Litnet

Abstract

This article is the third of three articles in LitNet Akademies reporting on a study from the first author’s PhD dissertation in translation (Van der Merwe 2025). In this article, affective and social interpreting-learning strategies are discussed as it can assist interpreting learners in regulating their emotions, and encourage them to approach their learning in collaboration with others.

Interpreting learners should perceive learning as a lifelong activity, especially the affective and social aspects that are often overlooked. Oxford’s (1990) three types of direct (memory, cognitive and compensation) and indirect (metacognitive, affective and social) language-learning strategies are utilised for interpreting purposes. Affective and social strategies are both indirect strategies that support the interpreting-learning process without necessarily involving interpreting. We propose that language-learning research can enrich interpreting as both fields foreground learner-centeredness and focus on independent learning. The research was driven by the following research question: To what extent can language-learning strategies be utilised for process-oriented interpreter training?

Two theoretical lenses are outlined and discussed, namely process-oriented interpreter training and language-learning strategies. Process-oriented interpreter training prioritises a focus on the interpreting process, reflecting learner-centeredness and promoting the development of the interpreter’s self-concept. In this section, the following two components are examined: interprofessional and attitudinal interpreting competence (competencies relating to cooperation with others, anxiety management and developing self-confidence), and emotional intelligence (the ability to understand your own and other people’s emotions, and to make appropriate decisions accordingly).

Research on language-learning strategies aims to develop lifelong learners. This section discusses Oxford’s (1990) affective and social language-learning strategies and Oxford’s (2017) Strategic Self-Regulation Model (combining sociocultural and self-regulation theory). Oxford (1990) developed three categories of affective strategies with 10 individual strategies in her model: lower your anxiety, encourage yourself and take your emotional temperature. The three categories of social strategies are ask questions, cooperate with others and empathise with others, containing six individual strategies.

A qualitative descriptive research methodology was adopted, with interpreting-learning strategies conceptualised as a phenomenon, informed by research on process-oriented interpreter training and language learning strategies. The methodological approach entailed a theoretical investigation of Oxford’s (1990) affective and social language-learning strategies, together with developments in process-oriented interpreter training research, to develop an interpreting-learning strategy model. Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently.

An interpreting-learning strategy model with 16 affective and social strategies was developed from Oxford’s (1990) framework, drawing on relevant interpreting theory and concepts.

With the interaction between affective language-learning strategies and process-oriented interpreter training, affective factors in interpreting are discussed, referring to components of the affective filter hypothesis: anxiety, motivation and self-confidence. Affective interpreting-learning strategies are used before, during and after the interpreting task (and throughout life) to focus on internal affective factors in interpreting – mainly anxiety, motivation and self-confidence – to improve attitudinal competence. This enables interpreting learners to maintain a low affective filter if their anxiety level remains low and their motivation and self-confidence levels remain high. In this way, the interpreter’s emotional intelligence is developed.

Furthermore, a definition is provided for each strategy.

Lower your anxiety level

1. Use breathing and relaxation techniques: Use breathing techniques (for example, taking a deep breath, counting from 1 to 12, and exhaling slowly) and relaxation techniques (for example, 20 minutes of meditation) to manage anxiety.
2. Use music: Listen to music to manage anxiety.
3. Use humour: Use humour to manage anxiety by, for example, joking, laughing, and smiling.

Motivate yourself

4. Use positive self-talk: Use positive self-talk by, for example, telling yourself two minutes before a challenging interpreting task, “I am the best person for the task”.
5. Take calculated risks: Evaluate your potential to perform interpreting tasks and push yourself to take risks with good judgment.
6. Reward yourself: Reward yourself for particularly good or challenging interpreting performance with your favourite activities, such as fishing, playing video games, or enjoying a leisurely meal.

Take your emotional temperature

7. Listen to your body: Pay attention to signs given by your body, whether negative (such as fear and anxiety that should either be blocked out or felt) or positive (such as pleasure and appreciation) and practise self-care accordingly by, for example, getting enough sleep, eating nutrient-dense foods, doing physical exercise, and so on.
8. Use a checklist: Use a checklist to discover, evaluate, and process feelings and attitudes about interpreting in general as well as specific interpreting tasks for informed decision-making, for example, not accepting interpreting assignments relating to child abuse or violence in the future.
9. Keep an interpreting diary: Write in a diary to lower the affective filter and disconnect from emotionally charged assignments by, for example, writing down clients’ stories and then throwing them away.
10. Discuss your feelings with your support network: Talk to your social support network such as interpreting colleagues (especially for debriefing), family, friends, role players in the interpreting process (such as a project manager) and professional psychologists (if necessary) to discover and express feelings about interpreting.

With the interaction between social language-learning strategies and process-oriented interpreter training, light is shed on social factors in interpreting with reference to concepts such as social competence, the role of the interpreter, footing and interpreting as interaction. Social interpreting-learning strategies are (like affective interpreting-learning strategies also) used before, during and after the interpreting task (and throughout life) to focus on external social factors in interpreting – mainly empathy and social skills – to improve communicative and interpersonal competence. This enables the interpreting learner to produce non-renditions, cooperate with others and interact empathically. In this way, the interpreter’s emotional intelligence is cultivated. The strategies are defined below.

Ask questions

1. Ask for clarification or verification: Ask another party to repeat, rephrase, explain, change their behaviour or speech style (for example, speak more slowly or louder), or confirm whether a specific utterance is correct (for example, to confirm whether a client has outstanding concerns).
2. Ask for correction: Ask another party such as the speaker (when appropriate), an interpreting colleague, a peer, or the interpreter trainer to correct you (for example, with your pronunciation of someone’s name).

Cooperate with others

3. Work in a team: Work with your interpreting colleagues and peers by, for example, meeting with a language partner on Tuesdays, and with other role players such as speakers, clients and project managers by, for example, practising interprofessional education.
4. Cooperate with competent working language users and mentors: Work with skilled users of your working languages ​​by, for example, having conversations with them over dinner, and mentors by, for example, working under the supervision of a more experienced interpreter.

Empathise with others

5. Develop a cultural understanding: Try to empathise with another person by being receptive, learning about the cultures of your working languages, trying to understand the other person’s connection to the culture and making cultural adjustments accordingly, for example by replacing the word cancer with the euphemism tumour.
6. Become aware of others’ thoughts and feelings: Become aware of the behaviour and emotional state of other parties such as clients, interpreting colleagues and speakers and act accordingly, for example by speaking directly to a client with suicidal tendencies or giving shorter interpreting shifts to your interpreting colleague on a bad day.

The study concluded that language-learning strategies can be used extensively for process-oriented interpreter training since Oxford’s (1990) 16 affective and social language-learning strategies were recreated into 10 affective and six social interpreting-learning strategies. We trust that the findings of the study contribute to future research on interpreter training, learning strategies, and the dynamic interplay between interpreting and language learning within applied linguistics.

Keywords: affective strategies; interpreting-learning strategies; language-learning strategies; process-oriented interpreter training; social strategies

• This article’s featured image was created by Antoni Shkraba and obtained from Pexels.

Lees die volledige artikel in Afrikaans

Van taalaanleer na tolkaanleer (deel 3): Die skep van affektiewe en sosiale tolkaanleerstrategieë vir prosesgerigte tolkopleiding