English Intermediate Interpretation Qualification Examination Intermediate Spoken Language Course

Author: Yan Chengzhong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-02-01
Features: The "Teaching Series of the Shanghai Shortage Talent Training Project in the 1990s," jointly organized by the Shanghai Municipal People's Government Education and Health Office, the Municipal Adult Education Committee, the Organization Department of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the Municipal Bureau of Personnel, will be published. The compilation and publication of this series of books is one of the basic tasks for implementing the Shanghai Shortage Talent Training Project. It will play a positive role in promoting the cultivation and development of professional and technical talents who can meet the urgent needs of Shanghai's economic construction and social development. The 1990s were a crucial decade for revitalizing Shanghai and developing Pudong. Shanghai aims to become one of the world's leading economic, financial, and trade centers, and the "dragonhead" of the Yangtze River economic belt. This largely depends on whether Shanghai can effectively improve the overall quality of its people and whether it can cultivate and train a large number of multi-level professional and technical talents who are committed to serving Shanghai's economic construction and social development, who understand economics, law, and foreign languages, and who are skilled in management, international competition, and the new order of the socialist market economy. This has become a growing among the people of Shanghai. The current situation of talents in Shanghai is not optimistic, and the contradiction between the demand for economic construction and social development is becoming increasingly prominent. It is concentrated in the following aspects: the gradual establishment of the socialist market economy, the rapid development of export-oriented economy, the continuous rise of emerging industries, and the timely adjustment of industrial and product structures. These have caused various professional and technical talents, who were originally accustomed to working under the planned system, to enter an unfamiliar situation. They have also caused various professional and technical talents, who were originally focused on the domestic market, to enter a new realm where they must face both domestic and international markets and participate in international competition. The financial, tourism, real estate, and many high-tech industries are urgently calling for a large number of new professional and technical talents, further exacerbating the shortage of professional talent in the city and the unreasonable structure of talent. Additionally, the English proficiency and computer application skills of employees and citizens in the city are generally low. If this situation cannot be changed quickly, it will inevitably affect Shanghai's economic integration into the world and its position in the international economic, financial, and trade arena, as well as its role in the economic development of the Yangtze River economic belt and even the entire country. The issue of shortage talent training has attracted high attention from the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Shanghai Municipal People's Government. "Time is of the essence." We must vigorously strengthen the training of shortage talents and the popularization of English and computer skills. In view of this, the timely publication of this series of books is urgently needed in the current situation and holds profound significance. It is true that the comprehensive implementation of the Shanghai Shortage Talent Training Project in the 1990s still requires the joint efforts of all relevant parties. At the beginning of the publication of the "Teaching Series of the Shanghai Shortage Talent Training Project in the 1990s," I have many reflections and would like to briefly write an introductory preface. At the turn of the century, China is deepening and developing its reform and opening-up. As an international metropolis, Shanghai is increasingly close and frequent in economic, cultural, educational, and other exchanges and cooperation with countries around the world. Overseas individuals who come to Shanghai to invest, do business, teach, travel, and attend conferences are arriving one after another. English is the bridge of communication between China and the world. As an international language, its importance is even more evident. Proficiency in English and the ability to skillfully translate between English and Chinese are essential conditions for maintaining smooth communication channels. As one of the projects of the "Shanghai Shortage Talent Training Project," the training and examination for the "Shanghai Intermediate English Interpreting Qualification Certificate" are linked with the "Shanghai Advanced English Interpreting Qualification Certificate." These two projects are jointly organized by the Organization Department of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Municipal Bureau of Personnel, the Municipal Education Committee, and the Municipal Adult Education Committee, and are specifically implemented by the Shanghai University Pudong Continuing Education Center. They aim to cultivate more intermediate and advanced-level English interpreters for Shanghai's economic and cultural development to meet the needs of further reform and opening-up in Shanghai. A qualified interpreter should achieve a high level in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and translation. Under the guidance of Sun Wanbiao as the chief editor, the English Interpreting Qualification Certificate Textbook Editorial Committee has meticulously designed and compiled the Intermediate "Translation Course," "Listening Course," "Speaking Course," "Interpreting Course," and "Reading Course" based on the requirements of the "Shanghai Intermediate English Interpreting Qualification Certificate Examination Syllabus." These five textbooks are used for teaching in the five courses of translation, listening, speaking, interpreting, and reading, respectively. After repeated trial use and incorporating some suggestions from teachers using these textbooks, the editors revised the manuscripts several times, and after the chief editor's review and collective discussion by the editorial committee, the final version was approved. This set of textbooks has a clear purpose, innovative layout, rich materials, and focuses on practice while also providing necessary theoretical explanations. It is a textbook with strong scientific, practical, and targeted qualities. After training and completing this set of textbooks, students can improve their five basic skills comprehensively and achieve a new level of English proficiency, enabling them to adapt to translation and interpreting that include these five skills and smoothly pass the "Shanghai Intermediate English Interpreting Qualification Certificate" examination. After reading this set of textbooks, I deeply feel that it is a very good textbook. It is not only very useful for readers who are willing to participate in training and examinations to obtain the "Shanghai Intermediate English Interpreting Qualification Certificate" but also very beneficial for other English learners to improve their comprehensive English ability and interpreting skills. It is worth recommending to all English enthusiasts. The publication of these textbooks will make the "Shanghai Intermediate English Interpreting Qualification Certificate" project more perfect and contribute to the training of shortage talents in Shanghai at the turn of the century. The training and examination for the "Shanghai Intermediate English Interpreting Qualification Certificate" are one of the projects of the "Shanghai Shortage Talent Training Project," jointly organized by the Organization Department of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Municipal Bureau of Personnel, the Municipal Education Committee, and the Municipal Adult Education Committee, and specifically implemented by the Shanghai University Pudong Continuing Education Center. Those who pass the municipal unified examination through this project will receive the "Shanghai Intermediate English Interpreting Position Qualification Certificate" issued by these four departments. To meet the training needs, the project's expert group established the English Interpreting Qualification Certificate Textbook Editorial Committee, responsible for planning, designing, and writing the textbooks. They commissioned five editors to independently write the "Intermediate Translation Course," "Intermediate Interpreting Course," "Intermediate Listening Course," "Intermediate Speaking Course," and "Intermediate Reading Course," which were revised by the chief editor and finalized. These five supplementary textbooks were compiled according to the requirements and details of the "Shanghai Intermediate English Interpreting Qualification Certificate Examination Syllabus" and are suitable for teaching in the five courses of translation, interpreting, listening, speaking, and reading. This enables students, after training, to adapt to the written and oral examinations that include these five items. Those who do not participate in training can also take the exam by self-studying these textbooks if they meet the corresponding requirements for training in terms of English proficiency. The target audience for this textbook series includes college students with a college English "Grade 4" level or higher, second-year students of English majors, and other individuals with equivalent English proficiency. Starting from this point, the editorial committee established unified principles, scope, and requirements for writing. The overall concept of this textbook series is that after students receive 240 hours (calculated as 15 hours per week for 16 weeks) of systematic training and pass the municipal unified examination, recipients of the "English Intermediate Interpreting Qualification Certificate" should be able to better undertake interpreting tasks for life reception, tour guiding, and general conferences. This textbook focuses on strengthening oral expression skills. Through various forms and different thematic materials, it comprehensively trains and improves the ability to use English as a means of oral communication. The book consists of 16 units, each divided into four parts: core text, sample dialogues, reading materials, and expression exercises.