Examining Students' Rendition Weaknesses and Issues in Business Interpretation

In the training of translation and interpretation, students are expected to be exposed to a variety of themes, ranging from technology, to tourism, to medicine, to business. Among these different themes, business interpretation training can and may include business meetings, small negotiations, and contract discussions. This study was carried out in a foreign language department with 32 students. The training scope covered making business contacts, arranging business meetings, analyzing business operations, and assisting in small-scale negotiations. This cycle was repeated three times during one semester to help students gain experience in these business details and establish the assessment criteria. Three data collection tools were employed to answer two research questions (the student-perceived difficulties/challenges and frequently occurred error types). First, the students’ interpreting exam results were transcribed for error analysis. Second, the instructor recorded each class session to identify students’ learning difficulties/challenges. Last, one-on-one interviews were conducted with all 32 students to gather their views and evaluations of learning business interpretation. The findings indicated that handling large numbers, often found in business performance reviews and analyses, was perceived as a great challenge. Many students felt anxious when encountering number expressions, especially expressions beyond millions. Moreover, as this training incorporated the materials presented by native speakers from different geographical areas, many students expressed the comparative easiness in interpreting for speakers with American accents. Last, when facing business jargon, the students pointed out that in-advance preparation (for example, a compiled vocabulary list) played a facilitating role in the production of interpreting renditions. This course design incorporating repeated business events for establishing training effectiveness was perceived as very helpful in building learners’ confidence in both gaining business knowledge and interpreting skills.