Resourcefulness
• No strategies to fall
back on
• Cannot deal with
unfamiliar words or
terms: falls silent
• Does not use own
knowledge to fill gaps
• Makes mistakes but
makes use of a range
of coping strategies
• Deduces meaning
from context clues
• Has good general
knowledge and uses it
effectively
3. Self-monitoring
• No awareness of a
listener
• No attempt to render
text coherently in the
target language
• Cannot monitor own
output
• Renders text with
reader in mind
• Output has mistakes
but can easily be
understood
• Shows ability to self
correct
4. Grammar and language
interference
• Is not aware of
differences in
languages
• Follows grammatical
order of source
language
• Cannot think in target
language
• Can see beyond the
sentence being
translated; is aware of
next sentence
• Is creative and does not
follow grammatical order
of source text
• Tries to render meaning
of ST and not words
Extracts
• Extract 1
• Extract 2
• Extract 3
Yvonne Fowler
Centre for Forensic Linguistics
Aston University
fowlerya@aston.ac.uk