以中進英口譯策略訓練提升台灣大學生英語口語能力之探討

Abstract

口譯的本質在於溝通，英語教學的近年主流「溝通式教學觀」也強調培養學生的溝通能力。口譯員在認知限制、時間壓力及口譯規範等制約之下，採用策略解決問題、預防問題及提升溝通效果，箇中訣竅或許值得英語學習者借鏡。 本研究有兩個主要目的。一是從教學的角度爬梳口譯策略文獻，整理出適用於大學部英語課堂中教授的口譯策略，並搭配第二語言學習理論，設計策略教學之教材與流程。二是檢視這些口譯策略是否能成功應用於學習者的英語口語輸出，幫助他們在表達心中思想時更為靈活變通、條理分明而提升口語能力。 本研究採前、後測準實驗設計與質性訪談和資料收集，以臺灣北部某大學67位中高程度之非英語系大一學生為研究對象，分為實驗組43人及控制組24人。實驗組接受三個月的中進英口譯策略訓練，包含策略教學、六步驟口語訓練，以及口語作業三大面向。控制組未接受口譯策略教學，但接受相同或對等的口語訓練及口語作業。 針對第一個研究目的，為了便於學生記憶與應用，口譯策略以四大原則歸納。原則一、「靈活變通」：包含「往上搜詞」、「橫向搜詞」、「解釋」、「換句話說」四大策略。原則二、「分段處理」：包含「斷句」、「順譯」、「簡單句」。原則三、「條理分明」：分為「重整思路」與「加銜接詞」。原則四、「簡潔扼要」：分為「去蕪」與「存菁」。策略教學以真實口譯語料為實例，透過回譯練習、小組討論、反思清單及口語作業等來啟動認知、後設認知及社會情意的學習機制。問卷資料顯示，口譯策略對於英語口說的幫助，以及學生對於回譯活動的喜愛，皆達中高的程度。 針對第二個研究目的，資料分析以量性方法為輔、質性方法為主以檢驗教學成效。量性方面，兩組前、後測的英語口試成績分為總分與細項進行組間與組內比較。組間比較顯示，口譯策略訓練顯著提升實驗組在描述/記敘題型的流利度。組內比較方面，控制組有顯著進步的項目為整體辭彙變換、整體精確度，以及描述/記敘題型的精確度。實驗組顯著進步的項目遠多於控制組，除了整體精確度之外，還包含總分、整體流利度、整體連貫性、一般談話的流利度、申論題總分、申論題的連貫性及精確度，以及低成就者的總分。實驗組組內顯著進步的項目與口譯策略訓練有相關性。 質性資料則是針對九位實驗組參與者後測及自我口譯作業的逐字聽打稿、課堂討論的逐字聽打稿、事後回想訪談、個別訪談、焦點訪談及反思清單進行分析，以便瞭解學習者策略使用的情況及心路歷程。訪談及反思資料顯示，三大原因限制口譯策略在英語口說上的廣泛應用：個人使用策略的本能、腦中思緒的不定性，以及中文出現於腦中的情況與程度。然而，參與者也認為口譯策略訓練提升靈活變通的能力、加快策略應用的速度、讓他們更為聽者著想，而回譯練習讓他們更意識到自身的盲點，進而更留意母語人士的表達方式。 本研究試圖在口譯與英語口語教學研究上搭起另一座橋樑。研究結果顯示中進英口譯策略訓練有助於提升部分面向的英語口說能力，也頗受學習者的歡迎，為英語課堂增加趣味、挑戰及多元性。本研究整理的口譯策略及設計的教學流程也能應用於大學部口譯課程，以提升學生語言靈活度及溝通效果。研究生則可根據自身需求及弱點進一步延伸本研究的口譯策略分類，將之個人化。Communication is the nature of interpreting. The recent trend of communicative approach to language teaching also emphasizes the cultivation of learners’ communicative competence. Conditioned by cognitive and temporal constraints and interpreting norms, interpreters adopt strategies to solve and prevent problems, and to enhance communicative effectiveness. Interpreters’ resourcefulness and efficiency in achieving communicative goals is what language learners can learn from. This study had two main purposes. 1) To assess the pedagogical values of interpreting strategies identified in empirical studies, select those suitable for an undergraduate English class, and develop materials and procedures for strategy instruction based on theories in second language acquisition. 2) To examine if these interpreting strategies could be successfully applied to English learners’ oral output, and if the training could lead to proficiency gains by enhancing learners’ flexibility and clarity in dealing with ideas in mind. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design and methods of qualitative data collection were employed. The 67 participants of this study were high-intermediate to advanced level non-English major freshmen in a university in northern Taiwan. The experimental group (EG) had 43 participants, while the control group (CG) had 24. The EG received a three-month Chinese-to-English interpreting strategy training incorporated into a regular English class. The training consisted of strategy instruction, six-step oral training, and speaking assignments. On the other hand, the CG received no strategy instruction, but the steps of oral training and speaking assignments were the same or comparable. With regard to the first purpose of the present study, interpreting strategies were streamlined with four catchy principles for easier application. PRINCIPLE 1. BE FLEXIBLE included use a more general term, use a similar term, explain, and paraphrase. PRINCIPLE 2. ONE CHUNK AT A TIME involved chunk the source text, preserve linearity, and produce short, simple, direct, and self-contained sentences in the target language. PRINCIPLE 3. BE CLEAR contained (re)structure messages from main idea to supporting details or from general to specific, as well as add cohesive words to explicate the logical relationships between ideas. PRINCIPLE 4. BE CONCISE involved omit redundant, secondary, superfluous, or repetitive parts of speech, and select important messages. Demonstrated with authentic examples from interpreting corpuses, strategy instruction activated cognitive, metacognitive, and social affective aspects of learning with back-interpreting practice, small group discussions, post-task reflection worksheets, and speaking assignments. Questionnaire data suggested that the usefulness of interpreting strategies to English speaking and the participants’ liking of back-interpreting activities were both perceived to be moderately high. With regard to the second purpose of this study, the effectiveness of interpreting strategy training was examined using quantitative and qualitative methods. In terms of quantitative analysis, between-group and within-group comparisons were conducted on the total scores and detailed aspects of the pretest and posttest. Between-group comparisons showed that interpreting strategy training led to the EG’s significant improvement in fluency in the descriptive/narrative task type. Within-group comparisons showed that the EG saw far more extensive improvements than the CG. The CG had significant improvement in the overall lexical resource, overall accuracy, and accuracy in the descriptive/narrative task type. In addition to overall accuracy, the EG also saw significant improvement in total scores, overall fluency, overall coherence, fluency in conversational task type, the total scores of argumentative task type, coherence and accuracy in argumentative task type, and the total scores of those with lower oral proficiency. The EG’s significant within-group improvements might have something to do with interpreting strategy training. To understand the learners’ strategy use and their perceptions of strategy application, qualitative data were analyzed, including transcriptions of nine EG participants’ posttest and self-interpreting assignments, of in-class discussions, comments made in stimulated retrospective interviews, individual interviews, and focus group interviews, as well as written reflections on worksheets. Three major causes were found to limit the application of interpreting strategies to English speaking: one’s natural tendency of strategy use, the elusive nature of thoughts, and the context and extent of Chinese appearing in one’s mind when speaking English. However, the participants also expressed that the training enhanced their resourcefulness, accelerated the application of strategies, and induced an interlocutor-oriented mindset. In addition, the realization of one’s language deficiency through back-interpreting practice more effectively raised their awareness to native speakers’ language use. This study is another attempt to examine the actual benefits that interpreting training might bring to college-level EFL learners, and the participants’ perceptions and oral proficiency gains both showed that interpreting training could be a welcome addition to a conventional English class for fun, diversity, and challenge. Furthermore, the interpreting strategies streamlined for pedagogical purposes and the instructional procedures developed in this study may be used in undergraduate interpreting courses for enhancing students’ resourcefulness and communicative effectiveness. Graduate-level students can also personalize and expand the strategy typology based on their needs and weaknesses.