CILISAT - Community Interpreter Language and Interpreting Skills Assessment Tools Linguistic Competence and Register Questions and Answers

Question 1

An interpreter is working at a parent-teacher conference. The teacher uses educational jargon, saying, 'We're focusing on improving his executive functioning skills through differentiated instruction.' The parent, new to the country, looks confused. To maintain linguistic competence, the interpreter's best action is to:

Accepted Answer

Interpret the technical terms accurately and then pause to ask if the parent would like the concepts explained.

Answer

This approach respects the original message's integrity and register while also ensuring the parent understands. It empowers the parent by offering clarification, rather than making an assumption about their level of understanding or altering the teacher's message without permission. This demonstrates high linguistic competence by managing both accuracy and clarity.

Question 2

Which of the following BEST defines 'register' in the context of community interpreting?

Accepted Answer

The level of formality, tone, and word choice appropriate for a specific social setting and the relationship between speakers.

Answer

Register refers to the way language use varies depending on the context, including the setting (e.g., hospital vs. courthouse), the relationship between the participants, and the topic. A competent interpreter must be able to recognize and reproduce the appropriate register in both languages to convey the full meaning of the message.

Question 3

During a legal aid intake, a lawyer speaks in a very formal, consultative register. The client, however, speaks in a very informal, casual register using slang. What is the interpreter's primary linguistic responsibility?

Accepted Answer

Accurately convey the messages of both parties, maintaining the original register of each speaker.

Answer

The interpreter's role is to facilitate communication by accurately conveying the content and intent of the original message. This includes preserving the register of each speaker. Changing the register would alter the message and could misrepresent the speaker's demeanor, background, or intent, which can be crucial in a legal context.

Question 4

A key component of linguistic competence for a CILISAT candidate is the ability to handle both specialized terminology and:

Accepted Answer

All of the above.

Answer

Comprehensive linguistic competence involves a wide range of skills. An interpreter must be able to accurately interpret technical terms (like in medical or legal settings), understand and find equivalents for informal language like idioms, manage different dialects, and convey the full message which includes emotional and non-verbal context.

Question 5

You are interpreting for a senior citizen at a social services appointment. The client uses an outdated, very formal term to refer to their financial situation. The social worker is much younger and may not be familiar with the term. The most appropriate way to handle this is to:

Accepted Answer

Interpret the term literally and add a brief, neutral explanation, such as 'The speaker used a term that means X.'

Answer

This approach ensures both accuracy and clarity. By interpreting the original term, you preserve the client's register and manner of speaking. By adding a discreet clarification, you ensure the social worker understands the meaning without interrupting the flow of communication or being patronizing to the client. This is a technique of managing register differences effectively.

CILISAT - Community Interpreter Language and Interpreting Skills Assessment Tools Practice Test

CILISAT - Community Interpreter Language and Interpreting Skills Assessment Tools Practice Test

CILISAT - Community Interpreter Language and Interpreting Skills Assessment Tools Linguistic Competence and Register Questions and Answers