Putting interpreting admissions exams to the test

Interpreting ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Chabasse ◽  
Stephanie Kader

With increasing numbers of students wishing to become conference interpreters, but limited capacities in most university degree programs, accurate admission testing is an important means of predicting an applicant’s chances of completing the program successfully. This article focuses on three aptitude tests for simultaneous interpretation: Pöchhacker’s SynCloze test; Chabasse’s cognitive shadowing test; and Timarová’s personalized cloze test. The test battery was administered at the start of the 2009/2010 academic year to students beginning the two-year Master’s program in conference interpreting (MA KD) at Germersheim. Correlations between test performance and subsequent exam grades at the end of the second semester were examined for all three tests. Given the large number of applicants each year, practical feasibility of the tests was taken into consideration with a view to scheduling the format and content of the entrance exam for the 2012/2013 academic year. In this perspective, cognitive shadowing was identified as the most useful test under the existing time constraints.

Author(s):  
Patricia Edwards ◽  
Mercedes Rico ◽  
Eva Dominguez ◽  
J. Enrique Agudo

Web 2.0 technologies are described as new and emerging for all fields of knowledge, including academia. Innovative e-learning formats like on-demand video, file sharing, blogs, Wikis, podcasting and virtual worlds are gaining increasing popularity among educators and students due to their emphasis on flexible, collaborative and community-building features, a promising natural channel for the social constructivist learning theory. This chapter addresses the application of e-learning in university degree programs based on exploiting the practical, intensive and holistic aspects of Second Life® (SL™). Although the specific framework dealt with is English as a foreign language, it seems feasible to assume that the learning processes are equally transferable to other disciplines. In light of the aforementioned premises, the outlook of e-learning 2.0 approaches require action research and shared experiences in order to back up or challenge the claims and expectations of the academic community concerned with best practices in education.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 766-776
Author(s):  
Andrew P. Hill ◽  
Karen Burland ◽  
Elaine C. King ◽  
Stephanie E. Pitts

Research has shown that perfectionism predicts emotional experiences among amateur, professional and adolescent musicians. In examining these relationships, previous research has measured trait perfectionism and employed cross-sectional designs. The current study builds on existing research by examining whether perfectionistic self-presentation (as opposed to trait perfectionism) predicts negative and positive emotional experiences in music students over time. One hundred and forty-three music students ( M age 18.92 years, SD = 2.96) enrolled in music-related degree programs completed measures of perfectionistic self-presentation (perfectionistic self-promotion, non-display of imperfection, and non-disclosure of imperfection) and emotional experiences (positive and negative feelings) at the start, middle and the end of the academic year. Path analysis revealed that perfectionistic self-promotion at the start of the year predicted lower positive feelings in the middle of the year, and non-disclosure of imperfection in the middle of the year predicted lower positive feelings at the end of the year. In addition, negative feelings in the middle of the year also predicted higher non-disclosure of imperfection at the end of the year. The findings suggest that the desire to present oneself perfectly and avoid disclosure of imperfections may contribute to less positive emotional experiences among music students.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-182
Author(s):  
María Perramon ◽  
Xus Ugarte

Abstract At a time when the advances in information and communication technologies meant that new approaches to virtual teaching and learning could be proposed, the teaching staff on the degree in Translation and Interpreting at UVic decided to offer part of the degree in distance learning mode. This learning mode was launched in the 2001–2002 academic year, with optional face-to-face teaching sessions some Saturdays and coexisted with the traditional face-to-face courses. During the first years, the fourth-year interpreting specialisation subjects were not taught online for technical and pedagogical reasons. Since the 2014-2015 academic year, we also teach these subjects online. The challenge that we face starting the 2017-2018 academic year is twofold: 1. To adapt the online teaching of interpreting subjects to groups with a high number of students in the new Inter-university Degree in Translation, Interpreting and Applied Languages jointly offered by the University of Vic and the Open University of Catalonia (UOC). 2. To adapt the contents and methodology of interpreting subjects to changes in professional practice: telephone and videoconference interpreting, especially in liaison interpreting. In our paper, we will show some online teaching resources, as well as several online tools which we use in our courses.


2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandra Boni ◽  
Jordi Peris ◽  
Estela López ◽  
Andrés Hueso

In this article the authors explore power imbalances in a decision-making process to define the contents of a new Spanish degree adapted to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), specifically the industrial design and product development engineering degree which started in the academic year 2009/10 at the Higher Technical School of Design Engineering (ETSID) at the Technical University of Valencia (UPV). They start the article with a description of the tool they used to analyse the power issues: the power cube, developed by John Gaventa. Then, they briefly explain the process of adaptation of the Bologna Process at the UPV in general and at the ETSID in particular. They introduce the methodology used in their research by referring to the type of questions asked and the criteria used to select their informants. Subsequently, they discuss the answers, paying special attention to three aspects: the quality of participation and the quality of the process; the types of power; and the concept of education. Lastly, they propose a series of recommendations intended to improve the quality of participation in deliberative processes at university.


2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Dolores Reina-Paz ◽  
Ainhoa Rodriguez-Oromendia ◽  
Claudia Sevilla-Sevilla

Spain is currently experiencing a difficult economic situation, and in recent years a significant change has been observed in the behavior of the demand for educational programs as a result of this situation. Recent studies reveal a change in student demand that does not have the same effect on all academic institutions. Bearing this behavior in mind, the present study focuses on providing an overview of the situation of the Spanish distance education university system over a six-year period, from the 2007/08 to the 2011/12 academic year, analyzing the different variables that influence the demand and new enrollment in official degree programs. We also conduct a comparative analysis of the patterns these variables follow depending on the methodology applied by the different universities examined in our study, making a distinction between classroom and distance education universities.


2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-169
Author(s):  
Monique Frances Bourgeois ◽  
Dale Kirby

The significance of post-secondary education is investigated for rural Newfoundland women enrolled in undergraduate liberal arts degree programs. Data collection for this research involved comprehensive, detailed semistructured biographical interviews with rural women studying liberal arts disciplines during the 2006–2007 academic year at Memorial University of Newfoundland. The data analyses drew on theories of experiential and embodied knowledge, social constructionist theories of gender and place, and research on women, rurality, and post-secondary education. The findings indicate that, overall, a liberal arts degree is a part of a search for a new home for the women interviewed. Images and experiences of life as women in rural Newfoundland act as forces that push and pull the women to and from their homes, with varying impact. Although the women were very pleased with their choice of a liberal arts major, for most this choice did not dominate the significance of enrolling in university.  


2020 ◽  
Vol 87 ◽  
pp. 00008
Author(s):  
D.M. Voronin ◽  
O.A. Zavaltseva ◽  
O.V. Khotuleva

The paper is devoted to the usage of a mixed learning model with elements of project activity in the master’s program. Master’s programs are implemented at the State University of Humanities and technology from the 2018/2019 academic year at the faculty of biology and chemistry. The main idea of implementing blended learning is to improve the quality of the educational process and the practical application of learning outcomes in teaching activities. The students involved in are this program are all practical teachers and have real opportunities to implement the results of the educational process in school practice. Within the framework of the educational program, a system has been developed to such as extend that ensures the process of creating and implementing author’s projects in the educational space of the school. The undergraduates create their own projects and implement them in the school environment. The projects are the product of training, which gives the opportunity of the educational program.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-94
Author(s):  
Daniel Madrid ◽  
Steven Julius

This is an empirical study which aims to examine the profile of Spanish university students in bilingual degree programs that employ English as a medium of instruction by utilizing the bilingual section of the teaching degree course at the University of Granada as a sample. To this end, a questionnaire was applied to 216 students. While 75% of the students reported having problems when following a bilingual class, these difficulties were found to diminish or disappear after the first trimester. The majority of the students (70%) were satisfied with the program offered but they also detected some deficiencies, which provided a basis for various suggestions as to how university bilingual programs might be improved.


Author(s):  
Anna Serbati ◽  
Ettore Felisatti ◽  
Debora Aquario ◽  
Renata Clerici ◽  
Lorenza Da Re ◽  
...  

How we can improve the quality of teaching in the university degree courses? What are the professors’ practices and the beliefs about their role in the students’ learning process? A group of spokespersons of seven Italian Universities has carried out an integrate sources study to answer those questions and to define a programme of activities for developing didactic skills of the teachers. This paper aims to illustrate the design and the results of a research project which involved 4,289 university professors (59% of the target population), who were teaching courses at bachelor and master level during the academic year 2014/15. The data were directly gathered by a CAWI questionnaire which was distributed to the whole teaching staff; the survey results were linked to administrative data related to the educational offer and students’ evaluation of teaching in the same academic year. The results were summarized using some indicators, which showed the diffusion of good practices of teaching, support needs, beliefs, interest and availability of the respondents. We verified the reliability of these indicators and, by means of them, we identified sub-groups of areas of expertise and needs to involve teachers in appropriate different and integrated activities, directed to develop teachers’ professional competences.


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