Information Processing In Simultaneous Interpretation-From The Perspective Of IP Theories

This thesis tries to explore simultaneous interpretation (SI) from the perspective of information-processing theories, which have favored complex multi-stage serial accounts with an allowance for the overlapping operation of some processes, emphasizing the limits on overall capacity shared between distinct processes variously described as listening (or decoding), analysis (converting, rehearsing), storage, and reconstitution (recoding, production).Chapter 1 is an introduction to simultaneous conference interpretation and SI studies, which has been pursued according to two different agendas, one is the interpretive theory (IT) of the Paris school, while the other is the IP theories adopted by cognitive psychologists. Additionally, it makes a brief description of the interpreting process.Chapter 2 examines the early studies on temporal and surface variables. Early studies compared the delivery patterns of SI input and output, measuring fluency, pausing, and the lag between the two streams (ear-voice span, EVS), and comparing linguistic structures, in order to discover the mechanism of simultaneity. This chapter is divided into 5 parts, namely, measuring synchronicity, ear-voice span (EVS) or"lag", segmentation and processing units, speech rates and error analysis. This chapter also introduces two experiments conducted respectively by David Gerver on the effects of source language presentation rate on the performance of simultaneous conference interpreters, and by Frieda Goldman-Eisler on segmentation of input in simultaneous interpretation. Both of the experiments shed some light on the information processing of SI, testing the factors such as different speech rates and how segmentation is implemented during interpretation.Gerver draws the conclusion of an information-handling system which is subject to overload if required to carry out more complex processes at too fast a rate and copes with overload by reaching a steady rate of throughput at the expense of an increase in errors and omissions. There is evidence that attention is shared within this system between the input message, processes involved in interpreting previous message, and the monitoring of feedback from current output. Under normal conditions, attention can be shared between these processes, but when the total capacity of the system is exceeded, less attention can be paid to either input or output if interpretation is to proceed at all. Hence, less material is available for recall for interpretation, and more omissions and uncorrected errors in output will occur.Chapter 3 examines processing operations and strategies in the simultaneous interpretation. Simultaneous interpreting is a complex cognitive process. The individual steps in problem-solving (processing of segments) can be divided into component operations which must occur in a certain sequence and in a predetermined time frame. Each component operation has an impact on the overall solution, because the output of one data-processing stage serves as the input condition for the next one. The results of problem-solving operations are determined by the efficiency of the strategies employed. Strategies indicate which decisions must be taken in a given situation or in view of certain probabilities so as to reach a goal within a behavioral plan. SI strategies determine, among other things, decisions on the timing of the start of processing operations (segmentation), decisions to delay operations or keep data (parts of segments) available, decisions concerning the types of necessary operations (information selection and reduction), and decision concerning processing speed and the overall load sustainable at a given time.Chapter 4 examines the IP models of the SI studies and apart from that, the effort model by Daniel Gile. Gile emphasizes the difficulties and efforts involved in the SI task and the strategies needed to overcome them, observing that many failures occur in the absence of any visible difficulty due to environmental conditions, terminology, the Speaker's line of reasoning or syntactic complexity. In line with models of the mind as a limited-capacity information channel, Gile assumes that most of the cognitive processes involved in SI compete for resources, and that the difficulties of SI stem from the pressure of time, the interpreter's short"horizon"in terms of segments available for processing, and the need to divide attention.Chapter 5 gives a summary of the IP theory, pointing out its significance and limitation in SI studies. Furthermore, it explains how the IP theories and the Effort Model by Gile may be effective in helping students to understand the difficulties in interpretation and to analyze interpretation strategies and tactics advocated by teachers.