Педагогические науки/2.Проблемы подготовки специалистов

Shvaikovskiy A. - candidate of pedagogics

Kalkabekova A.

M.Auezov South Kazakhstan State University, Kazakhstan

The role of short-term memory in interpreting process

Connection of oral translation and memory training is quite an actual issue in translation especially in contemporary business sphere. The actuality of the problem lies in the fact that the knowledge of English is important nowadays because of our country’s relationships with different countries. Our state needs highly qualified interpreters, they are of great demand and they must be ready and be able to translate different types of oral translation. In this way interpreters must know the language well and they should know all peculiarities of oral translation and train their memory because of their close connection.

Because of the mentioned fact interpreters’ knowledge of the English language must be on a high level. That is why it is of great demand in the sphere of education according to the State Program for Development of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan [1].

Language is the great gift that distinguishes human beings from other creatures. Like most gifts, it can be used thoughtfully and to good advantage - or it can be used carelessly, indifferently, and quite unsuccessfully. The way in which you use language can tell people a good deal about your personal qualities - your way of thinking, your alertness, your concern for useful communication with other people - and your concern, your respect, for the English language itself. That is why the role of the English language in contemporary life is so important. Nowadays, Kazakhstan has a policy of three languages for teaching, so studying the English language is important according to the Law on Education [2].

The present theme deals with the conditions of oral translation which impose a number of important restrictions on the translator's performance. Here the interpreter receives a fragment of the original only once and for a short period of time. His translation is also a one-time act with no possibility of any return to the original or any subsequent corrections. This creates additional problems and the users have sometimes to be content with a lower level of equivalence.

In order to be a highly qualified interpreter it is necessary to train memory. Memory plays an important role in translation process as it allows to remember more words to expand a lexicon. Often there are problems with listening and storing of words.

Oral translation means the process of perception and understanding of speech from hearing and translating. In real communication it is important to listen much, and that, how precisely and fully perceived received information, it can be defined subsequent actions. To teach interpreters to understand sounding speech is one of the most important purposes of oral translation and memory training.

Contemporary translators must know about the difficulties interpreters face in real communication. They also must know about memory problems. Memory is one of mental functions and types of the cerebration, intended to keep, accumulate and reproduce information. Ability is long to store information on events of the outside world and reactions of an organism and to reuse it in the consciousness sphere for the organization of follow-up activity.

Memory has the volume limited to number of stable processes, being basic at creation of associations (communications, relations). Success of an anamnesis depends on ability to switch attention to basic processes, to restore them. Main reception: enough and frequency of repetitions.

In order to perform simultaneous or consecutive interpretation, memory is an important element that needs training. The purpose of memory training in interpreting is to achieve a better understanding of the source language, which will lead to adequate interpreting. Memory in consecutive interpreting consists of nothing more than understanding the meaning, which is conveyed by the words. Understanding is the first step in successful interpreting; therefore, memory training is to be provided in the early stage of interpreter training.

The conditions of oral translation impose a number of important restrictions on the translator's performance. Here the interpreter receives a fragment of the original only once and for a short period of time. His translation is also a one-time act with no possibility of any return to the original or any subsequent corrections. This creates additional problems and the users have sometimes to be content with a lower level of equivalence.

The task of interpreting is rendering information and ideas from one language into another language by means of speaking.

However, based on the feature of language context in different interpreting situations, this work may be classified into varied types. In fact, there are two main modes of interpreting:

1) Consecutive interpreting (CI) – A mode in which the interpreters begin their interpretation of a complete message after the speaker has stopped producing the source utterance. At the time that the interpretation is rendered, the interpreter is the only person in the communication environment who is producing message.

Consecutive interpreting requires a good short-term memory (STM). Even some interpreters take notes but many simply rely on their memory, especially for the short utterances.

2) Simultaneous interpreting (SI) – a mode in which interpreters render their interpretation while still receiving the source utterance.

This mode involves two people speaking at the same time. The interpreters does not wait until a complete idea has been expressed before interpreting it, but continue to interpret, lagging one thought behind the speaker and finish a few seconds after the speaker.

How do interpreters use STM in the process? Memory skills, including STM is the top requirement of interpreters when doing their job. They are also considered as the first step of becoming professional interpreters. Due to the feature of STM in interpreting process as mentioned above, STM is, in fact, implied in other coping tactics in interpretation. Once again, STM indirectly helps the interpretation go smoothly.

In discussing the qualifications required for an interpreter, it is mentioned that the interpreter needs a good STM to retain what he or she has just heard and a good long-term memory to put the information into context. Ability to concentrate is a factor as is the ability to analyze and process what is heard. It is also emphasized that a skillful interpreter is expected to have a powerful memory.

As an essential part of interpretation, STM undoubtedly takes a very important role in interpreting that comes as the vital condition of interpreters’ working in terms of memory capacity, time duration and source-speech features.

Thus memory skills are the most fundamental requirements for the students of English department to be a proficient interpreter in the future. They include quickness of speech and mind, good techniques in memorizing and converting verbal utterances, and power of concentration. No one enters the field of interpreting with all of the skills and traits necessary to be successful. Many of these “prerequisites” come with experience. Therefore, the present-day students or the forthcoming interpreting have to continually improve themselves by sharpening their memory ability, enriching processing capacity and broadening the sophisticated application of memorization techniques in the two languages. One of the most effective approaches is STM, which has been proved to play an important role in interpreting process.

References:

1. Государственная программа развития образования Республики Казахстан на 2011-2020 годы. №1118 от 7 декабря 2010 года.

2. Закон Республики Казахстан «Об образовании» от 27 июля 2007 года. №319-III (с изменениями и дополнениями по состоянию на 13.01.2015 г.).