A Schema-Theoretic View Of The Role Of Background Knowledge In C-E Simultaneous Interpreting

Schema was first brought up by German philosopher Kant in1732, referring to a category to a sense impression through time. Later, it found its use is cognitive psychology. It describes an organized pattern of thought or behavior that organizes categories of information and the relationships among them. Schemata influence attention and the absorption of new knowledge. Schemata can help in understanding the world and the rapidly changing environment. The modern Schema Theory has been applied to reading, listening, teaching, and translation, etc.Simultaneous Interpreting (SI) is an arduous job that requires multi-tasking ability. With the further liberalization of China’s financial sector, SI in the financial area will be more popular and demanding. This thesis focuses on the role of background knowledge on Chinese-English SI performance. Based on Schema Theory, the thesis looks at whether interpreters’SI quality changes along with the background knowledge in speech content.Thus, the thesis forms its two hypotheses. Hypothesis1:Special knowledge in original speech affects SI processing ability and delivery quality. More special knowledge causes difficulties in delivering good quality. Hypothesis2:Background knowledge about the subject matter influences the interpreters’ comprehension of the original speech and expression. More background knowledge leads to the easier comprehension, more simultaneous interpreting skills and better expression in output. This empirical study formed by12MIT students will points to some academic and practical implication of schema theory in simultaneous interpreting.