Practicality of Interpretation Practices to Enhance the Skills of Undergraduates Who Learn Hindi in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Interpretation can be identified as an oral or verbal form of translation. An interpreter generally needs to have an exhaustive grasp of both source and target languages, excellent verbal communication skills, satisfactory knowledge about the contexts on which the conversations are based on, good interpersonal skills and a very high level of concentration. Interpretation can be simultaneous as well as consecutive and also there are moral characteristics needed for the profession. Undergraduates, being the learners of knowledge and practice to become professionals later, have to enhance their soft skills as well as their knowledge. Education of Hindi as a foreign language in university level has offered academic knowledge to proceed in classical studies as well as to maintain Indo-Sri Lanka cultural, political and economic relations. The objective of this research is to assess the practicality of interpretation practices to enhance knowledge and soft skills of undergraduates, focusing on the improvement of lexical usage in fields where interpretation of Hindi is needed in Sri Lanka. This research was done based on the responses of a sample of B. A. (Special) undergraduates of Hindi, prior to the theoretical and practical lessons of interpretation and later. Recent speeches made in Hindi by few national leaders of India in International summits were used for practical lessons. It was discovered that undergraduates who merely knew about interpretation and its practice were confident that they can improve their lexical knowledge, general knowledge and soft skills through practices of interpretation. This research is significant for the sustainability of language practices of Hindi as a foreign language in Sri Lanka.