A Tentative Model Of Listening Training In Consecutive Interpreting

Interpreting is an ancient skill that is indispensable in cross-national, cross-cultural and cross-border exchanges in human history. In contemporary China, the deepening of reform and opening up has witnessed the escalating contacts with the rest of the world. Since China has already established cooperation with more and more countries, international and regional organizations on economy, trade, culture, education, etc., the demand for language talents, especially those who are competent in interpreting between English and Chinese is on the increase. In order to meet the huge demand, the interpreting teaching in universities and training institutions enjoys vigorous development. The thesis bases the research on consecutive interpreting (CI), the most widely used form of interpreting in foreign exchanges, from the angle of interpreting training. The author of this thesis proposes a tentative model of listening training so as to help English learners improve listening skills in consecutive interpreting as CI beginners. The whole thesis falls into six chapters:Chapter One generally introduces the current situation of interpreter training in China, the significance and the structure of the thesis.Chapter Two briefly reviews the previous literature on CI listening. Mainly guided by the schema theory, the previous researches were chiefly carried out from three perspectives:the cognitive study of the comprehension and memory processes in the listening phase, the summary of obstacles to listening for interpreting and the coping tactics, the exploration of training approaches to CI listening.Chapter Three lays theoretical foundation for the research. The Paris School put forward the Interpretive Theory of Translation and claimed that interpreting in essence is to transfer the deverbalised ideas (sense), not to translate languages; Gile’s theory of Effort Model makes the listening training in CI possible. The renowned interpreting training models in China, Xiada Model and3P model, inspire and support the upcoming exploration.Chapter Four firstly analyzes the disparities between listening in CI and in Language Learning from seven aspects, namely, motivation, incoming language, listening strategy, focus, memory, information processing and purpose of training. Then the author points out the problems encountered in CI listening by language learners summarized from an interview survey among the new members of the Interpretation Team. The problems are attention imbalance, lack of information processing, memory failure, negative influence by strange words, accent, word speed, and incompetence in note-taking.Chapter Five begins with the analysis of the working process of the interpreter and the trend of information in the same listening phase, and then explores a new model of listening training in CI—the BMPS Model. The Model is skill-oriented, which combines three sub-skill training (Attention Balance, Memory and Information Processing) and Interpreting Simulation. The Model views the sub-skill training as the basis, and the simulation as the assessment. The following part elaborates the methods in each skill training of the model and some extra points with abundant examples.Chapter Six summarizes the whole thesis and evaluates the BMPS Model. The Model can provide some suggestions for trainee interpreters as well as relevant colleges and training institutions. However, the tentative model hasn’t been testified for effectiveness yet due to time and condition constraints, and the training methods are never exhaustive. Better-designed and more efficient training models are still to be developed.