Does formal training in translation/interpreting affect translation strategy? Evidence from idiom translation

Abstract

This study examined whether training in translation/interpretation leads to a reliance on a ‘vertical’ translation strategy in which the source language text is comprehended before the message is reformulated. Students of translation/interpreting and untrained bilinguals were given an idiom translation judgment task with literal (form and meaning) or figurative equivalents (meaning only). Dependent measures included the time taken to comprehend the first presented sentence and the accuracy and speed of judging if the second presented sentence was a translation of the first sentence. The groups did not differ in their speed of reading the first presented sentence but translation verification times differed by group and translation type: untrained bilinguals were significantly faster at verifying literal than figurative translations while trained bilinguals were equally fast for the two types. The pattern of findings is consistent with the view that training in translation fosters a processing-for-meaning-before reformulating, or vertical, translation strategy.

FácilorA piece of cake: Does variability in bilingual language brokering experience affect idiom comprehension?

“…A similar finding was observed in an idiom translation judgment study that compared Chinese-English bilingual students who were formally trained in translation/interpretation with untrained bilinguals (Tzou et al, 2017). Students with formal translation experience were significantly faster in verifying translations, in either language, compared to bilinguals without such training, and were equally fast at judging literal and non-literal idiom translations (Tzou et al, 2017). A similar pattern of results was found on an idiom translation judgment task conducted with brokers and non-brokers (Vaid & López, 2014).…”

“…This study suggests that translation experience facilitates phrase-level semantic processing across languages, regardless of whether the phrase has a literal or non-literal interpretation. A similar finding was observed in an idiom translation judgment study that compared Chinese-English bilingual students who were formally trained in translation/interpretation with untrained bilinguals (Tzou et al, 2017). Students with formal translation experience were significantly faster in verifying translations, in either language, compared to bilinguals without such training, and were equally fast at judging literal and non-literal idiom translations (Tzou et al, 2017).…”

“…Relatedly, there is a body of work examining the cognitive impact of formal training in translation or interpretation, within the framework of expertise effects. These studies have compared professional interpreters or students with formal training in translation/interpretation with untrained bilinguals or monolinguals in shadowing, paraphrasing, or translation in relation to the role of the two brain hemispheres (e.g., Green, Schweda Nicholson, Vaid, White & Steiner, 1990; Green, Vaid, Schweda Nicoholson, White, & Steiner, 1994;), translation directionality effects (Christoffels, de Groot & Kroll, 2006; Garcia, Ibanez, Huepe, Houck, Michon, Lezama, Chadha & Rivera-Rei, 2014; Tzou, Eslami, Chen & Vaid, 2012), translation strategy (preference for a meaning-based versus a form-based translation strategy) (Tzou, Vaid & Chen, 2017), working memory capacity (Christoffels et al, 2006; Tzou et al, 2012), and cognitive control (e.g., Becker, Schubert, Strobach, Gallinat & Kuhn, 2016; Dong & Xie, 2014; Yudes, Macizo & Bajo, 2011). On the whole, this body of work suggests that expertise gained through formal training in translation may differentially influence bilinguals’ language and cognitive processing.…”

Paraphrasing in respeaking – comparing linguistic competence of interpreters, translators and bilinguals

“…It is also applicable as an exercise in introductory and more advanced interpreter training courses (Bartłomiejczyk, 2015;Gillies, 2001;Setton & Dawrant, 2016). Professional interpreters use it as an interpreting strategy (Liontou, 2012) or a reformulation tactic (Gile, 2009) for example to help the interpreter express the source text meaning when lacking the proper term, to express an idea more succinctly or to interpret idioms (Chmiel, 2015;Tzou, Vaid, & Chen, 2016). Anderson (1994) compared the performance of conference interpreters in three tasks:…”

Bilinguals' Plausibility Judgments for Phrases with a Literal vs. Non-literal Meaning: The Influence of Language Brokering Experience

“…A study by Tzou et al ( 2017 ), though not on language brokering per se , is still relevant. In this study, Mandarin-English speakers who had training in formal translation were compared to untrained bilingual counterparts on a translation verification task involving idioms presented in each language.…”