An Investigation of Language Anxiety in Interpreter Training Classes

Description

Interpreters are expected to be highly proficient in languages. However, in tertiary interpretation classes, students’ command of languages is still inadequate. Anxious feelings connected with language may arise, which will interact with other learning factors in affecting students’ achievement. Although research has established consistent inverse correlations between anxiety and language achievement, little attention so far has been paid to the study of language anxiety in the interpreter training process. This study intends to fill the gap by investigating the impact and sources of language anxiety in Hong Kong tertiary interpreter training programmes. Students enrolled in interpretation classes in universities in Hong Kong will participate in this study. Both quantitative and qualitative investigations will be conducted. The findings will help researchers understand the nature of anxiety in the interpreter training process, which will provide great insights for teachers for reducing students’ anxiety levels and enhancing the quality of interpretation classes.