Conference Interpreting In Malaysia: A Study On Users, Interpreters, And Clients’ Quality Expectations

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Date
2016-03
Authors
Amini, Mansour
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Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
Conference interpreting needs to be explored thoughtfully to obtain optimum quality in Malaysian setting. Expectations of users, interpreters, and clients are explored by a questionnaire-based survey adapted from Zwischenberger & Pöchhacker (2010), Bühler (1986), and Moser’s (1995) studies in this thesis. The objectives of the study are producing users, interpreters, and clients’ profile; identifying their expectations of interpreting quality and any significant difference between those expectations based on gender, conference typology, age, experience, first-language, and educational level; determining the key problems that conference interpreters encounter; and putting forward suggestions for improving quality. In line with Translation theories that emphasise the function and purpose (Scopos) of translation, the core of the study is the users’ data. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of questionnaires from 256 users, 42 clients and 11 interpreters suggest that different groups have different expectations, and expectations of an individual from the same group might be different from the expectations of the others. Interpreters attach the utmost importance to linguistic criteria. Users believe knowledge and skills, adapting with the speaker’s speed, and time constraints are the most problematic aspects in conference interpreting. Interpreters have higher expectations than clients, and users have lower expectations than clients. Expectations of non-Malaysian, Englishspeaking and older users are higher than expectations of Malaysian users, speakers of other languages and younger users. Users, interpreters, and clients’ most important suggestions to improve quality of interpreting are associated with the quality criteria. The researcher calls for taking further notice of contextual features, in addition to the linguistic issues that have been pursued in quality research.
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Interpreters
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