franz pöchhacker center for translation studies, university of vienna interpreting studies:...

Franz Pöchhacker

Center for Translation Studies, University of Vienna

Interpreting Studies:

Round-Trip from Practice to Theory

“Translation in the University and the Workplace” Thessaloniki, 3-4 November 2006

Outline

Definitions

Relations

Practice >> Theory

Theory >> Practice

?

A long-standing concern

C. Stenzl (Trieste Symposium, Nov. 1986):

“there must be genuine interaction between theory and practice if we want to see sound and constructive developments in both areas.”

“interpreting studies” ?

“field of academic study” ?

(sub)discipline of TS course at University

IS as a discipline

sociological

phenomenon

researchers, departments,

conferences, chairs, PhD

programs …

theoretical

construct

‘literature’ = published

theories, models, empirical

findings, scholarly debate …

Theory is…

… anything that is not practice

… non-empirical enquiry

… part of research (“theory vs. data”)

“what comes out of people doing research”

Practice Theory ?

Relations over time

Practice Theory ?

Relations over time

Practice Theory ?

Relations over time

Practice Theory ?

Relations over time

Practice Theory ?

Relations over time

Practice ‘Theory’

METHOD

QUALITY

CONDITIONS

TEACHING

Method

note-taking (e.g. J. Herbert)

‘true’ simultaneous (G. Rabinovitch)

SimConsec (M. Ferrari)

Practice

‘Theory’

Quality

standards – e.g. Herbert (1952):

“to enable his audience to know accurately

what the speaker intended to convey, and

to make on the audience the impression

which the speaker wishes to be made.”

Practice

‘Theory’

Working conditions

input rate turn length text in booth visual access

Practice

‘Theory’

Teaching

e.g. Herbert, Dostert, Rozan,

Seleskovitch, Ilg, Gile, etc.

Practice

‘Theory’

Research Practice

METHOD

QUALITY

CONDITIONS

TEACHING

Research

Practice

Method

language of note-taking(e.g. Dam 2004, Szabo 2006)

‘one ear better than two?’(e.g. Lambert 1994)

SimConsec

(e.g. Hamidi & Pöchhacker, in press)

Research

Practice

Quality

Research

Practice

criteria and user expectations(e.g. Bühler 1986, Kurz 1993, Moser 1995)

perception / judgment

(e.g. Collados Aís 1998, Garzone 2003)

assessment(e.g. Barik 1975, Mackintosh 1983, Tommola & Lindholm 1995, Soler 2006)

Working conditions

Research

Practice

input rate(e.g. Gerver 1969)

intonation(e.g. Gerver 1971, Déjean Le Féal 1978)

booth temperature & ventilation(e.g. Kurz & Kolmer 1984, AIIC 2002)

extended turns(Moser-Mercer et al. 1998)

Teaching

Research

Practice

dual-task exercises(e.g. Moser 1978)

shadowing(e.g. Lambert 1991, Moser-Mercer et al.

2000)

Theory Practice

MODELS

aptitude and skill components

comprehension processes

processing capacity andattention management

Theory

Practice

Theory Practice

‘SEEING THINGS’

documenting problems of practice

Identifying social/institutional needs

Theory

Practice

Theory Practice

Theory

Practice

SEEING THINGS critically / differently

professional ideology (e.g. Diriker 2004)

codes of ethics (e.g. Angelelli 2006)

setting standards (e.g. ÖNORM D 1202 02)

A sociological view

practitioner

(e.g. Mantoux)

A sociological view

trainer

practitioner

(e.g. Herbert)

A sociological view

trainer

practitioner

prof. repr.

(e.g. Seleskovitch)

A sociological view

(e.g. Seleskovitch) practitioner

trainer scholar

prof. repr.

A sociological view

scientist

(e.g. Barik)

A sociological view

trainer

scie

ntis

t (e.g. Lambert)

A sociological view

practitioner scie

ntis

t(e.g. Moser-Mercer)

A sociological view

trainer

practitioner scie

ntis

t(e.g. Moser-Mercer,Gile, Kurz, Liu, etc.)

A sociological view

(e.g. Schjoldager,Diriker, Kalina, etc.)

practitioner

trainer scholar

A sociological view

scie

ntis

t

scholartrainer

practitioner

A sociological view

scie

ntis

t

scholar

prof. repr.

trainer

practitioner

the trainer/scholar’s /practisearcher’s Workplace

trainer scholar

practitioner scie

ntis

t

prof. repr.

The University:

A healthy pursuit?

J. Herbert (1952: 94; “last word”):

“the interpreter who devotes himself exclusively to his profession may suffer gravely from the resultant strain.”

A healthy pursuit!(Herbert 1952 cont’d.)

“He should therefore indulge in other occupations and interests which he may find (...) in intellectual work which can be carried on at a slower tempo, such as writing, teaching, research”!

Thank You

for your attention!

Franz Pöchhacker

Center for Translation Studies, University of Vienna

Interpreting Studies:

Round-Trip from Practice to Theory

“Translation in the University and the Workplace” Thessaloniki, 3-4 November 2006