Browsing by Author "Lesch, Harold M."

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    Interpreter training : devising a model for aptitude testing for simultaneous interpreters
    (Department of General Linguistics, Stellenbosch University, 2021) Gambrell, Simone; Lesch, Harold M.
    The proper selection and training of simultaneous 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 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 simultaneous interpreting relevant for the South African context. A further aim for this test was for it to 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 was conducted on the available literature on interpreter aptitude testing. Further analysis showed that only eight of these tests had been proven to reliably predict aptitude for interpreting. Second, 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 were also asked, among other questions, to rate on a Likert scale their confidence in successfully completing the different available aptitude tests. Through this data, it was found that there is a need for aptitude testing for the training of simultaneous interpreting students in South Africa, and that both trainers and students advocated for 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.
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    Die waarde en uitdagings van diensleer vir tolkopleiding : die ervaring van die tolkopleidingsprogram aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch
    (Stellenbosch University, Department of Linguistics, 2014) Lesch, Harold M.
    Die behoefte aan doeltreffende kommunikasie in ʼn samelewing, saam met die taalwerklikhede van die openbare domein, noodsaak dat taaldienslewering in ʼn veeltalige land ʼn prominente rol speel. Gevolglik word die opleiding van professionele tolke aan ons tersiêre instellings noodsaaklik, aangesien die tolkpraktyk in ʼn veeltaligheidskonteks bevorder behoort te word. Tolkopleiers beskou blootstelling aan en ondervinding in die tolkpraktyk as ʼn onmisbare onderdeel van die opleidingsprogram vir beginnertolke. Hierdie artikel is ʼn voorafstudie wat fokus op die interaksie met taalgemeenskappe en diensleer vanuit die perspektief van tolkopleiding. Winston (2005:223) voer aan dat “practicum, service learning, and interacting with community groups all reinforce the underlying understanding that students need […] to learn through interactive, collaborative experiences with others”. Hierdie aktiwiteite is “student-centered learning activities that foster the development of critical thinking, decision-making, and self-assessment that are essential to interpreting effectively and competently” (ibid.). Kritiese denke, etiese besluitneming en selfassessering is kernvaardighede wat studente benodig vir die tolkpraktyk. Volgens die beginsels van gesonde gemeenskapsinteraksie moet diensleer nie as ʼn lukraak aktiwiteit beoefen word waar die studente vrye teuels gegee word nie, maar dit behoort ingebed te wees in ’n akademiese kursus en formeel geassesseer word. Studente behoort op so ʼn wyse na te dink oor die diensleeraktiwiteit dat hulle verdere begrip van en groter waardering vir die dissipline kry, sowel as ʼn verhoogde bewustheid van persoonlike eiewaarde en verantwoordelikheid teenoor die burgerlike samelewing ontwikkel (Bringle en Hatcher 1995:12). Teen hierdie agtergrond ondersoek die artikel die interaksie van die leerlingtolke met die taalgemeenskappe en die rol wat diensleer in hulle opleiding speel. Die diensleer in hierdie konteks is kursusgebaseerd en kredietdraend. Deur die tolkgebeure behoort die studente insgelyks meer kennis te bekom van en ervaring te verkry in die tolkpraktyk, maar ook in die waarde daarvan vir interkulturele kommunikasie. Die bereiking van hierdie uitkomste word beoordeel deur refleksie oor die diensleerervaring van die leerlingtolke. Die metodologie vir hierdie artikel behels ʼn teoretiese verkenning van die veld, ʼn kritiese ondersoek na die studente se ervaring soos deur hulleself opgeteken en laastens ʼn besinning oor die gepaardgaande uitdagings.