Authors:
Yubo Liu Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China

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Wei Zhang School of English and International Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China

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Abstract

This study aims to explore the relevance and underlying factors of an array of interpreting aptitude constructs, and, on that basis, the collective and group-specific perception of their relative importance. To meet the research purposes, a questionnaire survey was designed and distributed to interpreting trainers, trainees and professional interpreters, asking respondents to evaluate the relative importance of 40 aptitude constructs drawn from an extensive literature review. A total of 769 valid responses were collected. An explorative factor analysis retained 23 constructs divided into three factors focusing on cognitive skills for online information processing, personality traits and temperaments, and foundational linguistic skills respectively. While personality traits and temperaments were regarded as a stable and distinctive dimension of interpreting aptitude, cognitive skills for information processing were viewed as the most important factor. Particularly, listening and speaking in B enjoyed the highest rating. Although statistically significant differences existed in the relative importance of certain constructs, the substantive differences indicated by the effect sizes were small. Compared with trainees, trainers and professional interpreters demonstrated a more sharpened awareness of market demands and industrial priorities, but otherwise the three groups converged more than they diverged in the evaluation of aptitude constructs and factors.

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Editor-in-Chief: Krisztina KÁROLY (Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary)

Consulting Editor: Dániel MÁNY  (Semmelweis University, Hungary)

Managing Editor: Réka ESZENYI (Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary)

Founding Editor-in-Chief: Kinga KLAUDY (Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary)

EDITORIAL BOARD

  • Andrew CHESTERMAN (University of Helsinki, Finland)
  • Kirsten MALMKJÆR (University of Leicester, UK)
  • Christiane NORD (University of Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa)
  • Anthony PYM (Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain, University of Melbourne, Australia)
  • Mary SNELL-HORNBY (University of Vienna, Austria)
  • Sonja TIRKKONEN-CONDIT (University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland)

ADVISORY BOARD

  • Mona BAKER (Shanghai International Studies University, China, University of Oslo, Norway)
  • Łucja BIEL (University of Warsaw, Poland)
  • Gloria CORPAS PASTOR (University of Malaga, Spain; University of Wolverhampton, UK)
  • Rodica DIMITRIU (Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Iasi, Romania)
  • Birgitta Englund DIMITROVA (Stockholm University, Sweden)
  • Sylvia KALINA (Cologne Technical University, Germany)
  • Haidee KOTZE (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)
  • Sara LAVIOSA (Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Italy)
  • Brian MOSSOP (York University, Toronto, Canada)
  • Orero PILAR (Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, Spain)
  • Gábor PRÓSZÉKY (Hungarian Research Institute for Linguistics, Hungary)
  • Alessandra RICCARDI (University of Trieste, Italy)
  • Edina ROBIN (Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary)
  • Myriam SALAMA-CARR (University of Manchester, UK)
  • Mohammad Saleh SANATIFAR (independent researcher, Iran)
  • Sanjun SUN (Beijing Foreign Studies University, China)
  • Anikó SOHÁR (Pázmány Péter Catholic University,  Hungary)
  • Sonia VANDEPITTE (University of Gent, Belgium)
  • Albert VERMES (Eszterházy Károly University, Hungary)
  • Yifan ZHU (Shanghai Jiao Tong Univeristy, China)

Prof. Dr. Krisztina KÁROLY 
School of English and American Studies, Eötvös Loránd University
H-1088 Budapest, Rákóczi út 5., Hungary 
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