On the Potchefstroom Campus of the North–West University, where the predominant language of instruction is Afrikaans, non–Afrikaans speaking students are accommodated due to the use of interpreting services. Educational interpreting implies in–class simultaneous interpreting of Afrikaans lectures into English by trained under– and postgraduate students. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of the Tomatis Method, a method of sound stimulation, on educational interpreters and explore their experience of the Tomatis programme. The research set out to answer the following questions: (i) Will attendance of a Tomatis programme impact educational interpreters by: improving interpreting performance; enhancing attention, concentration and personality functioning; reducing negative mood states; and enhancing the positive mood state vigour? (ii) What will participants report about their experience during and after the Tomatis programme? To study the TM’s effects on participants, quantitative and qualitative data were combined using a mixed methods triangulation design. After obtaining informed consent, participants were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 9) and control group (n = 9). Participants comprised of nine male and nine female, under– and postgraduate students between the ages of 19 and 36. The experimental group attended 60 half–hour sessions, during which they listened to gradually filtered music, followed by a two–month break for integration of the sound stimuli and, finally, another 60 half–hour sessions of audio–vocal training. A panel of interpreting experts and a speech therapist evaluated both groups’ interpreting performance (IPE) pre– and post–program. Both groups also completed assessments on personality (NEO PI–R) and concentration and memory (WAIS III) pre– and post programme, while the experimental participants additionally completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) pre–, in– and postprogramme. Three focus group discussions during the course of the Tomatis programme enabled participants to verbalize their experiences of the programme and how it impacted their interpreting process. Despite a bias in favour of the control group during the interpreting performance postassessment, findings suggested that interpreters benefited from the Tomatis programme in several areas of interpreting and in regards to personal experiences. Regarding interpreting performance, a significant improvement concerning Interpreting Technique occurred in favour of the experimental group. This advance can be explained by participants’ qualitative responses regarding improved interpreting efficiency, speech production and listening skills. Experimental participants’ decreased Fatigue–Inertia; increased Extraversion, Activity and Vigour; and experiences of enhanced relaxation possibly contributed to improved interpreting performance. Moreover, the experimental group’s positive feedback about the enriching effect of the Tomatis programme on their personal lives strengthened the value of the TM for individual growth and psychological well–being. The control group showed some enhancement in aspects of interpreting and sub–domains of personality, but only managed to outperform the experimental group on one subscale, namely Feelings, a facet of the domain Openness of the NEO–PI(R). Thus, it appears that the Tomatis programme had a significantly positive impact on interpreters’ performance and that their experience of the interpreting process was enhanced during and after the programme. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

On the Potchefstroom Campus of the North–West University, where the predominant language of instruction is Afrikaans, non–Afrikaans speaking students are accommodated due to the use of interpreting services. Educational interpreting implies in–class simultaneous interpreting of Afrikaans lectures into English by trained under– and postgraduate students. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of the Tomatis Method, a method of sound stimulation, on educational interpreters and explore their experience of the Tomatis programme. The research set out to answer the following questions: (i) Will attendance of a Tomatis programme impact educational interpreters by: improving interpreting performance; enhancing attention, concentration and personality functioning; reducing negative mood states; and enhancing the positive mood state vigour? (ii) What will participants report about their experience during and after the Tomatis programme? To study the TM’s effects on participants, quantitative and qualitative data were combined using a mixed methods triangulation design. After obtaining informed consent, participants were randomly assigned to an experimental (n = 9) and control group (n = 9). Participants comprised of nine male and nine female, under– and postgraduate students between the ages of 19 and 36. The experimental group attended 60 half–hour sessions, during which they listened to gradually filtered music, followed by a two–month break for integration of the sound stimuli and, finally, another 60 half–hour sessions of audio–vocal training. A panel of interpreting experts and a speech therapist evaluated both groups’ interpreting performance (IPE) pre– and post–program. Both groups also completed assessments on personality (NEO PI–R) and concentration and memory (WAIS III) pre– and post programme, while the experimental participants additionally completed the Profile of Mood States (POMS) pre–, in– and postprogramme. Three focus group discussions during the course of the Tomatis programme enabled participants to verbalize their experiences of the programme and how it impacted their interpreting process. Despite a bias in favour of the control group during the interpreting performance postassessment, findings suggested that interpreters benefited from the Tomatis programme in several areas of interpreting and in regards to personal experiences. Regarding interpreting performance, a significant improvement concerning Interpreting Technique occurred in favour of the experimental group. This advance can be explained by participants’ qualitative responses regarding improved interpreting efficiency, speech production and listening skills. Experimental participants’ decreased Fatigue–Inertia; increased Extraversion, Activity and Vigour; and experiences of enhanced relaxation possibly contributed to improved interpreting performance. Moreover, the experimental group’s positive feedback about the enriching effect of the Tomatis programme on their personal lives strengthened the value of the TM for individual growth and psychological well–being. The control group showed some enhancement in aspects of interpreting and sub–domains of personality, but only managed to outperform the experimental group on one subscale, namely Feelings, a facet of the domain Openness of the NEO–PI(R). Thus, it appears that the Tomatis programme had a significantly positive impact on interpreters’ performance and that their experience of the interpreting process was enhanced during and after the programme. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Die rol wat die tolk vervul, is sentraal tot die sukses van die kommunikasie waarby sprekers van verskillende tale betrokke is. Professionele liggame en instellings vereis van ʼn tolk om tydens enige tolkgeleentheid aan etiese kodes en praktykstandaarde te voldoen. Hierdie etiese kodes en praktykstandaarde is rigtinggewend in dié opsig dat dit in ʼn mate voorskryf hoe die tolk sy rol moet benader en vervul. Wat egter opgesluit is in dergelike voorskrifte is die voortdurende ondersteuning van die sogenaamde ‘kanaal’-rol, waarin die tolk as onsigbare ‘masjien’ gesien word. Die uitdaging wat dus aan die tolk gestel word, is om binne sy moontlike unieke omgewing slegs volgens die voorskriftelike kanaal-rolbeskrywing te funksioneer. Wat in die literatuur oor die onderwerp bevind is, is dat die verwagtinge wat deur so ʼn voorskriftelike rolbeskrywing aan die tolk gestel word, nie noodwendig haalbaar is in die praktyk nie. In die lig hiervan bring hierdie studie die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk op die voorgrond. Gemeenskapstolking in die breë verwys na tolking wat alle sosiaal-geörienteerde tolking saamvat, insluitend tolking wat verband hou met opvoeding of opleiding. Hierdie studie ondersoek gemeenskapstolktipes om vas te stel wat die ooreenkomste en verskille tussen die onderskeie tipes gemeenskapstolking is, en bevind dat opvoedkundige tolking uniek van aard is en dus ʼn unieke benadering noodsaak. Dit sluit aan by Mullamaa (2006:25) se siening dat ʼn sosiale ommekeer in tolknavorsing plaasgevind het en dat daar tans ʼn groter bewustheid van die kompleksiteit van tolking gekweek word. Toury (1995:53) en Pym (2010) ondersteun hierdie siening en voer aan dat die taalpraktisyn homself as deel van die sosiale omstandighede van die kommunikasiegeleentheid moet kan handhaaf. Op ʼn teoretiese vlak is Toury (1995:55) se normkonsep ingespan omdat dit kontekssensitief is en die inherente sosiale dinamika waarbinne vertaal- en tolkpraktyke gevestig word, verreken. Geskoei op die teoretiese normmodelle van Toury (1995:55) en Shlesinger (1999:65-77), wat ʼn meganisme daarstel waardeur normatiewe gedrag en rolgedrag gemeet kan word, asook Niska (2002:137-138) se teoretiese tolkrolmodel wat aanvoer dat die gemeenskapstolk homself in ʼn piramiede van betrokkenheid bevind, is bestaande en nuutingesamelde data geanaliseer om vas te stel presies wat die dinamiek is wat verreken behoort te word in die omskrywing van die rol wat opvoedkundige tolk vervul.Daar is bevind dat ʼn definisie van die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk gevind kan word tussen dit wat van die opvoedkundige tolk verwag word en dit wat in die werklikheid geskied. Die studie het bewys dat die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk inderdaad veranderlik is, en dat die wending na ʼn meer sosiaal-dinamiese rolmodel vir tolking ook by die rolvervullingsmodel vir opvoedkundige tolking inpas. Die teorie wat geponeer word, is dat die opvoedkundige tolk homself deurgaans op ʼn dinamiese kontinuum van beweeglikheid bevind waarbinne hy verskeie rolle vervul na gelang die spesifieke behoeftes van die tolkgeleentheid. Aanbevelings word gemaak vir die implementering van ʼn model vir opvoedkundige tolkrolvervulling in Suid-Afrika, asook vir verdere navorsingsmoontlikhede ten opsigte van die tolkrolgesprek. / Thesis (PhD (Linguistics and Literary Theory))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Die rol wat die tolk vervul, is sentraal tot die sukses van die kommunikasie waarby sprekers van verskillende tale betrokke is. Professionele liggame en instellings vereis van ʼn tolk om tydens enige tolkgeleentheid aan etiese kodes en praktykstandaarde te voldoen. Hierdie etiese kodes en praktykstandaarde is rigtinggewend in dié opsig dat dit in ʼn mate voorskryf hoe die tolk sy rol moet benader en vervul. Wat egter opgesluit is in dergelike voorskrifte is die voortdurende ondersteuning van die sogenaamde ‘kanaal’-rol, waarin die tolk as onsigbare ‘masjien’ gesien word. Die uitdaging wat dus aan die tolk gestel word, is om binne sy moontlike unieke omgewing slegs volgens die voorskriftelike kanaal-rolbeskrywing te funksioneer. Wat in die literatuur oor die onderwerp bevind is, is dat die verwagtinge wat deur so ʼn voorskriftelike rolbeskrywing aan die tolk gestel word, nie noodwendig haalbaar is in die praktyk nie. In die lig hiervan bring hierdie studie die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk op die voorgrond. Gemeenskapstolking in die breë verwys na tolking wat alle sosiaal-geörienteerde tolking saamvat, insluitend tolking wat verband hou met opvoeding of opleiding. Hierdie studie ondersoek gemeenskapstolktipes om vas te stel wat die ooreenkomste en verskille tussen die onderskeie tipes gemeenskapstolking is, en bevind dat opvoedkundige tolking uniek van aard is en dus ʼn unieke benadering noodsaak. Dit sluit aan by Mullamaa (2006:25) se siening dat ʼn sosiale ommekeer in tolknavorsing plaasgevind het en dat daar tans ʼn groter bewustheid van die kompleksiteit van tolking gekweek word. Toury (1995:53) en Pym (2010) ondersteun hierdie siening en voer aan dat die taalpraktisyn homself as deel van die sosiale omstandighede van die kommunikasiegeleentheid moet kan handhaaf. Op ʼn teoretiese vlak is Toury (1995:55) se normkonsep ingespan omdat dit kontekssensitief is en die inherente sosiale dinamika waarbinne vertaal- en tolkpraktyke gevestig word, verreken. Geskoei op die teoretiese normmodelle van Toury (1995:55) en Shlesinger (1999:65-77), wat ʼn meganisme daarstel waardeur normatiewe gedrag en rolgedrag gemeet kan word, asook Niska (2002:137-138) se teoretiese tolkrolmodel wat aanvoer dat die gemeenskapstolk homself in ʼn piramiede van betrokkenheid bevind, is bestaande en nuutingesamelde data geanaliseer om vas te stel presies wat die dinamiek is wat verreken behoort te word in die omskrywing van die rol wat opvoedkundige tolk vervul.Daar is bevind dat ʼn definisie van die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk gevind kan word tussen dit wat van die opvoedkundige tolk verwag word en dit wat in die werklikheid geskied. Die studie het bewys dat die rol van die opvoedkundige tolk inderdaad veranderlik is, en dat die wending na ʼn meer sosiaal-dinamiese rolmodel vir tolking ook by die rolvervullingsmodel vir opvoedkundige tolking inpas. Die teorie wat geponeer word, is dat die opvoedkundige tolk homself deurgaans op ʼn dinamiese kontinuum van beweeglikheid bevind waarbinne hy verskeie rolle vervul na gelang die spesifieke behoeftes van die tolkgeleentheid. Aanbevelings word gemaak vir die implementering van ʼn model vir opvoedkundige tolkrolvervulling in Suid-Afrika, asook vir verdere navorsingsmoontlikhede ten opsigte van die tolkrolgesprek. / Thesis (PhD (Linguistics and Literary Theory))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012