An Empirical Study On Correlation Between Thematic Knowledge Build-up Through Concept Mapping And Interpreting Quality

This study examined the effect of concept mapping-based preparation of thematic knowledge on the performance of C-E consecutive interpreting.Sixteen Chinese student interpreters were randomly divided into two even groups.Novak’s concept mapping as both knowledge management and evaluation tool was adopted to facilitate thematic knowledge build-up in advance preparation for the experimental group,and knowledge acquisition of the subjects was quantified based on the Novak and Gowin’s(1984)scoring scheme;On the other hand,the control group used traditional ways of preparation.Following the preparation,all participants completed the same interpreting task,and accuracy(indicated by sense consistency and grammar use)and fluency of performance were assessed,in order to examine the effects of concept mapping-based preparation and explore correlation between the width,depth and accuracy of thematic knowledge and interpreting quality.Results indicated that compared with the traditional approach to preparation,concept mapping-based preparation is conducive to improving interpreting accuracy,specifically sense consistency with the original,while there was no significant between-group difference of fluency.Meanwhile,Pearson’s correlation test showed that there was a positive correlation between the depth of knowledge and accuracy of interpreting:both sense consistency and grammar use improved as the number of hierarchical levels and cross-links increased in concept maps constructed by the participants.Results confirmed classical comprehension models such as Gile’s(2009)Comprehension Equation and Kalina’s(1998)Comprehension Model,highlighting the importance to build a good knowledge structure of the given topic for interpreting.The study inspires advance preparation with the construction of knowledge structure at its core,confirms the positive role of visualization tools in advance preparation,and offers a possible way to track the progress of students’ thematic knowledge build-up in interpreting teaching.