Tracking Eye Movements in Sight Translation – the comprehension process in interpreting

[[abstract]]While the three components of interpreting have been identified as comprehension, reformulation, and production, the process of how these components occur has remained relatively unexplored. The present study employed the eye-tracking method to investigate the process of sight translation, a mode of interpreting in which the input is written rather than oral. The research focused especially on the comprehension component in sight translation, addressed the validity of the horizontal and the vertical perspectives of interpreting, and ascertained whether reading ahead exists in sight translation. Eye movements of 18 interpreting students were recorded during silent reading of a Chinese speech, reading aloud a Chinese speech, and Chinese to English sight translation. Since silent reading consists of the comprehension component while reading aloud consists of the comprehension and production components, the two tasks served as a basis of comparison for investigating comprehension in sight translation. The findings suggested that sight translation and silent reading were no different in the initial stage of reading, as reflected by similar first fixation duration, single fixation duration, gaze duration, fixation probability, and refixation probability. Sight translation only began to demonstrate differences from silent reading after first-pass reading, as shown by higher rereading time and rereading rate. Also, reading ahead occurred in 72.8% of cases in this experiment, indicating the overlap between reading and oral production in Chinese to English sight translation. The results supported the vertical perspective in interpreting as well as the claim of reading ahead. Implications for interpreter training are to attach more importance to paraphrasing skills and to focus more on the similarities between sight translation and simultaneous interpreting.

Promoting Multilingual Reader in Efl Classrooms: a Portrait on the Reading Strategies

This paper reports on how English as a Foreign Language Learner (EFL learners) explored their reading strategis when dealing with L1 and L2 texts. The destination of reading, a notion called comprehension, is by no means is a complicated process. This complexity can only be simplified only if a reader can employ the available reading strategies. The capacity to employ and develop the 20 reading strategies, as suggested by Grabe and Stoller (2002), can be injected both in L1 and L2 context. In EFL reading context, comprehension must first take place in students\u27 first language (L1), and eventually lead to comprehension in their second language (L2) (Alwasilah 2012; 2001). From this perspective, EFL classroom now serves as a ‘sacred\u27 site for promoting multilingual reader in which students are encouraged to demonstrate engagement dynamically both in their L1 and L2. From the 20 strategies employed by two selected respondents, four strategies seem to be a big puzzle for EFL leerners: focus on generic structure, intertextuality, inferences, and discourse markers. This, however, should be seen as a milestone rather than as a weakness. The more strategies employed, the more strategic the readers will be. This is the phenomenon captured in EFL reading classroom presented in this study. Keywords: L1 and L2 reading, strategic reading, comprehension

Students' reading comprehension performance with emotional literacy-based strategy intervention

An effective reading comprehension process demands a strategy to enhance the cognitive ability to digest text information in the effort to elicit meaning contextually. In addition, the role of emotions also influences the efficacy of this process, especially in narrative text comprehension. This quasi-experimental study aims to observe students’ performance in the Reading Comprehension Test resulting from Emotional Literacy-Based Reading Comprehension Strategy (ELBRCS), which is a combination of cognitive and affective strategies. This study involved 90 students, whereby 45 students were clustered in the Experimental Group and received the ELBRCS intervension. The remaining 45 students were placed in the Control Group and underwent the conventional strategy (prevalent classroom method).The students’ reading comprehension performance was measured using the Reading Comprehension Test (RCT). The findings show that the experimental group received a higher score than the control group for RCT. The intervention has successfully increased student’s Reading Comprehension from literal comprehension to higher levels of comprehension i.e. inferential, evaluative and appreciative levels, as indicated by Barret’s Taxonomy

EMC² = comprehension: A reading strategy instruction framework for all teachers

Comprehension is a critical part of the reading process, and yet learners continue to struggle with it and teachers continue to neglect it in their teaching. Many reasons exist for the lack of focus on reading comprehension instruction, but for the most part, teachers simply do not seem to view comprehension as part of the reading process, are not able to teach the concept, and are seemingly not taught to do so during their teacher training years. In addition to this, comprehension continues to be viewed as part of ‘language teaching’, and is therefore viewed as the so-called ‘language teacher’s’ domain. In support of effective comprehension instruction in the unique, multilingual South African education environment, this article proposes a framework for reading strategy instruction, aimed specifically at teachers. The framework was developed from a research study, and refined through subsequent application in a university course as well as a further study. The framework acknowledges that reading is a multifaceted and complex process, and accordingly, provides sufficient structure for teachers. It further addresses the issue of comprehension instruction through the use of selected reading strategies, designed to be applied by all teachers in all subjects in a flexible and easy manner.Keywords: reading comprehension framework, reading comprehension instruction; reading strategies; reading strategy instruction; teachers and reading comprehensio

Influence of Cognitive Factors on the Process of Readers’ Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension, which is consistent with language comprehension and general comprehension, is a complicated psychological process. During reading, readers have to recognize words and understand sentences of the new reading materials to achieve comprehension. In order to comprehend the text completely and correctly, readers need to relate new information to the knowledge stored in their brains. Readers’ reading comprehension is influenced by many factors, such as readers’ intelligence, innate ability, psychical conditions, psychological factors and language basis. Cognition is a part of psychological activities and a rational thinking process in contrast to emotion, motivation and readers’ endurance. In this paper, the author will explore how cognitive factors influence readers’ reading comprehension on the basis of a case study. By the study, it’s proved that cognitive factors influence readers’ reading comprehension in two aspects, one is readers’ knowledge structure and the other is readers’ abilities structure

THE USE OF AUTHENTIC TEACHING MATERIALS TO IMPROVE READING COMPREHENSION (A Classroom Action Research in SMP Muhamadiyah 8 Surakarta of the Academic Year 2008/2009)

Salman Alfarisi K2202046: THE USE OF AUTHENTIC TEACHING MATERIALS TO IMPROVE READING COMPREHENSION (A Classroom Action Research in SMP Muhammadiyah 8 Surakarta of the Academic Year 2008/2009). Teacher Training and Education Faculty. Sebelas Maret University. 2010. This study is based on the problem that was the low reading comprehension of the 8th grade students of SMP Muhamadiyah 8 Surakarta of the Academic Year 2008/2009. It is focused on improving students’ reading comprehension through the use of authentic teaching materials. The researcher conducted classroom action research from July to September 2009. The subject of this research is the students of class VIII A of SMP Muhammadiyah 8 Surakarta of the Academic Year 2008/2009. The researcher conducted the teaching learning activities in two cycles. Each cycle consisted of four steps: planning, implementation, observation, and reflection. In cycle one, the researcher applied authentic materials in order to drag the students interested in reading so that they enjoyed in their reading class. By enjoying the reading, their reading comprehension might increase. In this cycle, the students’ reading comprehension increased but not optimally yet. Moreover, there were still problems that arose in this cycle. For example: some students still got difficulties in finding the main idea, they got difficulties to find out the appropriate meaning of words, and they still failed to find any informations from the text. In cycle two, the researcher tried to solve the previous problems by focusing on the teaching materials given and adding the medium in the teaching learning process, which was group discussion. In this cycle, the researcher was able to solve the problems. From the explanation above the researcher concluded that after he conducted the actions the students’ reading comprehension increased optimally. Before he conducted the actions the mean score of the pre-test was 55.5, and after doing the actions the mean score of the post-test was 77.6. The result of the research showed that after implementing the authentic teaching materials, the students’ level of interest in the reading class increased. Finally, their reading comprehension improved well

Analisis Korelasi antara Kebiasaan Membaca dan Kemampuan Membaca Pemahaman pada Siswa Kelas IX SMP Kemala Bayangkari Makassar

This study aims to describe whether or not there is a relationship between reading habits and reading comprehension ability in class IX students of SMP Kemala Bayangkari Makassar. This study is a descriptive study using correlational analysis methods. The population in this study was 200 students and the sample was 40 students. In this study data was collected from two sources, namely the questionnaire value from the results of the reading habit questionnaire test and the value of reading comprehension ability from the results of the comprehension reading ability test. Data obtained in the form of primary data using a quantitative descriptive approach with an objective process and analyzing data. The results of the analysis in this study indicate that the relationship between reading habits and reading comprehension ability of class IX students at SMP Kemala Bayangkari Makassar has a positive correlation. In this study, it is hoped that the readers and writers themselves will be able to further improve their reading skills

A CASE STUDY AND THE NEEDS ANALYSIS FOR DETERMINING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' READING SKILLS

This study aims to determine the secondary school students' conditions and needs about reading and reading comprehension skills. According to this aim, the research process was structured as a case study that identifies reading and reading comprehension problems. Therefore, the research process was prepared according to the holistic-single case design of the case study. The research question is focused on: What are the secondary school students' needs regarding the problems they face in reading and reading comprehension processes? In this context, qualitative and quantitative data were collected through questionnaires, observation forms and semi-structured interviews to determine the students’ needs and to make analyzes via these data. Quantitative data were collected from 307 secondary school students. Then, qualitative data were obtained from the participants who were identified as homogeneous sampling in this group. The data collected during eight weeks were analyzed by the quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods. According to the results of the analysis, it was found out that the students were affected by the factors that affect reading comprehension, physical factors that affect reading, reading difficulties and reading and reading comprehension problems. According to these findings, it was determined that the students have commonly the reading problems such as not caring about reading comprehension, lack of expectation against reading, get bored from the reading process, tiredness from reading, distraction, skipping reading, making habit of reading problems, not knowing punctuation, mixing letters. Based on these problems, students' needs for reading and reading comprehension were determined. To meet students' needs, suggestions were given on how reading and reading comprehension education to be designed.  Article visualizations