Do interpreters improve (English non-native) speakers’ source speeches in an effort to maximize relevance for the target audience?

Albl-Mikasa, Michaela

Publication type:	Conference other
Type of review:	Peer review (abstract)
Title:	Do interpreters improve (English non-native) speakers’ source speeches in an effort to maximize relevance for the target audience?
Authors:	Albl-Mikasa, Michaela
et. al:	No
Conference details:	The Application of Relevance Theory to Translation and Interpreting, Rome, Italy, 9-10 February 2023
Issue Date:	2023
Language:	English
Subject (DDC):	418.02: Translating and interpreting 420: English
Abstract:	In their capacity as language experts, interpreters are sometimes expected to deliver target texts that are better than their underlying source text, especially when the latter was produced by a non-native speaker (Déjean Le Feal 1990: 155). In the course of the global spread of English as a lingua franca (ELF), interpreters are faced with non-native input on more and more occasions. Applying Relevance Theory (RT) as a conceptual and methodological framework enables us to analyze in detail how interpreters deal with non-native input. More specifically, an RT-based analysis helps us to demonstrate what of the source input is understood by the interpreter and how it is presented in the target rendition in an attempt to augment or maximize relevance for the audience. This, in turn, provides clues as to whether or not interpreters (feel the need to) optimize those ELF speakers’ input and to the potential additional cognitive effort that may be associated with it. Based on authentic data from the CLINT (Cognitive Load in Interpreting and Translation) project, the renditions of 28 professional interpreters of an original non-native English speaker text and its edited (to comply with native speaker conventions) version are analyzed with a view to the enrichment processes undertaken by the interpreters. A comparison of the renditions of the original versus edited versions shows that interpreters do engage in considerably more such processes when rendering an ELF speech. Determining whether or not these interventions lead to actual cognitive effects in terms of information gains on the part of the audience may require an additional qualitative analysis as well as comprehension testing among listeners.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/29433
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	Applied Linguistics
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Translation and Interpreting (IUED)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	Cognitive Load in Interpreting and Translation (CLINT)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Angewandte Linguistik

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Albl-Mikasa, M. (2023). Do interpreters improve (English non-native) speakers’ source speeches in an effort to maximize relevance for the target audience? The Application of Relevance Theory to Translation and Interpreting, Rome, Italy, 9-10 February 2023.

Albl-Mikasa, M. (2023) ‘Do interpreters improve (English non-native) speakers’ source speeches in an effort to maximize relevance for the target audience?’, in The Application of Relevance Theory to Translation and Interpreting, Rome, Italy, 9-10 February 2023.

M. Albl-Mikasa, “Do interpreters improve (English non-native) speakers’ source speeches in an effort to maximize relevance for the target audience?,” in The Application of Relevance Theory to Translation and Interpreting, Rome, Italy, 9-10 February 2023, 2023.

ALBL-MIKASA, Michaela, 2023. Do interpreters improve (English non-native) speakers’ source speeches in an effort to maximize relevance for the target audience? In: The Application of Relevance Theory to Translation and Interpreting, Rome, Italy, 9-10 February 2023. Conference presentation. 2023

Albl-Mikasa, Michaela. 2023. “Do Interpreters Improve (English Non-Native) Speakers’ Source Speeches in an Effort to Maximize Relevance for the Target Audience?” Conference presentation. In The Application of Relevance Theory to Translation and Interpreting, Rome, Italy, 9-10 February 2023.

Albl-Mikasa, Michaela. “Do Interpreters Improve (English Non-Native) Speakers’ Source Speeches in an Effort to Maximize Relevance for the Target Audience?” The Application of Relevance Theory to Translation and Interpreting, Rome, Italy, 9-10 February 2023, 2023.