An Empirical Study On The Improvements Made By Multimodal Discourse Materials In Shadowing Practice And Retelling

This empirical study aims to testify that materials with multimodal discourse improve the performance in shadowing practice and retelling without notes for simultaneous interpreting.The author of this dissertation conducted the experiment with multimodal discourse materials in the constructivist learning environment(CLE)on the two training processes.The experiment involves two training task-shadowing practice and retelling.Shadowing practice aims to develop the ability of the split of attention,i.e.to listen,to analyze and to speak simultaneously;while retelling without notes targets in improving short-term memories.The student interpreters,conducting the trainings with mono-modal discourse materials,i.e.audio materials takesingle channel as information input.In the empirical study,the trainings are carried out with video and audio materials.Two groups of experiment participants are composed by the students from Sichuan International Studies University.Students in Group A are trained with the audio materials,while those who are in Group B are trained with the multimodal discourse materials,i.e.video materials.Data gained in each test in the experiment is calculated and processed by SPSS,therefore the result of which is convincible.The significant result proves the hypothesis that video materials,i.e.materials with multimodal discourse contribute to the interpreting beginners’ performance in shadowing practice and retelling without notes.The study,from the perspective of multimodal discourse,verifies the improvement made by multimodal discourse materials based onboth audio and visual input in shadowing practice and retelling.The results prove the application of multimodal discourse materials in the experiment facilitate the training efficiency of simultaneous interpreting.Implications of the study enlighten the pedagogyforinterpreters’ further studies in simultaneous interpreting.