Chapter 4 Results
4.5 Part Four: Use of the Glossary
Once completed, a glossary may be used by the subjects. This section addresses how the subjects used their glossary before, during, and after class. Q4-1 examined how the subjects familiarized themselves with glossary items before class:
Table 4.15 How to familiarize oneself with glossary items
Question Choices Counts Percentage
Q4-1: What do you do
Have someone test you on the items in the glossary.
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As discussed in Chapter 2, learners may engage in self-initiated activities to familiarize themselves with items on the word list. Indeed, based on the results of Q4-1, more than half of the subjects would read the items out loud (74.8%), read them in mind (65.4%), and memorize them (63.6%).
Rote-memorization is the most intuitive way to engage with glossary items because learners at some point still have to commit the items to memory. By
committing items to memory, glossary users could become more familiar with them:
S10: I read the glossary many times before class to be familiar with items.
S11: (on the reason of memorizing items) I know that I will be very nervous when in the booth. I do not have time to carefully look at every word.
S12: I memorize items to speed up output.
Others.
(read the source article out loud to put the words in context; memorizing them before bedtime and making sentences out of them; listen to relevant topics
continuously; use them in pre-class practices)
4 3.7%
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S17: I read the items until I feel familiar with them.
Reading items in mind goes hand in hand with memorizing them. It helps users to be familiar with the items (S16 and S18). Reading the items out loud, on the other hand, involves deeper processing of the items because one needs to exercise his/her vocal organs to produce the sound of certain items. Explaining the reasons for doing so, interviewees mostly cited familiarity with how items sound, which facilitates memorization:
S2: Reading out loud helps me familiarize with the sound of the terms and facilitates listening comprehension.
S4: Reading in mind and reading out are two different things. It is very obvious in SI. You can do silent SI well, but to really enunciate in SI takes additional effort. It is about muscle memory. You tongue would remember what it feels like to enunciate a word. Sometimes you know how to
pronounce a word, but you still stutter.
S6: It facilitates memorization. You get to know how to read the terms and how they sound. Some unfamiliar or long term may cause you to stammer when you are interpreting because you are nervous.
S7: Instructors once said that reading the terms out loud facilitates
memorization. You have auditory input in additional to visual input. Some English words are hard to pronounce. Reading it out loud makes it easier to pronounce.
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S9: The vocal organs would get familiar with some terms. The output will be smoother as well. It is better than reading in mind.
S12: Hearing the sounds seems to facilitate memory. It lets your mouth and ears get used to the terms.
S14: I memorize items based on their sounds. Most of glossary items are unfamiliar. If I do not know how to pronounce them, I will not be able to translate them well when I hear them. I would read them out to be familiar with how they sound. Then when I hear the onset of the pronunciation of a term, I can search my memory and know if I have committed that term to memory.
S15: It increases familiarity with items. Hearing the terms when interpreting, I can immediately associate them with what I learned.
“Use them deliberately whenever possible” is similar to “learning vocabulary in context” discussed in Chapter 2 and involves deeper processing as well on the
learner’s part. Not many subjects would take time to use glossary items in context, but for those who did, they commented that in so doing they learned how to use the items in the right way:
S1: I would use the terms on the slides, assume the role of the speaker, and incorporate the terms in my talk. You can only use the terms well if you use them in sentences.
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S2: I would use items to orally construct a discourse, to explain a concept.
S4: The sentences I include in my glossary are mostly made by myself to increase processing level, to increase the effort of using the word. In psychological terms, you become more familiar with the word in so doing.
S9: If you create sentences from items, you internalize them, so to speak.
You do not simply know how to translate the term. You learn to know how to use a word or a term in the right way.
“Have someone test you on the items in the glossary” received only 12.1%, but such activities may also serve to facilitate memory and interpreting output:
S12: We played such games before vocabulary exams. On our way to the practicum venue, we would have pop quizzes on each other. The goal is to reduce reaction time.
S18: To speed up reaction. If you practice the bilingual transfer of terms shortly before class, you will not get stuck.
Although such “mutual testing” was not chosen by the majority of the subjects, learners may engage in other test-like activities themselves:
S3: I read only the source language items and read out the target equivalent to minimize resource consumption when interpreting.
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S5: If it is an English-to-Chinese interpreting class, I cover the Chinese terms and test myself on the items.
S6: I write down terms manually to facilitate memorization. I write down target language equivalents in my glossary one day after it is built.
It is obvious that the subjects did not merely build the glossary and go to class.
Overall speaking, those self-initiated learning activities were deemed by the subjects to facilitate memory and output and extend well beyond rote-memorization, a
traditional way of language learning.
The next two questions explored how the subjects used their glossary for CI and SI classes and whether there existed any difference between their glossary use and the two interpreting modes:
Table 4.16 Print-outs for CI and SI
Question Choices Counts Percentage
Q4-2: Do you usually print out your glossary on paper and consult it when
interpreting consecutively?
Yes, I print it out and consult it. 61 57%
Yes, I print it out but don’t consult it. 10 9.3%
No, I don’t print it out; I consult it only on electronic devices (e.g.
laptops, tablets).
21 19.6%
No, I don’t print it out and don’t consult it.
5 4.7%
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Others.
(I write it down and consult it;
sometimes on hard copy, sometimes on electronic devices; if the list is long, I'll print it out, if it's not, I'll consult it on my computer; I write words I believe will be relevant on a sheet of paper; It really depends.
Sometimes I print them out and sometimes I’m too lazy and just read them from my laptop. Sometimes the list is very short so I just scribble them down on my notepad or handouts;
Yes, I print it out and consult it when I’m able to find where one particular word is; I write them down on my notebook; I don't print it out, and only occasionally consult it on electronic devices; I write the glossary on paper
10 9.3%
Q4-3: Do you usually print out your glossary on paper and consult it when
interpreting simultaneously?
Yes, I print it out and consult it. 53 49.5%
Yes, I print it out but don’t consult it. 15 14.0%
No, I don’t print it out; I consult it only on electronic devices (e.g.
laptops, tablets).
18 16.8%
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No, I don’t print it out and don’t consult it.
8 7.5%
Not applicable because I have not taken any SI courses.
3 2.8%
Others.
(I write it down and consult it;
sometimes on hard copy, sometimes on electronic devices; I write words I believe will be relevant on a sheet of paper; It really depends. Sometimes I print them out and sometimes I’m too lazy and just read them from my laptop. Sometimes the list is very short so I just scribble them down on my notepad or handouts; Yes, I print it out and consult it when I’m able to find where one particular word is [when the list does not exceed one page]; I print it out but seldom consult it when interpreting [no time for that.
Committing to memory is better]; I write them down on my notebook; I write the glossary on paper; not print, but I may write it down on papers)
10 9.3%
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It could be expected that glossary use would differ from person to person. As the results show, some of the subjects chose to print out the glossary, while others did not.
Some chose to look at the glossary when interpreting, while others preferred not to consult it. Generally speaking, though, around half of the subjects would both print out and consult the glossary in class, regardless of the interpreting mode (57% for CI and 49.5% for SI).
Those who printed out their glossary cited ecological reasons for their choice:
S16: I print out my glossary because in some situations you cannot use a laptop.
S7: I print out my glossary often. You have to hold your notepad [in CI].
You have to stand sometimes and cannot hold an electronic device. Even if we have a desk in class, the instructors hope that we could simulate real-life working situations. So I print it out and hold it in my hand to read along with my notes.
S12: I would print it out; PC takes up much space.
For those who would consult the glossary in the CI class, the timing of
consultation was different among the subjects. Some interviewees could look at the glossary both at the comprehension and production phase (S5 and S11). Other
interviewees could only consult the glossary when taking notes or the moment before opening the mouth:
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S7: I print the glossary out and hold it in my hand to read along with my notes…The only moment you can take a look at it is the moment you finish taking notes and are about to speak.
S8: I look at it when listening and taking notes. I know where I would get stuck.
S14: I read my glossary when taking notes because I feel more nervous during delivery.
In the SI class, some subjects would bring their electronic devices with them to the booth and display their glossary on the screen (S7 and S8). In particular, S5 said that his/her glossary for the SI class would be shorter than for the CI class to save the need to scroll the pages. Even if the glossary was very long, he/she would select some terms to put on top.
As Jiang (2013) argued that glossary use would differ for CI and SI, it is worthwhile to examine the differences from the subjects’ responses. Some subjects thought that they had more time to look at their glossary in the CI class, citing the relatively more time available when doing CI:
S9: In CI there is more time to look at the glossary and less time pressure than in SI.
S11: I have more time to look at the glossary in CI. I put it on the table and look at it. When I listen, I organize my thoughts and have time to read it again when I talk.
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S19: The instructor would allow some pause before we started interpreting.
Some of the subjects, however, thought that they were more likely or had more time to read the glossary when doing SI:
S1: You have a boothmate, who would help you find and point out items on the glossary. There is no one to help you in CI.
S10: There is no need to take notes in SI. When hearing a word, I can just check the glossary.
S13: When it is not your turn, you can read the glossary. You can check it in front of you as you speak.
S17: There is less time to consult the glossary in CI. You have to read the notes.
Whether the subjects printed out and consulted the glossary or not, many would try to memorize the items during preparation, and they thought that the compilation of the glossary mattered more than its actual use:
S12: I think that the glossary is more about preparation before class. I seldom look at it in class. I memorize the items.
S3: CI glossaries mainly serve to familiarize you with the subject matter.
They do not provide much online help.
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S4: One instructor made a point to say that the glossary is to be read carefully before, not in, class. So you do not look busy when interpreting.
S1: Sometimes by putting the glossary besides me, I feel more prepared psychologically. In most cases, if you do not familiarize yourself with glossary items before class, it is more difficult to find them when interpreting, unless you have spare time during interpreting.
S16: I memorize terms both for SI and CI. For SI, although you lay in front of you, you are not really looking at it. You have to focus on input and output.
One phenomenon worth mentioning is that some of the subjects would extract some glossary items from the glossary they have built and use this shorter version of their glossary in class. This shows that although users may not use all of the items in class, it is the process of glossary building that matters. Users may have already been familiar with most glossary items through memorization or other means:
S16: I manually write down some terms on my note that I do not have to commit to memory.
S18: I do not print out the glossary. I just write down some key points (extracted from the glossary file) on my interpreter’s notebook.
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S4: For SI, I would manually extract important terms (e.g. names of organizations or laws) on a piece of paper from my glossary. It takes quite an effort to read the entire glossary in the booth.
S5: I select some items that I would read on top of the glossary. Items below are for preparation and future use, while items on top are for online help.
S6: Creating a shortlist from the original glossary has a soothing
effect…The items that I extract on a list are those that I think will appear again and again.
S12: I manually extract on a piece of paper one to two terms that I think will definitely come up.
The subjects’ habit to extract items for online use shows that a glossary may serve both a strategic purpose (process) and tactical purpose (on-site use). The duality of glossary use necessitates the need to produce two versions of the glossary for them to be of use.
All in all, whether subjects would print out and consult the glossary is a matter of personal habit. As the “Others” section of Q4-2 and Q4-3 show, glossary use for the same subject may even change based on different situations. However, it is clear that some of the subjects did use their glossaries differently in CI from SI. What’s more, glossary consultation during interpreting matters not so much as the process of its creation.
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Table 4.17 Glossary editing in and after class
As discussed in Chapter 2, glossary editing is an on-going process that extends into the conference. The same holds true for many of the subjects. As many as 69.2%
Question Choices Counts Percentage
Q4-4: Do you edit your
Yes, I do as the instructor introduces the materials to be interpreted. terms and expressions used by classmates in their
interpreting.
74 69.2% (1)
Yes, I do when hearing new terms and expressions in the speaker’s talk.
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of them would edit the glossary in class as the instructor introduced the materials to be interpreted and when hearing new terms and expressions used by classmates in their interpreting. Almost the same percentage (68.2%) of the subjects would edit their glossaries based on the speakers’ talk in class. From some of the interviewees’
comments, one finds that instructors and classmates play an important role in the on-site editing of glossary:
S5: When instructors mentioned things not on the slides, I would add them to my glossary.
S6: If my translation of a certain term differs from the instructor’s, I would edit it. I would also add items I did not prepare.
S13: I notes down usages from the original talk, classmates’ interpretation, or instructors’ comments.
S17: When I am not sure about certain terms, I would discuss with classmates at school. I may find that I get some items wrong or get some new items.
S19: When finding items that I did not find on my classmates’ glossary, I would feel anxious and note them down immediately.
For the subjects, the ongoing editing of their glossaries may even occur after class, as shown in the results of Q4-5. About two-thirds (63.6%) of the subjects would continue to edit their glossary after class. The editing involved either adding new
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items to the existing glossary or revising the original content. Instructors, again, play an important role in students’ glossary revision:
S8: I add better expressions used by the instructor. I used “mindset” to translate a term, but the instructor suggested “idea” or “belief,” which I included in the glossary.
S15: I would edit the glossary if the glossary is incomplete, or the
translation of items is not correct in the context, or the instructor pointed out how a term is translated in a certain field.
One interviewee (S16) who did not make an effort to polish his/her glossary after class cited time as the reason. He/she would not take the time to edit the glossary because it is not very organized in the first place. For those who did not make the additional effort, the glossary probably served as a one-time product, as in the definition of glossary proposed by Jiang in her study.
Table 4.18 Saving and reuse of the glossary
Question Choices Counts Percentage Jiang’s
Q4-6: Do you save your glossaries for future reference?
Always. 57 53.3% 75.2%
Sometimes. 40 37.4% 22.7%
Rarely. 10 9.3% 2.1%
Never. 0 0%
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These two questions concern the use of the glossary after a particular class. The majority of the subjects (53.3%+37.4%) would save their glossaries for future reference at least sometimes. The same holds true for professionals. Although a glossary may be produced only for a single class, some of the subjects regarded their glossaries as a database that will come in useful again in the future:
S4: The glossary is just like a database/corpus that you can go back to review for both interpreting and translation purposes. The glossary is the result of my efforts, so I do not throw it away. I would continue to include terms I encounter after class in the same domain.
S11: You do not have to build a glossary again if you happen to work on the same topic next time. It is just like building a database.
However, the mission-specific nature of the glossary was highlighted by some interviewees:
S14: The glossary is just for a particular mission. I throw my glossary away after use.
Q4-7: Do you use existing glossaries made by yourself before?
Always. 11 10.3% 51.7%
Sometimes. 70 65.4% 44.7%
I always create new glossaries.
26 24.3% 3.6%
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S19: I do not deliberately save them. If I need the terms again, I could start preparing again.
The reuse of glossary features prominently in the responses of both the subjects in the present study and in Jiang’s. More than half of the professionals would always
The reuse of glossary features prominently in the responses of both the subjects in the present study and in Jiang’s. More than half of the professionals would always