Evaluation Of Current Three Interpreting Course Books

With globalization infiltrating into every aspects of life, the dependence of communication among language users of various languages on interpreting has been increasing. Researches upon interpreting have been diversified, comparing with 50 years ago. In the course of last 50 years, interpreting has become a discipline. There are three basic elements in the teaching of discipline, which are course book, teacher and student. As one of those three elements, interpreting course book is of critical importance in interpreting teaching. The compilers of interpreting course books bear different principles and ideas of compiling in their mind. At the present, there are over 100 sets of interpreting course books circulating in the Chinese market, among which various features and orientations could be found. Evaluation of the interpreting course books therefore is of great necessity.In the past two decades, researches on interpreting course books are making their appearance in China. Pockets of scholars and researchers have proposed their own ideas and suggestions concerning interpreting course book compilation. At the same time, some researchers and experts of interpreting have completed evaluation of some interpreting course books in the hope of identifying advantages of different interpreting course books and pointing out direction for the completion of interpreting course book. However, the evaluation of interpreting course books is often on the basis of the researchers'understanding and experiences of interpreting, lack of a specific evaluation standard.This thesis analyzes foreign course book evaluation systems and the process of interpreting, with the guiding concept of embodying interpreting skills training in interpreting teaching and learning and the reference of previous researches concerning course book evaluation, and establishes an interpreting course book checklist. The checklist covers eight aspects namely (1) Aims and Approaches, (2) Organization, (3) Content, (4) Comprehension Skills Training, (5) Recording Skills Training, (6) Re-expression Skills Training, (7) Methodology, (8) Auxiliary Materials. Each aspect contents several questions. The evaluation of three current interpreting course books, An Advanced Course of Interpretation, Field Interpreting, and Challenging Interpreting: A Course Book of Interpreting Skills, is realized through answering those questions, so as to check each course book (1) To what degree, are the learners'requirements fulfilled in each course book? (2) To what degree, are the interpreting skills systematically trained in each course book? (3) To what degree, does each course book help develop teaching program and learning methods? The research shows that An Advanced Course of Interpretation well fulfills the needs of test taker of Shanghai Advanced English Interpretation Test, yet lack of interpreting skill training, but in certain degree stimulate test takers to develop autonomous learning. Field Interpreting well fulfills the needs of learners of higher English proficiency, systematically trains learners'note taking skill, and helpful to develop teaching program and autonomous learning methods. Challenging Interpreting: A Course Book of Interpreting Skills well fulfills the needs of starters in interpreting, systematically trains learner's all the interpreting skills, and very beneficial to develop teaching program and autonomous learning methods.The thesis is in the pursuit of helping learners identify the advantages of those three interpreting course books to achieve effective learning of interpreting and indicating a direction for compilation of interpreting course book. In addition, this research hopes to supplement researches on interpreting course book evaluation through the establishment of the interpreting course book evaluation checklist.