Sources of Anxiety and Coping Strategies in Real-world Chinese and English Interpreting: A Case Study of Student Practitioners from Non- Interpreting Departments in Taiwan

口譯職場上的焦慮源與因應對策：臺灣非口譯主修學生之個案研究

賴政吉(Cheng-Ji Lai) ； 劉羿伶(I-Ling Liu)

《臺中教育大學學報：人文藝術類》 26卷2期 (2012/12) Pp. 47-68

https://doi.org/10.7037/JNTUHA.201212.0047

摘要

本質性研究旨在探討臺灣非口譯系所學生在口譯職場上的焦慮來源、因應對策與對現前非口譯系所之口譯課程訓練有何建議。研究對象為六位非口譯系但承接職場口譯工作的在學學生，該研究透過深入訪談了解此六位個案於口譯前、口譯後之焦慮來源與因應對策，且學生於承接職場口譯工作後現前非口譯系所之口譯課程訓練有何建議。研究者將訪談內容錄音後再繕打成逐字稿，以內容分析法分析訪談內容並歸納研究結果。研究結果可分為三大項：（一）造成口譯前焦慮皆為心理因素，包含學生口譯員對第一次口譯經驗的生疏感、缺乏自信、不知從何準備、專業背景知識不足、責任感重、擔心講者口音或說話速度過快與人數太多等，口譯時的焦慮多與理解能力相關（例，講者口音、口譯內容過長、用語的差異或專有名詞等）與須扮演多重角色（助教、協調溝通者或協商等）而產生焦慮；（二）有效降低口譯前焦慮的因應對策包括事先與講者連繫並取得口譯內容、提早到現場熟悉環境、講者與觀眾、確保前一晚的睡眠品質、正面思考等；而有效降低口譯時焦慮的因應對策包含與講者確認不熟悉或不確定的內容再口譯、提示講者須適時停頓以免口譯內容過長、從友善或有正面互動的觀眾中得到心理支持或鼓勵、正面思考並告訴自己: 隨著口譯開始，會漸漸適應整體條件因素，焦慮也會減低等；（三）六位學生藉由實務經驗對非口譯系所之口譯課程訓練之建議如下：口譯教師訓練時能營造職場口譯的臨場感（仿真）與應有的深度（例口譯時間、內容）、能訓練學生接受不同英語口音以增加學員的應變能力與理解力、教授有效地做筆記方式、口譯內容可漸進式地加長、邀集專家學者分享職場口譯經驗、要求學生涉略多方面的專業背景知識、並教授口譯時應注意的文化層面或跨文化溝通技巧等。

關鍵字

中英口譯 ； 因應對策 ； 怯場 ； 焦慮源 ； 學生口譯員

並列摘要

This qualitative case study firstly investigated the factors triggering six student interpreters' anxiety prior to and during real-world interpreting, as well as their coping strategies to reduce their anxiety during both phases, and secondly invited their feedback or suggestions to current interpreting course design and curricula based on their practical interpreting experiences. Face-to-face, in-depth interviews with these six cases were conducted and recorded to fulfill the study purpose, and the interview contents were transcribed into word-for-word transcriptions to be analyzed employing content analysis (coding, categorization, description, interpretation). The study yielded several significant results as follows: (1) most factors provoking student practitioners' anxiety prior to interpreting were mainly affective factors related to uncertainty while those factors responsible for anxiety during interpreting were connected with the multiple roles they had to play (e.g., teacher assistants, negotiators, intermediaries in communication) and their listening comprehension affected by accents and speech rates of the speakers, lengthy chunks to be interpreted, and unfamiliar vocabulary or idiomatic expressions; (2) in response to their anxiety prior to interpreting, they tended to ensure prior contact with speakers to obtain materials to be interpreted or arrive earlier/in plenty of time to become familiar with the environment. Also, during comprehension, they would reconfirm messages to be interpreted if listening-comprehension issues occurred, signal speakers to make occasional pauses, search for supportive feedback from audience, and think positively; (3) suggestions for interpreting course design included creating ambiance resembling real-world situation (e.g., similar stress, longer chunk of message, faster speech rates), having students accustomed to various accents of foreign languages, training students' necessary note-taking skills, sharing real-life experiences, and encouraging reading extensively on various types of topics, and lastly instructing intercultural communication skills. The study is beneficial because it provides future student practitioners and relevant interpreters with the kinds of anxiety-provoking factors prior to interpreting and performance anxiety during interpreting so that they can be aware of and even find resolutions. Additionally, the suggestions of these six participants for the interpreting training design and curricula offered in departments of foreign languages in Taiwan are extremely conducive.

並列關鍵字

Chinese and English Interpreting ； Coping Strategies ； Performance Anxiety ； Sources of Anxiety ； Student Practitioners