Help me with my thesis [translator and/or interpreters]
Thread poster: Erika Gunnarsdóttir
Erika Gunnarsdóttir
Erika Gunnarsdóttir  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 04:37
English to Danish
+ ...
Mar 7, 2018

Hi there!

Do you work as a translator or interpreter?

Then I would greatly appreciate your help.

I am researching how nonverbal communication affects interpretation, and I would greatly appreciate your help in filling out this questionnaire. It takes a maximum of 10 minutes:

https://goo.gl/forms/UnhBGzEQXuK19WTq1

All recorded answers
... See more
Hi there!

Do you work as a translator or interpreter?

Then I would greatly appreciate your help.

I am researching how nonverbal communication affects interpretation, and I would greatly appreciate your help in filling out this questionnaire. It takes a maximum of 10 minutes:

https://goo.gl/forms/UnhBGzEQXuK19WTq1

All recorded answers are anonymous.

Thank you in advance!
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Tina Vonhof (X)
Tina Vonhof (X)
Canada
Local time: 09:37
Dutch to English
+ ...
Not clear Mar 8, 2018

The first thing you would need to do is present is a clear description of your objective(s). All of us research things but what is it that you want to find out? What are some examples of non-verbal communication you think we might have and with whom? Your questions may be in the questionnaire but you need to give an example or two, so that people know what it's about and if it even applies to them before you can expect them to spend time on it.

 
Erika Gunnarsdóttir
Erika Gunnarsdóttir  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 04:37
English to Danish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you for your feedback Mar 8, 2018

Thank you for your comment, Tina

The essence is actually what I already wrote. The idea is also that I do not wish to influence the responder, if I provide examples of nonverbal communication, the responder will be influenced in their response. I will update my original post with the headlines of the questionnaire; it should provide some sort of context.


 
kd42
kd42
Estonia
Local time: 17:37
English to Russian
deleted Mar 8, 2018

deleted

[Edited at 2018-03-09 08:37 GMT]


 
mariealpilles
mariealpilles  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 16:37
Member (2014)
English to French
+ ...
help with thesis Mar 9, 2018

What kind of interpretation are you thinking of? Simultaneous, liaison, whispering, consecutive....? Your question is too vague.

 
Gina Möckl
Gina Möckl
Germany
Local time: 16:37
German to English
+ ...
Further Infos Mar 9, 2018

I understand your reluctance to be more specific. Any examples you give us might influence us to choose one answer over another we might have chosen otherwise. But perhaps it might help if you summarize your study more. You could start by introducing yourself, why are you researching this, for which course is this study etc. And some more in-depth information about this study surely wouldn't hurt. You'll find far more people likely to help you when they know what this is about.

 
Erika Gunnarsdóttir
Erika Gunnarsdóttir  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 04:37
English to Danish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
All situations where it may be relevant Mar 9, 2018

If it's simultaneous without a way to see the speaker, then it's difficult. The situation is relevant where you as the interpreter/translator can see the speaker, and the listeners can see you, too.

mariealpilles wrote:

What kind of interpretation are you thinking of? Simultaneous, liaison, whispering, consecutive....? Your question is too vague.


 
Daryo
Daryo
United Kingdom
Local time: 15:37
Serbian to English
+ ...
you are not in the best place Mar 10, 2018

and you are not using the best method

Proz is mainly for translators - you'll get better results if you contact associations of interpreters;

I'm not sure you are going to get much useful data feed for our thesis - at best demographics of those who answered (but no guaranty whatsoever that's a representative sample of the profession - i.e. interpreters!).

You would get more useful info by talking to / interviewing a number of interpreters, but that
... See more
and you are not using the best method

Proz is mainly for translators - you'll get better results if you contact associations of interpreters;

I'm not sure you are going to get much useful data feed for our thesis - at best demographics of those who answered (but no guaranty whatsoever that's a representative sample of the profession - i.e. interpreters!).

You would get more useful info by talking to / interviewing a number of interpreters, but that's up to you ...

Just one detail - among many - when you are siting in a cabin your "nonverbal communication" is practically irrelevant - people listening to you simply don't look at you, even though normally you should be sitting in the cabin opposite their seats so that you can decipher their body language. They only listen to you. If you are siting at the same table between the two parties it's a completely different situation etc. I can't see in your questions any awareness of these differences.

Also, what kind of "non-verbal communication" would you expect at all from a translator???

[Edited at 2018-03-11 06:31 GMT]
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Erika Gunnarsdóttir
Erika Gunnarsdóttir  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 04:37
English to Danish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Agreed Mar 11, 2018

I agree, however, for some reason I cannot be allowed to edit my original post. The intention is to add the information as soon as I'm allowed to edit the original post.

Gina Möckl wrote:

I understand your reluctance to be more specific. Any examples you give us might influence us to choose one answer over another we might have chosen otherwise. But perhaps it might help if you summarize your study more. You could start by introducing yourself, why are you researching this, for which course is this study etc. And some more in-depth information about this study surely wouldn't hurt. You'll find far more people likely to help you when they know what this is about.


 
Erika Gunnarsdóttir
Erika Gunnarsdóttir  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 04:37
English to Danish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you for your suggestions Mar 11, 2018

Actually, the responses I have gotten from here so far have been really good, and the data I get is highly relevant. Moreover, I wish to gather international responses, but if you can point me to any interpreters' association, feel free to do so.

I do not have the time nor space in the thesis to interview people, which is why I chose the questionnaire - it is merely a resource for backing up the findings from the literature.

I have contacted several companies in Denmark
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Actually, the responses I have gotten from here so far have been really good, and the data I get is highly relevant. Moreover, I wish to gather international responses, but if you can point me to any interpreters' association, feel free to do so.

I do not have the time nor space in the thesis to interview people, which is why I chose the questionnaire - it is merely a resource for backing up the findings from the literature.

I have contacted several companies in Denmark working with interpreters/translators, however, none have gotten back to me.

If you read through the comments you will see that I have already commented on the situation
The situation is relevant where you as the interpreter/translator can see the speaker, and the listeners can see you, too.
and the nonverbal communication
The idea is also that I do not wish to influence the responder, if I provide examples of nonverbal communication, the responder will be influenced in their response.


The point of the questionnaire is not what I expect, rather what the translator/interpreter in this context experience and do.

Daryo wrote:

and you are not using the best method

Proz is mainly for translators - you'll get better results if you contact associations of interpreters;

I'm not sure you are going to get much useful data feed for our thesis - at best demographics of those who answered (but no guaranty whatsoever that's a representative sample of the profession - i.e. interpreters!).

You would get more useful info by talking to / interviewing a number of interpreters, but that's up to you ...

Just one detail - among many - when you are siting in a cabin your "nonverbal communication" is practically irrelevant - people listening to you simply don't look at you, even though normally you should be sitting in the cabin opposite their seats so that you can decipher their body language. They only listen to you. If you are siting at the same table between the two parties it's a completely different situation etc. I can't see in your questions any awareness of these differences.

Also, what kind of "non-verbal communication" would you expect at all from a translator???

[Edited at 2018-03-11 06:31 GMT]
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jyuan_us
jyuan_us  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 11:37
Member (2005)
English to Chinese
+ ...
Why does a translator have to be affected by any nonverbal communication? Mar 11, 2018

Why do you need to include translators in the first place if you are researching how nonverbal communication affects interpretation?

 
Arabic & More
Arabic & More  Identity Verified
Jordan
Arabic to English
+ ...
Translator Vs. Interpreter Mar 12, 2018

I was going to respond to your survey but found that I could not answer the questions as I am a translator rather than an interpreter. Are you aware of the difference between the two activities (translation versus interpretation)?

 
Erika Gunnarsdóttir
Erika Gunnarsdóttir  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 04:37
English to Danish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Multidimensional translation Mar 12, 2018

This is slightly off topic, but to respond to your question, translation is multidimensional, meaning that a translation may include a dimension of verbal elements that in a given translation may be translated to nonverbal elements. I can refer to Schjoldager, A. (2008) pp. 40 - 47 on this.


jyuan_us wrote:

Why do you need to include translators in the first place if you are researching how nonverbal communication affects interpretation?


 
Erika Gunnarsdóttir
Erika Gunnarsdóttir  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 04:37
English to Danish
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you Mar 12, 2018

Yes, I am aware of the difference. The difference for the non-professional individual is completely the same, it is only us professionals working with either translation or interpretation that really cares about the technical, lexical definitions. The titles of either a translator or an interpreter are completely irrelevant, as it is not the title that per se defines what you are able to do or not able to.

We know the difference, but society does not, and to hit the biggest target g
... See more
Yes, I am aware of the difference. The difference for the non-professional individual is completely the same, it is only us professionals working with either translation or interpretation that really cares about the technical, lexical definitions. The titles of either a translator or an interpreter are completely irrelevant, as it is not the title that per se defines what you are able to do or not able to.

We know the difference, but society does not, and to hit the biggest target group, we have to fit it into societal norms.

Thank you, though, for helping me with the questionnaire.


Amel Abdullah wrote:

I was going to respond to your survey but found that I could not answer the questions as I am a translator rather than an interpreter. Are you aware of the difference between the two activities (translation versus interpretation)?
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Help me with my thesis [translator and/or interpreters]







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