Browsing by Author "Gambrell, Simone Eden"

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    Crafting an effective test : devising a model of aptitude testing for interpreter training
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Gambrell, Simone Eden; Lesch, H. M.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Afrikaans and Dutch.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Until very recently within the South African context, interpreting has carried a fairly low status, which could be attributed to the belief that any bilingual person, with or without training, has the ability to act as an interpreter. Remnants of this belief are still visible today and it can further be said that interpreting lacks recognition. Furthermore, the lack of professionalisation of the field means that unqualified but bilingual individuals can apply for and attain a role as an interpreter, whether they have the necessary skills or not. As a result, this contributes to lowering the overall quality of the interpreting profession. Therefore, it can be concluded that the proper selection, and training, of interpreting candidates would ensure that they meet all essential requirements and are fully prepared to face any professional assignment they might encounter. Aptitude tests for entrance to training courses may thus be a step on the path to improving interpreting quality and strengthening the professionalisation of the field. As a result, this study aimed to design a comprehensive, custom-made aptitude test for interpreting, relevant for the South African context, which can be used in practice to differentiate between those students who have the ability to succeed as interpreters and those who do not, in order to ultimately improve the quality of the professional field of interpreting. This aim was accomplished through a qualitative research design. First, a review of the available literature on interpreter aptitude testing was done, which produced a list of 18 aptitude tests. Yet, a further analysis showed that only eight of these tests had been proven to reliably predict aptitude for interpreting. Secondly, online surveys and in-person, semi-structured interviews were utilised to gather the opinions of interpreter trainers and potential interpreting students. The trainers were asked, among other questions, which cognitive and personality traits they would wish to test for in prospective students. The students, on the other hand, were asked, among other questions, to rate their confidence in successfully completing the different available aptitude tests on a Likert scale. Through this data, it was found that there is a need for aptitude testing for the training of interpreting students in South Africa, and that both trainers and students advocated its use. Moreover, it was possible to determine the most effective aptitude tests from among those that are available and, furthermore, those that would be easy to administer and complete, so as to properly test the desired trait and not a candidate’s test-taking abilities. In addition, there were various constraints on the eight proven interpreter aptitude tests, including skills to be tested for, ease of administration and completion, time allotted, fairness of the tests, ethics in administrating the tests, and cultural awareness. By factoring in these concerns, the eight tests were further narrowed down until a comprehensive model of aptitude testing, relevant for the South African context, was crafted. The administration of these tests was described with accompanying examples.