The Power of the Interpreter in the Business Domain: A CDA Approach to the Professional Interpreter’s Mediating Role

This study explores current practices in business interpreting in China with the aim of identifying the power of the interpreter from the perspective of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Given the dramatic increase in trade and economic exchanges between China and Western countries, business dialogue interpreting is the most frequently adopte d type of interpreting in China. Cross cultural business negotiation, with its intricate nature and fluctuating dynamics, is highly relevant to its social and situational context. Universally recognized professional norms and interpreter codes of conduct a re not always applicable. This study proposes the following hypothesis: when practicing in a business scenario, the interpreter has power (defined as “control”) derived from linguistic, social, and cultural resources that are unavailable to others in the discourse. Conceptualizing the interpreted business encounter as a discursive practice, the study examines data selected from authentic, naturally occurring business interpreting events in China. The research draws on CDA theory to explore the power of the interpreter, looking at how the actual role of the interpreter deconstructs a shared fiction of interpreters as invisible, detached, and totally neutral in such discourse through the use of scarce bilingual and bicultural resources. Fairclough’s (1989) three dimensional CDA model consists of description, interpretation and explanation. The model makes empirical examination of the interpreter’s power in specific discourse possible by allowing for transcript analysis across different dimensions and levels. This research makes an innovative contribution to the field by integrating CDA theory with theories of social and Interpreting studies, such as Goffman’s (1981) participation framework and Wadensjö’s (1998) typologies. It adapts relevant methodology to examine how the interpreter’s power was established and enacted. The power of interpreter is represented in the capacity to exhibit ownership and accountability when taking individual decisions and actions to influence the development of the dialogue. This capacity is explored primarily in terms of following three categories: the variation of renditions, personal pronoun shifts, and the management of turn taking within the discursive practice of business interpreting. The results show that when performing in the context of business negotiation interpreting, the interpreter assumes a substantial role. This role disrupts a prescribed, idealized image of the interpreter as invisible and totally neutral within the activity of interpreting. Interviews with interpreters then explore their awareness of power as well as how their intervening behaviors and shifts in subject position are influenced by the situational and social context of business negotiations. The role of the interpreter within the setting of business negotiations is uncharted territory in Interpreting Studies. This study aims to improve interpreter awareness of their actual role and subject position in the domain of business. It also carries the potential to enhance the quality of pedagogical practice and the effectiveness of interpreter mediated business meetings

The Apocalypse of John : a hermeneutical study

The aim of this dissertation is to discover the relevance (so often called in question) of John's Apocalypse. It was necessary first of all to examine the nature of the genre 'apocalypse'. Modern scholarship seems close to reaching a consensus of opinion concerning the main elements of the genre. Yet there are different views regarding its purpose. Our hypothesis is that the genre develops from a therapy in crisis towards a treatise on eschatology. The next step was to examine the Sitz-im-Leben of Revelation. Here we favoured the most commonly accepted opinion that Revelation was probably written towards the end of Domitian's reign. Then we examined the social and religious conditions in Asia at that time, and came to the conclusion that Revelation was indeed contending with crisis, mainly religious but social to some degree. John's literary sources were then examined. In terms of quantity Old Testament allusions are the most numerous, but our author is also thoroughly familiar with Christian ideas and with the thought of intertestamental literature. It was interesting to find similarities to the Qumran literature. What came as a surprise was the number of ideas that seem to be derived from pagan sources or from the secular world. From these investigations, some aspects of Revelation's relevance became apparent. The genre facilitates a championing of future eschatology that has sometimes been blurred in our own century, and provides some principles for a Christocentric theodicy. The Sitz-im-Leben investigation led us to see that John stirs the Christian conscience to protest against political evil, and by implication condemns condoning by silence. This provides a basis for a theology of liberation. John's use of sources shows an appreciation of an ongoing process of hermeneutics, portends a recognition of the religious value of the profane, and proclaims victory through the cross

Developing Learning System in Pesantren The Role of ICT

According to Krashen's affective filter hypothesis, students who are highly motivated have a strong sense of self, enter a learning context with a low level of anxiety, and are much more likely to become successful language acquirers than those who do not. Affective factors, such as motivation, attitude, and anxiety, have a direct impact on foreign language acquisition. Horwitz et al. (1986) mentioned that many language learners feel anxious when learning foreign languages. Thus, this study recruits 100 college students to fill out the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) to investigate language learning anxiety. Then, this study designs and develops an affective tutoring system (ATS) to conduct an empirical study. The study aims to improve students’ learning interest by recognizing their emotional states during their learning processes and provide adequate feedback. It is expected to enhance learners' motivation and interest via affective instructional design and then improve their learning performance

Doctrine of Res-judicata

Not availabl

Wendell Berry\u27s Philosophy Of Education: Lessons From Port William

In the midst of a proclaimed crisis in higher education, in the clamor and clamber to leverage technology for such innovations as mass open online courses and differentiated learning modules, in the speculative frenzy of preparing students for the careers of a fantasy future, and in the swirl of angst about funding accountability and economic relevance, Wendell Berry\u27s philosophy of education declares that the essential element missing from most current discussions and considerations of education is love. As explained in his essays and revealed in his fiction and poetry, Berry\u27s philosophy centers on love as the best animator of learning: love among those teaching and learning, love for what can be learned, and love of how such learning can be applied in a beloved place on earth. Further, under his basic assumption that all life--including our own--depends on the earth, Berry\u27s philosophy sets the life and health of the world as the ultimate goal and standard of education. This dissertation makes a comprehensive study of Berry\u27s work, unearthing a philosophy of education from his essays and interviews and placing that philosophy in the context of his fictional world of the Port William neighborhood, where at its best, Port William offers meaning to its people through necessary work done well and an awareness of interdependence and belonging. It is Berry\u27s hope that a realignment of educational priorities, based on love and focused on the health of the world and local place, can lead us to better care of each other and the earth we share

Systems&design:beyond processes and thinking

El entorno social,el territorio, los productos y las empresas, son ámbitos comunes,en los que se pretende realizar una optimización en la gestión del conocimiento,y desde la que se nos debe permitir observar el mayor número de factores con incidencia en la decisión proyectual necesaria para el diseño de nuevos productos y o servicios.Los retos que plantea la complejidad inherente a estos nuevos tiempos, exige la observación y estudio desde diferentes abordajes e investigaciones, que deberán ser capaces de interpretar las múltiples relaciones complejas, considerando su comportamiento y afectación en el proceso de diseño desde el ámbito complejo de lo multidisciplinar.Hernandis Ortuño, B. (2016). Systems&design:beyond processes and thinking. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/73710EDITORIA