LINGUIST List 7.1210

Sat Aug 31 1996

Qs: Implicatures, Tests for interpreters, Lang in the media

Editor for this issue: Ann Dizdar <dizdartam2000.tamu.edu>

Directory

1. PIERRE LARRIVEE, implicatures
2. "Marcus W. Dickson", Hiring tests for interpreters
3. Luis Silva-Villar, Language in the media

Dear Linguists, Engaging unto the wonderful path of pragmatics for
thesis-related issues, and being new to the field, I<d like to know if
the distinction between conventionnal and conversationna l
are reliable categories. Do they cover all of implicatures and
implications? Are they clearly mutually excluding categories, or are
there cases known to fall in both, or in between? Troublesome data and
pointers to recent specialized reference will be very useful, and I
will post a summary to the list, so you can contact me
directly. Thanks to all in advance, Pierre Larrivee Universite Laval

aaa552agora.ulaval.ca

My name is Marcus Dickson, and I am an instructor and graduate
student in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at the University of
Maryland. I am currently working on a project relating hiring and
selection tests for translators for a local county court system.
Specifically, I am trying to determine whether moving from a live
role-play test (as the county does now) to an audiotaped test would
decrease the validity of the test, because of the lack of non-verbals.

I have done searching in the literature with which I am familiar, and
have come up basically empty. I was kindly referred to this list by
one of the experts I can tacted, and so beg your indulgence for the
intrusion of a non-linguist on to the list. My specialty is employment
assessment, rather than speech and linguistics, and so I turn to the
experts in the field.

The exact questions are: 1) To what extent do non-verbals (other than
voice tone) account for variance in understanding the message conveyed
via a translator/interpreter? and 2) Would a selection test where the
interpreter candidate received the speech to be interpreted from a
videotape and gave his or her responses into an audiotape be less
valid than a selection test using live scripted role play?

I would appreciate any guidance you might give on where to look for
relevant articles or chapters, and thank you for any assistance you
might give.


Marcus Dickson

======================================================================
Marcus W. Dickson
Psychology Department
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742

Internet: P-Mdicksonbss3.umd.edu (preferred), or md73umail.umd.edu
Voice: (301) 405-5934 Fax: (301) 314-9566
O-

 I am currently writing a report on newspaper sections as well
as TV and radio programs dealing with language. The specific
geographic areas I am interested in are the US and Latinoamerica
although information from other geographic areas is welcome.
 Any description of these materials (or help in searching for
them) will be appreciated.
 Finally, negative data are welcome too, i.e., It is also
important to know if no section is available in the newspapers you
read or if no program exists on the channels you listen to and/or
watch.
 Thank you very much.
 This report will contribute to the understanding of the role
of language in our societies

 Luis Silva