ERIC Number: EJ1321237
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1750-399X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
A, B and C Decoded: Understanding Interpreters' Language Combinations in Terms of Language Proficiency
Loiseau, Nathalie; Delgado Luchner, Carmen
Interpreter and Translator Trainer, v15 n4 p468-489 2021
To date, research into conference interpreting has not produced a definition of the concrete subskills associated with an A, B and C language in interpreters' combinations of working languages. Existing frameworks for performance assessment in foreign languages are not designed to cover the very advanced range of language mastery associated with an A or a B language in conference interpreting. To fill this gap and deepen our understanding of what characterises an A, B or C language, we reviewed the existing literature on language classification in interpreting and foreign language acquisition, and analysed frameworks for performance assessment in foreign languages as well as archives of feedback given to interpreting students regarding their respective languages. Based on this analysis, we developed a self-administered online test that allows applicants to assess whether their mastery of a language, in our case French, corresponds to the level normally expected for an A, a B or a C language. The test was calibrated with three different groups of subjects (native speakers of French, professional interpreters and interpreting students), showing a high level of accuracy in identifying the language classification of subjects in all samples.
Descriptors: Translation, Language Proficiency, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Language Tests, Computer Assisted Testing, Language Processing, Conferences (Gatherings), Mastery Learning, Native Speakers, French, Second Languages, Undergraduate Students, Professional Personnel, Accuracy, Feedback (Response), Language Classification, Guidelines, Rating Scales, Foreign Countries, Test Format, Proverbs, Figurative Language, Language Styles, Scores
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Switzerland (Geneva)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A