INVESTIGATING LEX STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES AND STRATEGIES IN INTERPRETING ACTIVITIES
Abstract
In the process of rapid information exchange from various languages and cultures, the competent interpreter is inevitable. Interpreting activity is important because it bridges the communication between two or more speakers who use different languages. In doing interpreting, the interpreter encounters various problems. The aims of this research are to find out the difficulties faced by LEx students and to discover strategies to solve the difficulties faced by LEx students in doing interpreting activities. This research applied qualitative method and descriptive qualitative approach as research design. The data were obtained by interviewing three participants who joined LEx 2018 program at a private university in Yogyakarta. The finding of the research revealed that the difficulties faced by LEx students included lack of understanding source language, lack of vocabulary, difficulty in understanding speakers‟ speaking speed, difficulty in understanding pronunciation, and different cultural background. Furthermore, this research had found eleven strategies to solve the difficulties in interpreting activities such as asking for repetition, asking to use second language, increasing focus on source language, asking the meaning, asking speakers to change the way they speak, using smartphone, familiarizing with pronunciation, pointing the item intended, asking friend‟s help, using body language, and finding synonym.