115
Uzbek State World Languages University
ФМ
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
THEORY AND PRACTICE
OF TRANSLATION
E-ISSN: 2181-1237
Philology Matters / ISSN: 1994-4233
Jameela Abduganieva
Researcher, Uzbekistan State World Languages
University
DEVELOPING CONSECUTIVE
INTERPRETER’S COMMUNICATIVE
SKILLS OF EMOTIVE-EMPATHIC
ANNOTATION
Consecutive interpretation is a special form
of oral communication between people speaking
different languages, representing different cultures,
and it is carried out in any situation of intercultural
communication in order to exchange thoughts,
information, knowledge, labor results, products,
emotions, values, relationships in the process of
interaction.
A consecutive interpreter is a mediator of
intercultural communication, and the development
of emotive-empathic interaction skills of an
interpreter promotes the successfulness of such
communication.
Interpreters’ communicative skills of
emotive-empathic interaction within consecutive
interpretation may be defined as a communicative
and speech act in a foreign language communication
implemented independently and in an optimal way.
The act is accomplished at the level of interaction-
exchange of emotions and relations both in the
frames of independent component and in the
frames of processing the cognitive and interactive
components. This enables to carry out the emotive-
empathic interaction under any conditions and
new situations of consecutive interpretation thanks
to the full totality of qualities.
The aim of the paper is to consider issues
related to emotions, empathy, their role in the
process of communication, and their levels of
empathy. Skills of emotive-empathic interactions
and relevant to national culture, also the issues of
the development of communicative skills in the
mentioned interaction of the future interpreters,
determined the conditions for their formation are
described. In addition the paper presents definition
Жамила Абдуғаниева
Ўзбекистан давлат жаҳон тиллар университети
докторанти
ТАРЖИМОНЛАРНИНГ
ЭМОТИВ-ЭМПАТИК
АСПЕКТДА КОММУНИКАТИВ
КЎНИКМАЛАРИНИ
РИВОЖЛАНТИРИШ
АННОТАЦИЯ
Кетма-кет таржима турли тилларда
сўзлашадиган, ҳар хил маданиятларни ифода-
лайдиган шахслар ўртасидаги оғзаки нутқнинг
махсус шакли сифатида ҳар қандай маданият-
лараро алоқада ва ҳар қандай вазиятда фикр-
лар, маълумотлар, билимлар, меҳнат натижа-
лари, маҳсулотлар, ҳиссиётлар, қадриятлар,
муносабатлар алмашинуви мақсадида амалга
оширилади.
Таржимон – маданиятлараро мулоқотнинг
воситачиси, таржимоннинг эмоционал-эмпа-
тик таъсир ўтказиш кўникмаларини ривож-
лантириш мулоқотнинг муваффақиятини
таъминлайди. Кетма-кет таржима жараёнида
эмоционал-эмпатик ўзаро муносабатларнинг
коммуникатив кўникмалари мустақил равиш-
да ва мақбул тарзда амалга ошириладиган чет
тили мулоқотининг коммуникатив ва нутқий
фаолияти сифатида аниқланиши мумкин. Бун-
дай жараён таъсир даражасида – ҳиссиётлар ва
муносабатлар алмашинуви мустақил компо-
нент доирасида ҳам, когнитив ва интерактив
компонентларни қайта ишлаш доирасида ҳам
амалга оширилади. Бу ҳар қандай шароитда
кетма-кет таржиманинг эмоционал-эмпатик
ўзаро таъсирини амалга оширишга имкон бе-
ради.
Мақоланинг мақсади – эмпатия ва унинг
мулоқот жараёнида тутган ўрни ва даража-
си ва ҳиссиётлар билан боғлиқ масалаларни
кўриб чиқишдир. Эмоционал-эмпатик ўзаро
алоқалар ва миллий маданиятга тегишли
бўлган кўникмалар, шунингдек, келажакда
DOI: 10. 36078/987654452
116
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
of the communicative ability of the emotive-
empathic interaction of future interpreters;
considers a set of exercises aimed at the formation
of these skills. The results of the scientific research
are presented by the set of exercises.
Key words:
empathy, interpreter, intercultural
communication, communicative ability, emotive-
empathic interaction, bilingualism, non-verbal
means of communication, exercise.
INTRODUCTION
The emotional-empathic component is present at all levels of communication as
interaction, all interpersonal relationships are based on emotions and empathy. The ideal
communication is communication driven by the motive of affiliation (A. Mehrabian,
H. Heckhausen, H. Murray, A.N. Leontyev and others), that is, the desire to establish
and maintain relationships with other people, the desire for contact, cooperation and
communication with them. The purpose of the motivation for affiliation is a mutual
and trusting relationship, where each partner, if he does not like the other, then treats
him with kindness, accepts him, supports him in a friendly manner and sympathizes
with him. However, in the modern world, in the context of cooperation, thousands of
people from different cultures communicate daily without success, as the negative
influence of cross-cultural differences, due to an undeveloped emotional culture, lack
of empathy, and an incorrect assessment of a communication partner representing a
different culture, are especially pronounced.
Emotional states as a special class of mental processes and conditions are
associated with instincts, needs and motives, reflecting in the form of direct experience
(satisfaction, joy, fear, etc.) the significance of the phenomena and situations acting
on the individual for the implementation of his/her life [Zimnyaya I.A., 2005; 467].
Emotion causes a certain behavioral activity, and behavioral activity is capable
of generating emotions. Therefore, emotions are of great importance in any purposeful
activity of a person, including communicative ones; take an active part in the regulation
of activity. Emotions arise if events or results of actions are related to motives. Any
manifestations of human activity are accompanied by emotional experiences. Therefore,
emotions perform a lot of different functions: activation, expressive (communicative),
mobilization, integrative-protective, regulatory, anticipating, cognitive, synthesizing,
switching, reinforcing, managing, and coordinating.
The communication process can have a positive or negative emotional attitude.
Most researchers (A.N. Leontyev, B.I. Dodonov, P.V. Simonov) subdivide any
таржимонлар шаклланишининг ушбу шарт-
ларини белгилаб берган ўзаро алоқаларида
коммуникатив кўникмаларни ривожлантириш
масалалари тадқиқ этилган. Бундан ташқари,
мақолада бўлажак таржимонларнинг эмоци-
онал-эмпатик ўзаро таъсирининг коммуника-
тив кўникмаси таърифи келтирилган; ушбу
кўникмаларни шакллантиришга қаратилган
машқлар тўплами таҳлил қилинган. Илмий
тадқиқотлар натижалари машқлар тўплами
билан изоҳланади.
Калит сўзлар:
эмпатия, оғзаки таржи-
ма, маданиятлараро мулоқот, коммуникатив
кўникма, эмоционал-эмпатик ўзаро таъсир,
билингвизм, новербал алоқа воситалари,
машқлар.
117
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
emotional states into two opposite classes. The emotion sign (positive, negative) is one
of the main qualitative characteristics of emotions, in which “the attitude to the reflected
phenomena as the main property of emotions” is manifested [Ramos C., Marina, Ana
R., 2014: 408]. Positive emotions induce the subject to achieve and maintain impacts,
the subject seeks the object of emotion, in this case, the action that the individual
performs and the impact to which he is exposed, are in a positive relation to his needs;
negative ones induce activity aimed at avoiding harmful effects, a person seeks from
the object of emotion, in this case, the action that the individual performs and the effect
to which he is exposed, are in a negative relation to his needs. The function of positive
or negative authorization inherent in emotions does not relate to the implementation
of individual acts, but to the ratio of the effects achieved with the direction given to
the activity by its motive. The mere success of an action does not necessarily lead to
positive emotions; it can give rise to a severe emotional experience, sharply signaling
that on the part of the motivational sphere of a person, the achieved success turns into
a defeat. In order to experience positive emotions, one must strive not to experience
them, but to achieve those goals that generate these emotions [Rojo, Ana, Marina
R. C., Javier V., 2014].
In recent decades, the research on psychological factors has gained popularity in
Interpreting Studies. In line with the discourse-based interaction paradigm [Wadensjö,
1998], interpreting can be perceived as a communicative activity in which an
interpreter acts as a mediator enabling communication between two parties expressing
not only meaning, but also intentions and emotions. Some interpreting scholars have
emphasized the significance of psycho-affective factors in the interpreting profession
[Brisau, Godijns and Meuleman, 1994; Timarová and Ungoed-Thomas, 2008;
Bontempo and Napier, 2011; Pöchhacker, 2011; Rosiers, Eyckmans and Bauwens,
2011].
It is in communication as the interaction of subjects with the aim of exchanging
information that mental processes, states and human behavior arise, exist and manifest
throughout life [Shevandrin, 1995/2005].
The specificity and complexity of consecutive two-way interpretation (hereinafter
CTI) lies primarily in the fact that it is a complex specific secondary type of speech
activity [Zimniaya, 1991] which is implemented in such forms as listening, writing,
dialogue speaking with the inclusion of monologue . Such type of interpretation is
always carried out within the framework of intercultural communication, foreign
language communication between people speaking different languages, in order to
organize the interaction of partners, when the interpreter listens, hears and understands
information, attitude, emotional coloring, communicative intentions expressed by
means of the source language, preserving the identity with the help of fixation of
thoughts of oral utterance, completes the process by formulating these thoughts with
equivalent means of another language, accompanied by appropriate transmission of
the emotional-attitude behavior [Serova, 2006].
MAIN PART
As pointed out by Bontempo and Napier [2011; 87] psychological and affective
118
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
factors may have implications for interpreting. Hence, some effective factors have
recently been investigated not only in the process of written translation [Rojo, Ramos
Caro and Valenzuela, 2014] and audio description [Ramos Caro and Rojo, 2014], but
also in empirical studies on interpreters. For instance, interpreting scholars have been
interested in the personality profile of a professional interpreter and interpreting novice.
Emotional stability as a predictor of interpreters` competence and aptitude for
interpreting has been tested in an empirical study by Bontempo and Napier (2011). The
concept was measured by the negative affectivity scale, and the study demonstrated a
strong impact of emotional stability on interpreters’ perceived competence [Bontempo
and Napier, 2011]. The authors stated that the results may be applied in interpreting
practice by showing how emotional stability may mitigate work pressure, challenges
and occupational stress to which interpreters are exposed [Bontempo and Napier,
2011].
Currently, as a result of training, an interpreter needs to have the ability and
willingness to interact at the above levels with communicants who are the native
speakers of different languages and representatives of different cultures. An interpreter
contributes not only to the successful exchange of information and planning of
a common strategy, but also to mutual understanding between partners. Based on
this, an important condition for the successful course of intercultural communication
becomes the ability of an interpreter to interact at the emotional and empathic level and
possession of skills of emotional communication. These skills require the ability to
preserve and maintain a positive emotional mood among communication participants;
change, smooth out the negative attitude towards the partner and switch to positive
or neutral. All subjects of intercultural communication should be satisfied with its
process and result. This is the goal of emotional-empathic interaction.
The emotional-empathic level of foreign language communication among people
is implemented in the discourse, which has verbal and non-verbal components. It is
also important to emphasize that discourse in consecutive interpretation is bilingual.
The verbal component of such a discourse is bilingual, as an interpreter translates
the text from one language to another. The non-verbal component of the discourse is
due to the affiliation of communication partners to a particular culture, because non-
verbal means may have differences in meanings, usage, performance and perception
in different cultures. This is explained by the fact that many components of non-verbal
behavior are not innate, but acquired, and their significance is culturally determined
[Izard, 1980; Kreydlin, 2002; Ekman, 2010].
Communication in general and foreign language communication in the context
of interpretation as a complex, multifaceted process of establishing and developing
contacts, human interaction, is generated by the needs for joint communicative and
speech activities, professional activities and includes the exchange of information,
emotions, attitudes to each other, the development of a unified interaction strategy
[Ekman, 2003; Bartłomiejczyk, 2007; Elfenbein and Ambady, 2002].
All three components of communication as an interaction (namely informational,
interactive, perceptual, or emotional-empathic), are closely related, and subjects,
119
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
acting mutually, can influence each other sending each other information, their
attitude, emotions, products, actions, making them common.
The formed culture of communicative-speech interaction in bilingual and
bicultural communication in the context of CTI is an important component of the
professional competence of an interpreter.
In the interpretation discourse, partners interact with each other in an intercultural
environment. All components of this discourse, as noted above, are bilingual, since
the interpreter deals with two languages: the source and the target one. In bilingual
discourse, the function of controlling the process of generating discourse is performed
to a greater extent by an interpreter [Knapp, 1985; Moschanskaya, 2008]. Other subjects
of communication are guided by it. The verbal component always contains emotive-
empathic manifestations. For this reason, the role of the interpreter is very important.
(S)He perceives a fragment of discourse, recognizes the emotions and relationships
shown, understands them, and then interprets using verbal, phonational and non-
verbal means to express various emotions and relationships. When interpreting, the
interpreter at the same time, takes into account the participants of communication who
speak different languages and represent different cultures, their non-verbal behavior,
environment, various additional information, etc. Bilingualism of an interpreter is a
complex, systemic, intrapersonal education, which includes a certain new language
system, the ability to use it in a communication situation [Serova, 2010].
Human activity does not exist otherwise than in the form of an action or chain
of actions [Leontiev, 1983].
For the methodology of teaching interpreting, the important point is that “in the
joint activity of people, it is possible to distribute actions between different participants
in the activity” [Leontiev, 1974], including interpreting in each specific situation.
A.A. Leontiev [Leontiev, 197] proposes to distinguish speech actions of three
plans: a) on the development of a particular operation; b) for servicing non-speech
activity; c) in communication activities.
Obviously, when defining communicative skills of emotive-empathic interaction
as the basis for distinguishing another type of simple and complex skills, one can take
the second and third plan of speech actions of consecutive two-way interpretation.
This may also be due to the fact that only non-verbal means are used or non-
verbal and verbal are used together to express emotions and attitude towards a partner.
The emotional-empathic component is present not only as an independent
component of communication, but also at the information and interactive levels. Not
only the partners, but also the interpreter depends on whether communication will
take place and whether it will have a positive result at all three levels; whether the
partners will have a steady interest in communication, including the achievement of a
collective result in business communication.
According to the theory of speech activity “every single act of activity begins
with a motive and plan and ends with a result, achievement of the goal outlined at the
beginning; in the middle lies a dynamic system of concrete actions and operations
aimed at this achievement” [Leontiev, 1969]. This is fundamentally important when
120
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
considering the problem of communication skills of subjects in oral consecutive two-
way interpretation as a complex form of foreign-language bilingual and bicultural
speech activity.
It is possible to define the speech interpretation skill of emotive-empathic
interaction under the conditions of CTI as the communicative speech action of foreign
language communication performed independently and in the best way at the level
of interaction — exchange of emotions and attitude within the framework of both
an independent component and within the framework of servicing information and
interactive interaction, which allows the presence of a full set of qualities to implement
in any conditions and new situations CTI this specially organized foreign language the
speech activity [Serova, 2006; Leontiev, 1969; Passov, 1991].
Groups, types of skills of emotive-empathic interaction in oral consecutive
interpretation as a complex form of a foreign language speech activity can qualify
both simple and creative complex skills due to the fact that CTI is a bilingual speech
activity in which there is a dialogue of two cultures, the manifestation of emotions
and relationships, which determines, in turn, the dialogue of two languages in the
process of expressing data of two cultures. If there is one language and one culture
of emotional-empathic interaction, then the skill can be defined as simple, and if
it is a fragment of the CTI situation, when bilingualism and biculturality are fully
manifested, then these are complex creative skills.
Thus, the basis for dividing into types of skills becomes bilingualism associated
with verbal and non-verbal means of expressing emotions and attitudes among
speakers of different cultures and languages.
In connection with the foregoing, the communicative ability of emotional-
empathic interaction in the context of consecutive interpretation is considered by us
as a self-performed and optimally communicative-speech action of a foreign language
communication at the level of interaction-exchange of emotions and relationships, both
within an independent component and within the framework of information service
and interaction, allowing due to the presence of a full set of qualities to carry out
emotional-empathic interaction in any conditions and new situations of consecutive
interpretation [Karpova, Serova, 2010].
We divided these skills into two groups, represented by two types, each of which
includes seven types. The skills of the first group presuppose the ability of an interpreter
to carry out dialogic communicative–speech actions, which are accompanied by an
exchange of emotions and relations of a neutral and positive nature and are based on
cooperation, mutual assistance and mutual understanding. The skills of the second
group include the ability to switch from negatively colored emotional-empathic
manifestations that arise from other partners or the interpreter himself, to neutral or
positive emotions and attitudes.
Types of communicative skills of emotive-empathic interaction are divided by
us into simple and complex. A skill is defined as simple when communicating, which
is characterized by the presence of one language and one culture, and as complex
when it comes to a situation of consecutive interpretation, in which bilingualism and
121
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
biculturalism are fully manifested.
The basis for dividing skills into types is the following:
– the number of emotions and relationships and the nature of their compatibility;
– participation of one or two languages;
– the nature of complexity and the amount of means of expressing emotions and
relationships;
– the number and compatibility of types of foreign speech activity in the process
of emotional-empathic interaction;
– accompaniment by the emotional-empathic interaction of the information and
interactive components of the communication process;
– two-component speech unit of interpretation;
–
inclusion of the number of fragments of the discourse of consecutive
interpretation [Karpova/Serova, 2010].
Formed communicative skills of emotional-empathic interaction include the
ability of a future interpreter to help partners in intercultural communication tune-
in to positive emotions in relation to each other; contribute to the creation of a
positive emotional background of communication, to understand the socio-cultural
characteristics of communication between representatives of different languages and
cultures; accept their cultural differences neutrally or positively; recognize and correctly
understand the emotions and attitudes of participants in intercultural communication
representing different languages and cultures, while taking into account the possibility
of differences in verbal, non-verbal and phonetic means used to express emotions and
relationships in both languages and both cultures.
These skills are formed on the basis of a selected and didactically organized
system of verbal, phonation and non-verbal means of expressing emotions and
relationships in two languages and cultures, in our case in Russian and English.
The possession of the skills of positively colored emotional communicative-
speech behavior allows an interpreter in any communication situation to create
a positive psychological background, positive emotions, show approval, joy for
success, satisfaction with the result, sympathy, goodwill, respect, which, in turn,
unites everyone on the way solving a problem and achieving a goal – a result.
Such skills suggest that an interpreter in the process of interaction in the
conditions of consecutive two-way interpretation is able to:
– attune to positive emotional success, joy, goodwill, respect, sympathy;
– listen carefully, see and understand the feelings, emotions and attitude of
partners in the process of interaction;
– stimulate the manifestation of partners’ goodwill, empathy, joy, confidence,
interest in achieving the goal;
– express their interest, attention and respect verbally and non-verbally (eyes,
head position, facial expressions, smile, etc.) to [Serova/Goreva, 2005].
In the process of switching from negative emotions and relationships to positive,
two or more final options are possible, for example, from emotions of anger and
resentment, you can switch to sympathy and goodwill, from emotions of irritation and
122
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
indignation to respect and restraint, etc.
Due to the fact that in the situation of consecutive interpretation, several types
and forms of speech activity are included, namely listening, thinking and writing,
speaking, and sometimes reading along with keywords, then a two-component
education becomes its unit of activity, in which each component is a complex structural
whole. In the first component, in the process of listening, semantic verbal decisions
are made, meaning-making on the basis of written fixation or without it as internal
semantic programming of the upcoming utterance, and in the second component is
the generation of the utterance text as part of the speech communicative act, which is
also implemented in the process of several types of speech activity, conditioned and
regulated by a specific communicative interpretation situation [Serova, 2001].
Given the complexity of the unit of speech activity of consecutive interpretation
due to its two-component nature, we can distinguish simple and complex skills of
emotive-empathic interaction, when it is based only on one component or both, i.e. a
complete communicative-speech act of interpretation activity is performed [Serova,
2001].
If we consider the dynamic process of the CTI in specific situations, which
involves the implementation of different types of speech activity in the form of a
flexible combination of them, then in this case various types of both simple and complex
skills are possible, namely, only listening and understanding of emotions expressed by
various means and relations, or just speaking as a product of a secondary oral text –
statements with the transfer of emotions and relationships in it. Complex skills in this
case can include, for example, listening and simultaneous writing-fixing or listening
with simultaneous reading by keywords and fixing-letters, as well as speaking on the
basis of reading a fixed program of the content of the upcoming translation text and
reading by key words – references demonstration materials accompanying the source
text.
A complex creative skill will be the completion from the beginning to the end
of the communicative-speech fragment of the CTI, where all the indicated types of
a foreign-language speech activity in the bilingualism and bicultural mode will take
place.
All the skills of the emotive-empathic interaction of an interpreter or in situations
of consecutive interpretation were represented by two groups, each of which had
two types of skills. In turn, both the first and second types include seven species,
distinguished according to the above grounds (Scheme 1), while each type of a simple
skill can have a different number of options.
So, the first and seventh types of skills can have a fairly large number of options,
123
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
but no less than 14 in the first form and an infinite number in the latter.
Scheme 1
SKILLS OF EMOTIVE-EMPATHIC INTERACTION
The first group of skills
of positively colored emotional-em-
pathic communicative-speech behavior
The second group of skills.
Switching from negatively colored
emotional-empathic communicative-
speech behavior to positive
1. Types of simple skills
2. Types of complex skills
1
st
type:
one pair of positive emotions and
relationships
1
st
type:
a combination of several and different posi-
tive emotions and relationships
2
nd
type:
combination of transition from one or
two pairs of negative emotions and at-
titudes to positive
2
nd
type:
combination of transition from several
negative emotions and attitudes to positive
3
rd
type:
participation of one (mother tongue or
foreign language) language
3
rd
type:
participation of two languages
4
th
type:
use of only one means as a pair of
verbal and non-verbal
4
th
type:
use of several and different means of verbal
and nonverbal
5
th
type:
in one type of speech activity
5
th
type:
in several types of speech activity
6
th
type:
for servicing one component of foreign
language communication
6
th
type:
for servicing immediately the information
and regulatory components of communica-
tion
7
th
type:
on the inclusion of one part of the
speech activity unit CTI
7
th
type:
inclusion of both parts of the speech unit of
CTI
8
th
type:
on the implementation of one fragment
of the communicative-speech act of
CTI
8
th
type:
on the implementation of several fragments
of the communicative-speech act of CTI in
a specific situation
From the second to the sixth types type – simple skills can be represented by only
two options each. The complex creative skills of the emotive-empathic interaction of
the fifth, sixth and seventh types are correlated with the complex bilingual speech
activity of consecutive two-way interpretation.
124
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
It should be emphasized that both the first and second groups of skills are
implemented in each type of simple and complex skills of emotive-empathic
interaction, which allows us to successfully develop all their important qualities in the
process of forming these skills.
From the list of qualities of speech skills, the most important for characterizing
the skills of emotive-empathic interaction in CTI are purposefulness, dynamism,
productivity, integration, hierarchy [Passov, 1989].
Purposefulness should be considered as the ability to manage the complex
speech activity of the CTI, strictly focusing on the goal-task to understand, extract
information with its emotive-empathic nature, formulate and arrange an oral text –
utterance, transmitting information and an emotional-relative character by means
of a language, phonation and non-verbal means of another language of translation
and another emotional-behavioral culture, striving for the goal – the result, so that
the correct understanding of the text-utterance and the response the yelling and non-
speech actions of the partners of the CTI situation [Serova, 2001].
Dynamism implies the ability of the interpreter to develop in time without
pauses and the return of the performed communicative-speech actions of the emotive-
empathic plan in different ways and in the new conditions of the CTI and to quickly
solve communicative translation tasks.
The productivity of both simple and complex communicative-speech skills of
emotional-empathic interaction is associated with the creation of the original, adequate
to the original, high-quality text of the statement required in a given situation from
the point of view of content, volume, form, emotional and empathy plan, and most
importantly, understandable by partners, which is always expressed in their response.
Integration is associated with the essential processes of penetration into each
other of simple and complex skills, their types and implementation options in the
translation solution, their interaction within a certain sequence.
And, finally, hierarchy is manifested, first of all, in the complex skills of the
emotional-empathic interaction in communication, which include simple skills.
Thus, emotive-empathic skills are quite specific. They suggest that the future
interpreter is capable to:
– help communication partners positively emotionally tune in to joy, goodwill,
respect, sympathy for each other;
– assist in the beginning of interaction to establish positive emotional relations
of communication partners, their manifestation of joy, sympathy, respect, goodwill
towards each other;
– empathize, i.e. put yourself in the place of another person;
– encourage communication partners to show kindness, joy, interest in achieving
the goal;
– be aware of the sociocultural specifics of communication partners;
– positively (or neutrally) accept cultural differences and value systems of
representatives of another society;
– see and correctly understand the emotions and relationships of partners –
125
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
representatives of different cultures and languages – in the process of interaction,
taking into account possible discrepancies in the verbal and non-verbal expression of
these emotions and relationships;
– give a positive emotional coloring to the transmitted message;
– support the activity of partners with positive verbal and non-verbal
reinforcement, for example, a friendly smile;
– support and, if necessary, create through verbal and non-verbal means a
positive emotional attitude in the process of communication.
One of the important conditions for the formation of skills of emotionally
empathic interaction is the selection and didactic organization of macro-discourse
with verbal, phonation, and/or nonverbal means of expressing negative, neutral, and
positive emotions and relationships. Macro discourse consists of video clips; text
excerpts from monographs, textbooks and online resources; non-linguistic iconic
means (drawings and photographs).
A set of exercises is adopted as a means of forming the above-mentioned skills.
Exercise is a unit of learning in the process of dialogical speaking and listening,
auditory and visual perception, comprehension and understanding of emotions and
relationships, their manifestation in statements or switching from negative emotive-
empathic manifestations to positive or neutral in a specific communicative-speech
situation, relying on video clips, texts on electronic and paper media or non-linguistic
iconic means. As examples, the following wording of exercises:
– Read the text in Russian and tell me what positive emotions and what positive
attitudes are expressed in it; what verbal means are used in this case.
– View and listen to the video clip where the hero demonstrates his friendly,
benevolent attitude; make a monologue, expressing your consent and using the
necessary verbal and non-verbal means of manifesting emotions and relationships
based on the glossary.
– View and listen to the video fragment with the statements of the partner in
English, colored with positive emotions and attitudes, transmit its contents in Russian,
using, based on the glossary, equivalent options for expressing the emotions and
attitudes shown.
– Based on the key words read the demonstration materials, thank your friend
for you his/her in organizing the New Year, showing friendliness, joy and approval.
– View and listen to the video clip of the conversation and reproduce the
statement, switching, based on the glossary, from the attitude of censure and emotion
of irritability to the attitude of restraint and emotion of friendliness, changing the
overall timbre of the voice.
– View and listen to the video in English and reproduce the statement, retaining
the content, but switching, based on the glossary, from expressing indignation and
censure to restraint and goodwill.
– View and listen to the video fragment stained with anger and indifference,
transmit its content, switching to positive and/or neutral (optional) emotive-empathic
manifestations, using verbal, non-verbal and phonation means based on the glossary.
126
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
The success of the process and the result of intercultural communication is
determined by the formation of the communicative skills of the emotive-empathic
interaction of the interpreter. The formation of these skills must begin in the first year
of professional training of an interpreter.
A set of exercises is adopted as a means of forming the above-mentioned skills.
Exercise is a unit of learning in the process of dialogical speaking and listening,
auditory and visual perception, comprehension and understanding of emotions and
relationships, their manifestation in statements or switching from negative emotive-
empathic manifestations to positive or neutral in a specific communicative-speech
situation, relying on video clips, texts on electronic and paper media or non-linguistic
iconic means [Karpova, 2011].
A means of forming communicative skills of emotive-empathic interaction
is a set of exercises (figure). Only the implementation of exercises leads to the
achievement of the learning goal [Passov, 1989]. As a unit of training for emotional-
empathic interaction, we take a specially organized exercise in the manifestation of
emotions and relationships of subjects to each other at the information-cognitive level
in the process of exchanging information, at the interactive level in the process of
distributing roles, functions and tasks, and, of course, emotional-empathic level.
127
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
Scheme 2
A set of exercises for the formation of communicative skills of
emotional-empathic interaction
Group I
Exercises on the formation of skills of
manifestation of positive and neutral emo-
tions and relationships
Group II
Exercises on the formation of
switching skills from negatively col-
ored emotional-empathic interaction
to positive and neutral
Listening, auditory and visual perception
and recognition of positive and neutral
emotions and attitudes
Listening, auditory and visual per-
ception and recognition of the mani-
festation of other negative emotions
and relationships
Reproduction (speaking) and manifesta-
tion of positive and neutral emotions and
relationships
Speaking (production) and switch-
ing from negative emotions and re-
lationships positive and neutral
Speaking and expression of emotions and
relationships in Russian and/or English
Use when switching from one or
two languages and cultures
The manifestation of positive and neutral
emotions and relationships in the context
of several types of speech activity (listen-
ing, writing, speaking and reading)
Implementation of switching in sev-
eral types of conditions of speech
activity
Implementing one or two components of
a foreign language communication (infor-
mation-cognitive and/or interactive)
Implementing one or two compo-
nents of a foreign language commu-
nication (information-cognitive and/
or interactive)
When performing all the exercises, students listen to and review pre-prepared
information material in the form of authentic video fragments of a specific micro-
discourse or they are given statements in a specific situation, illustrative material
(photographs, drawings), and didactic material. This material acts as an important
information basis for the successful activities of students. It allows you to cope with
the difficulties arising in the performance of speech activity and associated with the
subject plan and verbal, non-verbal and phonetic means. In exercises based on the
use of video materials, each time specific verbal, non-verbal and phonetic means
are offered. Under the information basis, we understand the totality of information
that characterizes the objective and subjective conditions of activity and ensures its
organization in accordance with the vector of movement towards an individual and
collective goal-result [Serova/Maletina, 2010; Shadrikov, 1996].
The first group of exercises is aimed at the formation of simple and complex
skills of emotional-empathic interaction to show only positive and neutral emotions
and attitudes. This group consists of five types of exercises.
In each type of exercise on the formation of skills of manifestation of positive
128
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
and neutral emotions and relationships, there can be several options depending on the
compatibility of emotions and relationships and their means of expression, as well
as the participation of Russian, English or two languages, their manifestation in the
process of several types of speech activity.
Exercises of the first type involve working with a video clip, drawing or
photograph, where certain positive and neutral emotions and attitudes appear. The
object of this type are the speech actions of comprehending the emotional-empathic
interaction, evaluating the emotions and relationships shown. Students need to
recognize and explain by what means they are expressed. These exercises contribute
to the development of the ability to recognize and memorize means of expressing
positive and neutral emotional experiences.
Exercises of the second type are aimed at displaying positive and neutral
emotions and attitudes in the process of expressing the reproductive plan.
Exercises of the third type involve the use by a student of one or two languages
and cultures of emotional-empathic interaction. They contribute to the formation
of the ability to recognize positive and neutral emotional manifestations expressed
verbally, non-verbally and phonetically by means of a native or foreign language, and
use them in your own statement. Also, these exercises are aimed at the formation of
skills to distinguish between formal, neutral and informal communication registers.
When performing these exercises, students work with video materials in Russian
or English or with cards on which verbal, non-verbal and phonological means of
expressing emotions and relationships are presented.
Exercises of the fourth type deal with the inclusion of different types of speech
activity: listening, understanding and writing-fixing with the manifestation of emotions
and relationships expressed by different means; listening and speaking as a product of
a secondary oral text-utterance with the transfer of emotions and relationships in it.
At the same time, reliance is made when listening and speaking on writing-fixing and
reading plan items, key phrases, and table of contents for drawings, etc. In the first
case, students are offered videos; in the second – cards with verbal, non-verbal and
phonetic means of expressing positive or neutral emotional experiences.
These exercises form listening and dialogical speaking skills within the
framework of emotional-empathic interaction.
In exercises of the fifth kind, the skills of manifesting emotions and relationships
are formed in the process of interaction for the purpose of exchanging information
(information and cognitive component) and for the purpose of exchanging and
distributing tasks, results, roles, functions, time, place, etc. (regulatory and
organizational component).
The second group of exercises on the formation of switching skills from
negatively colored emotional-empathic interaction to positively or neutrally colored
also has five types, each of which can have several options depending on the number
and compatibility of means of expressing emotions and relationships.
Exercises of the first type involve working with a video clip, photograph or
drawing, where negative emotions and attitudes appear. Students need to recognize
129
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
and explain by what means they are expressed. These exercises contribute to the
development of the ability to recognize manifested negative emotional experiences.
In exercises of the second type, the manifestation of negative emotions and
relationships by other subjects is presented; these exercises are aimed at the formation
of skills to make statements and switch from these manifestations to positive or neutral.
Exercises of the third type involve the presence of one or two languages and
cultures of emotional-empathic interaction (switching to positive or neutral emotions
and attitudes in Russian and English). They contribute to the formation of the ability
to recognize negative emotional manifestations in one (native or foreign) language
and transmit them by means of the same or another language, switching from negative
emotions and relationships to positive and neutral.
When performing these exercises, students work with video materials in Russian
or English. Students perceive the discourse in one language and transmit it in the same
or another language using appropriate means.
Exercises of the fourth type deal with the inclusion of several types of speech
activity, for example: listening and simultaneous writing and then subsequent
speaking; listening with simultaneous reading by keywords and subsequent speaking;
speaking on the basis of reading a fixed program of the content of the upcoming
statement; listening and speaking based on reading on the key words-referents of the
demonstration materials accompanying the utterance. To perform this type of exercise,
students are offered videos and cards with verbal, non-verbal and phonetic means of
expressing negative emotional experiences.
These exercises form listening and writing skills, reading by key words and
dialogical speaking in the process of emotional-empathic interaction.
The fifth type of exercises involves switching from negatively colored emotions
and relationships to positive and neutral in the process of accompanying one or
two components of a foreign language communication, namely, interaction for the
purpose of exchanging information (information-cognitive component) and for the
purpose of distributing tasks, results, roles, functions, time, place, etc. (regulatory and
organizational component).
In both the first and second groups of exercises, it is very important to provide
for the inclusion of special vocabulary as an information basis, namely, stable phrases,
clichés that allow for the expression of disagreement, refusal of something, the
impossibility of doing something, evaluating incorrectly or unsatisfactorily performed
work, while maintaining a positive emotional background, respect, goodwill.
CONCLUSION
Thus, emotive-empathic skills of an interpreter are quite specific. They suggest
that the future interpreter can:
– help communication partners positively tune in to joy, goodwill, respect,
sympathy for each other at the emotive level;
– assist in the beginning of interaction to establish positive emotional relations
of communication partners, their manifestation of joy, sympathy, respect, goodwill
130
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
towards each other;
– be aware of the socio-cultural specifics of communication partners;
– accept positively (or neutrally) cultural differences and value systems of
representatives of another society;
– see and correctly understand the emotions and relationships of partners –
representatives of different cultures and languages – in the process of interaction,
taking into account possible discrepancies in the verbal and non-verbal expression of
these emotions and relationships;
– give a positive emotional coloring to the transmitted message;
– support, and if necessary, create through verbal and non-verbal means a
positive emotional attitude in the process of communication.
In the process of training interpreters in the cycle of disciplines of the practical
course of a foreign language, a foreign language communication and in the practice of
interpretation, it is necessary to include situations and exercises aimed at developing
the skills of emotional-empathic interaction.
The success of the process and the result of intercultural communication are
determined by the formation of the communicative skills of the emotive-empathic
interaction of an interpreter. The formation of these skills must begin in the first year
of professional training of an interpreter.
REFERENCES
1. Bartłomiejczyk M., Interpreting quality as perceived by trainee interpreters, Interpret.
Transl. Train. 1 (2) 2007, 247–267.
2. Bontempo, Karen, and Jemina Napier. “Evaluating Emotional Stability as a Predictor of
Interpreter Competence and Aptitude for Interpreting.” Interpreting 13 (1): 2011, 85–105.
3. Brisau, André, Rita Godijns, and Chris Meuleman. “Towards a Psycholinguistic Profile of
the Interpreter.” Meta 39 (1): 1994, –P. 87–94.
4. Davidson B., The interpreter as institutional gatekeeper: the social-linguistic
5. Ekman P., Emotions Revealed: Recognizing Faces and Feelings to Improve Communication
and Emotional Life, Time Books, New York, 2003.
6. Elfenbein H.A., Ambady N., On the universality and cultural specificity of emotion
recognition: a meta-analysis, Psychol. Bull. 128 (2), 2002. – P. 203–235
7. Knapp K. Sprachmittlertaetigkeit in interkultureller Kommunikation // Rehbein J. (Hg.):
Interkulturelle Kommunikation. – Tuebungen: Narr, 1985. – P. 451–463.
8. Pöchhacker, Franz. “Assessing Aptitude for Interpreting: The SynCloze Test.” Interpreting
13 (1): 2011, – P. 106–120.
9. Ramos Caro, Marina, and Ana Rojo. “‘Feeling’ Audio Description: Exploring the Impact of
AD on Emotional Response.” Translation Spaces 3: 2014, –P. 133–150.
10. Rojo, Ana, Marina Ramos Caro, and Javier Valenzuela. 2014. “The Emotional Impact of
Translation: A Heart Rate Study”. Journal of Pragmatics 71: –P. 31–44.
11. Rosiers, Alexandra, June Eyckmans, and Daniel Bauwens. 2011. “A Story of Attitudes and
Aptitudes? Investigating Individual Difference Variables within the Context of Interpreting.”
Interpreting 13 (1): 53–69.
12. Timarová, Šarka, and Harry Ungoed-Thomas. “Admission Testing for Interpreting
Courses.” The Interpreter and Translator Trainer 2 (1): 2008, –P. 29–46.
13. Wadensjö, Cecilia. 1998. Interpreting as Interaction. London: Longman.
14. Zimnyaya I. A. Psychological aspects of teaching speaking a foreign language. Moscow,
2005. 160 p.
131
Series: THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TRANSLATION
2020 Vol. 33 No. 3
15. Zimnyaya I. A. Psychology of teaching a foreign languages at school. Moscow,
Prosveshchenie, 1991, 220 p.
16. Izard K.E. Human emotions – М.: Moscow univ. publ.house, 1980.
17. Karpova Yu.A. Formation of communicative skills of emotive-empathic interaction of the
future interpreter: Abstract of Pedagogics cand. diss. – Perm, 2011.
18. Karpova Yu.A., Serova T.S. Communicative skills of the interpreter's emotive-empathic
interaction in situations of oral consecutive two-way translation // Language and Culture.
3. – Tomsk, 2010.– pp. 108–118.
19. Kreylin G.E. Nonverbal Semiotics: Body Language And Natural Language. – М.: New
literary review, 2002.
20. Leont’ev А.А. Psychological aspects of personality and activity // Foreign languages at
school. 1974.
21. Leont’ev А.А. Rech' i obshcheniye // Foreign languages at school. 1974. #6 (2). pp. 80–85.
22. Leont’ev А.А. Language, speech and speech activity. М., 1969. –P.214.
23. Leont’ev А.N. Selected psychologically works. М., 1983. Т. 2.
24. Moshchanskaya Ye.YU. Moschanskaya E.Yu. Discourse in a situation of consecutive
interpretation // Theory and practice of translation and professional training of translators:
interpretation: materials of the international. scientific method. conf. (Perm, November 30
– December 2, 2007). – Perm: Publishing house of Perm state. tech. univ., 2008. – pp.
94–101.
25. Passov E.I. Пассов Е.И. Fundamentals of communicative methods of teaching foreign
language communication. М.: 1989.
26. Passov E.I. Situation, topic, social contact // General methodology, 1991, М.: Rus. yaz.
27. Serova T.S. Psychology of translation as a complex type of foreign language speech activity.
Perm: Publishing house of Perm state. tech. univ., 2008. – P. 211.
28. Serova T.S. Emotive-empathic component of foreign language business communication in
business // The Role of Universities in the International Integration of Regions: Proceedings
of the Intern. Scientific-practical conf. Tyumen: Tyumen State univ., 2006. pp.163–165.
29. Serova T.S., Goreva Т.А. Formation of communicative-speech interaction skills in teaching
foreign language business communication, 2005, Perm: Perm State tech. univ., –P.167.
30. Serova T.S., Maletina L.V. Teaching foreign language monologue speaking in conjunction
with informative reading in the process of professional training of a future engineer // Perm
Bulletin. State Tech. University. Problems of Linguistics and Pedagogy. 2010. # 4 (30). –
pp. 22–32.
31. Shadrikov V.D. Psychology of human activity and abilities. –М., 1996.
32. Shevandrin N.I. Social psychology in education: Textbook. allowance. M.: Vlados,
1995/2005. P554.
33. Ekman P. Psychology of emotions. I know what you feel. – SPb.: Piter, 2010.