Practical Interpreting Study Book

Author: Lin Chao Lun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features:
Purpose of Writing: The book "Practical Interpreting" aims to achieve three goals:
1. Help students break through in three aspects: note-taking, Chinese-to-English translation, and conveying the speaker's intended message, achieving a leap in interpreting skills.
2. Transform skills that many people have only heard of but few possess into a resource that everyone can learn and use, contributing to the comprehensive improvement of English-Chinese/Chinese-English interpreting skills.
3. Combine China's practical context to introduce basic knowledge required for those aspiring to a career in interpreting, providing a reference path for those who wish to cultivate and develop themselves into professional interpreters.
Composition of the Textbook: "Practical Interpreting" consists of four parts:
1. Study Guide: The first half is 16 theoretical learning lessons. Lessons 1 to 10 explain the theory and skills and techniques of interpreting. Lessons 11 to 16 introduce basic knowledge for developing an interpreting career, for reference. The second half is 36 simulated practical exercise units, with half in English-to-Chinese and the other half in Chinese-to-English. Each unit is designed for 2-4 hours of classroom practice and 1 hour of pre-class preparation and review. The exercise units are composed of the following main contents:
1) Supporting Materials: Approximately 1,000 words, equivalent to the content interpreters must read and prepare before accepting an interpreting task. Some supporting materials fully cover the content and difficulties of relevant interpreting tasks, while others provide only background knowledge. Some are accompanied by audio materials, which can be used for pre-class preparation or review. All materials are equipped with annotations on difficulties, explaining key words and phrases.
2) Original Speech, Reference Notes, and Reference Translations: Corresponding to the audio recordings, listed in 8 segments.
2. Teaching Reference:
1) Instructions for Using the Textbook: Introduces the components of the "Study Guide" and reference usage methods in detail.
2) Reference Lesson Plans for Each Exercise Unit.
3) Step-by-Step Explanations of How to Take and Use Interpreting Notes in Each Unit.
4) Discussion and Explanation of Difficulties in the Original Speech. Mostly expressions that are difficult to find accurately in current English-Chinese dictionaries or awkward to handle during interpreting. The explanations in the Chinese-to-English units are particularly thorough. This book does not have special requirements for teachers or classrooms and can be used based on existing levels.
3. Speech Recordings:
1) Whether in Chinese or English, all recordings simulate actual speeches or presentations.
2) The recording length for each unit is approximately 4 minutes, divided into 8 segments, simulating the average pause length in formal speeches.
3) Additionally, the supporting materials for 8 exercise units are speeches themselves, so they are also accompanied by recordings.
4) The total recording length is close to 6 hours. In actual interpreting work, speakers with standard pronunciation and no accents are rare. The recordings in this textbook intentionally retain instances where speakers sometimes mispronounce, make mistakes, or have regional accents.
4. Special Website (www.kouyi.co.uk):
1) To provide answers to teaching inquiries and a forum.
2) To provide necessary materials and support based on the requirements of institutions using the textbook.
3) To offer online practice for beginners in formal interpreting, equivalent to a simplified version of this textbook.