A concept map approach to knowledge competence acquisition for student interpreters

Abstract

As an essential component of interpreting competence, knowledge competence has long been under-researched in the field of interpreting education and training, in contrast to language competence and various interpreting skills. This study presents the results of a survey investigating student interpreters’ attitudes toward the acceptance of concept mapping as a tool to enhance their knowledge competence and examining the pathways of factors influencing these attitudes using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results showed that undergraduate student interpreters enrolled in a Mandarin-English interpreting course were willing to use concept maps as a knowledge enhancement tool, and their attitudes toward this tool were positively influenced by their perceived usefulness of concept maps in supporting extra-linguistic knowledge acquisition and interpreting performance, and their perceived ease of use of concept maps. Accordingly, pedagogical implications for introducing concept maps in interpreting classes are presented.