Language Culture and Curriculum
Editor and Book Reviews Editor: Eoghan Mac Aogain (St Patrick's College)
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Volume: 13 Number: 2 Page: 154–173
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Language Labs and Translation Booths: Simultaneous Interpretation as a Learner Task
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Sane M. Yagi
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In spite of the negative attitudes towards translation tasks in TEFL, the study reports successful outcomes for a TEFL module based on simultaneous oral translation from Arabic into English. The learners
worked individually in a traditional language laboratory. Following preparatory work on an English narrative text, also conducted in the laboratory, they were required to do a simultaneous interpretation
(SI) of the passage, i.e. to convey its content, in spoken English, in response to an Arabic version heard on the earphones. The results show that SI significantly improves learner performance and that
it is an excellent tool for diagnosing learner competence in grammar and vocabulary. The paper examines the results, and suggests some reasons for the success of the method and possibilities for extending
its use.
© Multilingual Matters 2000
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