Xiangdong Li

Xi'an International Studies University, School of Translation Studies, Faculty Member

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Xiangdong Li is Professor of Applied Linguistics and Translation Studies in the School of Translation Studies at Xi’an International Studies University. His research interests include translation and interpreting studies, curriculum design, didactics, assessment, translation in language teaching, English for Specific Purposes, and English for Research Publication Purposes. His most recent articles can be found in Across Languages and Cultures, Perspectives Studies in Translatology, Babel, Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada, The Interpreters’ Newsletter, and The Interpreter and Translator Trainer.

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Papers by Xiangdong Li

Alternatives to English only in scholarly publishing: Emerging trends of language policies among non-Anglophone journals

Learned Publishing, 2024

tic/cultural identity if published in English. • This article analyses language policies those jo... more tic/cultural identity if published in English. • This article analyses language policies those journals may use and positions them on a capital-identity matrix to highlight their advantages and disadvantages. • The article elaborates on two emerging language policies (bilingual publishing and extended English summary), both helping preserve their identity and take advantage of the capital of the English language. • The article provides insights into the pros and cons of different language policies and how to select policies that best support journal survival and development.

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Research in interpreter and translator education (1955-2022): a state-of-the-art review

The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 2024

It has been over 60 years since interpreter and translator trainers began to generate and dissemi... more It has been over 60 years since interpreter and translator trainers began to generate and disseminate knowledge in the 1950s. Although there have been reviews of 10 to 15 years of research, no attempts have been made to review the literature published over the past six decades for an overall landscape of knowledge creation in T&I education. This study attempts to conduct a state-of-the-art review of 68 years of research in the field to identify the existing research themes, research designs, their evolution over time, and the difference in themes between translator and interpreter training research and between translation studies (TS) and non-TS journals. Deductive content analysis was performed to analyse 1171 articles sampled through a heterogeneous purposive strategy from TS and non-TS journals published between 1955 and 2022. The results can inform scholars of existing research themes, research designs, their evolution, and differences in themes between interpreter and translator training research and between journals of different disciplinary categories, providing them with a sense of research context to justify new research.

Interpreting students' perceptions of interpreter status, market order, and educational support and their commitment to the profession: a survey in China

Onomázein: Revista de lingüística, filología y traducción, 2024

Since the rise of a sociological turn in translation studies, industry insiders’ perceptions of t... more Since the rise of a sociological turn in translation studies, industry insiders’ perceptions of the translation and interpreting profession have received much attention. So far, interpreting students’ perceptions of and commitment to the interpreting profession is yet to be explored. This paper aims at investigating interpreting students’ perceptions of the social status of the interpreting profession, market order, and educational support, as well as their commitment to the profession. The relation of their perceptions and commitment to their demographic characteristics will also be examined. 983 interpreting students from 35 universities in China participated in the survey. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and chi-square tests were computed. The results indicate that the students’ perceptions of interpreters’ social status are not high, that interpreting is a semiprofession instead of a full-fledged one in China, and that there is a mismatch between what it takes to do the job and what is returned, making interpreting a less attractive career option. Students’ perceptions are related to gender, university reputation, level of learning, interpreting experience, and accreditation status. The results suggest that there is no monopoly over the interpreting job in the interpreting market and that educational support is still to be improved; those from regular universities, beginning students, and those without interpreting experience tend to have a higher rating of market order and educational support than their counterparts. The results also reveal the students’ low commitment to the interpreting profession and their reasons to join or reject it. Younger students, beginning students, those with interpreting experience, and those with certificates are more likely to choose interpreting as a profession than their counterparts.

format_quoteResults show low commitment among students to the interpreting profession; educational support and market perceptions need enhancement.format_quote

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Teaching listening for interpreting through mind mapping: Students’ attitudes and its effectiveness

Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2024

Interpreting scholars claim that mind mapping can be used pedagogically to enhance trainees’ inte... more Interpreting scholars claim that mind mapping can be used pedagogically to enhance trainees’ interpreting-specific listening skills. However, so far relevant empirical studies have been rare. A single-group post and retrospective self-assessment design was used to examine student interpreters’ attitudes towards the use of mind mapping in teaching listening for interpreting and its effectiveness. Eighty-two students were involved as participants. An instruction experience questionnaire was administered at the end of the pedagogical intervention to examine their attitudes towards the mind mapping exercise. Two self-assessments of knowledge and skills were conducted at the end of the pedagogical intervention to investigate their pre-test post-test gains. One was a retrospective self-assessment about their competence before the exercise (then self-assessment) and the other was a post self-assessment about their competence after the exercise (now self-assessment). The results indicate that the participants perceived mind mapping as a positive learning experience and that it was effective in developing students’ interpreting-specific listening knowledge and skills.

Which theories are taught to students and how they are taught: A content analysis of interpreting textbooks

Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación, 2022

The usefulness of theory in interpreter training is widely recognized. Yet descriptive studies on... more The usefulness of theory in interpreter training is widely recognized. Yet descriptive studies on which theories are used and how they are pedagogically treated in training are scant. This study aims at investigating which theories are covered and how they are pedagogically treated in interpreting textbooks. Content analysis was used to code 58 interpreting textbooks against a theory category framework for coverage. The results indicate that 14 theories and 33 categories of insights from the literature are covered in the textbooks. The two most popular theories are the Effort Models and Interpretive Theory, while the highly covered categories of insights from the literature concern the component skills of interpreting. Textbooks that cover the two most popular theories were coded against a pedagogical treatment framework. The results suggest that, although the theories are adequately treated in language presentation and information amount, they are poorly discussed in relation to practice, indicating that the textbooks fail to create situations for students to construct meaningful knowledge of theories from their own interpreting experiences, which is close to a transmissionist approach. Possible reasons for the two theories’ popularity and the negative impact of a transmissionist approach are discussed against the current literature.

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Identifying in-demand qualifications and competences for translation curriculum renewal: a content analysis of translation job ads

The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 2022

Content analysis of job ads has been used to inform curriculum renewal in many disciplines, but i... more Content analysis of job ads has been used to inform curriculum renewal in many disciplines, but it is not commonplace in Translation Studies. This paper aims to identify qualifications and competences in the translation market through content analysis of translation job ads in China. Four hundred and twenty-nine job ads were collected from the two largest and most popular job search portals in China and coded against a translator competence framework with the assistance of NVivo 11.0. The results suggest that, while prior experience is underscored by employers, a specialised degree in translation, certified status and high-level education are not sought by employers. The most in-demand competences are linguistic competence in working languages, psycho-physiological competence, interpersonal competence, extra-linguistic knowledge, and instrumental competence. Implications are discussed in terms of promotion and marketing, incorporation of field-based experience into classroom learning, pedagogical innovation, curriculum renewal, and admission interviews. This study may inform the evaluation and modification of the translation curriculum for better education and market alignment and guide students in professional development and lifelong learning.

The market's expectations of interpreters in China: A content analysis of job ads for in-house interpreters

The Journal of Specialised Translation, 2020

Market-needs surveys have been conducted to bridge the market-academia gap by eliciting data from... more Market-needs surveys have been conducted to bridge the market-academia gap by eliciting data from students, trainers, course profiles, graduates, professional translators and interpreters, clients, and employers. Yet surveys of interpreting market needs based on content analysis of job advertisements are rare. The current study aims to investigate interpreting market demands in China, in terms of qualifications, interpreting modes and directions, and competences, as well as the difference in demands between LSPs (language service providers) and non-LSPs. An eleven-step content analysis method was applied to the coding of 400 interpreting job ads for in-house English-Chinese interpreters. The results highlight that the market entry threshold in China is low and that the dominant mode is consecutive interpreting. They also indicate that the market requires interpreters to both interpret and translate into and from English, prefers versatile language users with prior interpreting experience and overseas experience, expects physiological, psychological and interpersonal competences, and demands professional ethics, computer literacy, as well as a background in certain areas of thematic knowledge. Another finding is that LSPs and non-LSPs have different expectations. While LSPs are more demanding in terms of prior interpreting experience and accreditation status, non-LSPs expect more versatile employees.

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Mediating cross-cultural differences in research article rhetorical moves in academic translation

Lingua, 2020

Research on mediating cross-cultural differences in rhetorical conventions of research article ab... more Research on mediating cross-cultural differences in rhetorical conventions of research article abstracts (RAAs) between such culturally distant languages as English and Chinese is rare. This article aims to explore the differences in rhetorical preferences between independently produced English and Chinese research article abstracts and the strategies used in translating Chinese RAAs into English. RAAs published in three journals between 2006 and 2016 were selected to form three corpora: corpus A consisting of 32 English RAAs, corpus B made up of 38 Chinese RAAs, and corpus C including 38 English RAAs which are translations of the RAAs in corpus B. Corpus A and B form a comparable corpus while corpus B and C constitute a parallel corpus. Results suggest that Chinese and English RAAs have different preferences in rhetorical move patterns because the rhetorical moves of Product and Method are much more frequent in English RAAs compared with their Chinese counterparts, and that rhetorical foreignization is the dominant strategy in translating Chinese RAAs into English. Possible reasons of such rhetorical differences and the impact of this resistant strategy on the reception of the translated RAAs in the international community is discussed.

Teaching English oral presentations as a situated task in an EFL classroom: A quasi-experimental study of the effect of video-assisted self-reflection

Revista signos, Dec 1, 2018

Teaching English oral presentations as a situated task in an EFL classroom: A quasiexperimental s... more Teaching English oral presentations as a situated task in an EFL classroom: A quasiexperimental study of the effect of videoassisted self-reflection Enseñanza de presentaciones en inglés como tarea situada en el aula de inglés como lengua extranjera: Un estudio cuasiexperimental de los efectos de la autorreflexión asistida por video

format_quoteVASRs effectively improved non-verbal skills in EFL students, but had limited impacts on other presentation skills.format_quote

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Tailoring T curriculum for better employability: An exploratory case study of using internship surveys to inform curriculum modification

Onomázein Revista de lingüística filología y traducción, 2018

Tailoring T&I curriculum for better employability: An exploratory case study of using internship ... more Tailoring T&I curriculum for better employability: An exploratory case study of using internship surveys to inform curriculum modification 160 T&I scholars advocate an experiential approach, for example, internships, to bridge curriculum-employability gap. However, the advantage of using internships to diagnose curriculum problems and tailor it to market needs is under-researched. This exploratory case study aimed at investigating interpreting students' internship responsibilities, the effect of internships and their inadequacies in internships, and ultimately diagnosing curriculum problems and making modifications accordingly. Twelve third-year MA students interning as interpreters contributed to the study through online questionnaires. The survey highlights that interpreters are supposed to provide both interpreting (mostly consecutive) and translation services in the local market, that internships can effectively upgrade their interpreting skills particularly professionalism, and that the interns' linguistic competence still needs improving. Accordingly, translation courses should be available for interpreting students; consecutive interpreting should be given more pedagogical attention; more internship opportunities should be introduced to the T&I curriculum and language enhancement courses should be added. This contribution provides a conceptual model for T&I curriculum development and demonstrates how to diagnose curriculum problems and tailor the curriculum to market needs. As an initial effort, the present study will hopefully lead to changes in curriculum development norms in collegiate T&I communities.

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Language enhancement for translation undergraduates: an evaluation of students’ reactions to and effectiveness of a comparable and parallel text analysis course

Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2018

ABSTRACT With increasing arguments and evidence suggesting its benefits, First Language (L1) use ... more ABSTRACT With increasing arguments and evidence suggesting its benefits, First Language (L1) use (including translation exercise) is experiencing a resurrection in Second Language or Foreign Language (SL/FL) classrooms. One form of L1 use is composing comparable and parallel texts, which can be an important pedagogical resource but which has received limited attention in SL/FL classroom research, both pedagogically and empirically. Based on theoretical justifications and an in-depth discussion of possible benefits of comparable and parallel text analysis, this paper reports on the design of a comparable and parallel text analysis course to enhance beginning trainee translators’ linguistic competence and on their reactions to the pedagogical design and its effectiveness. Data were collected from 19 trainee translators at the participating university through course experience questionnaires and retrospective then–now self-assessment questionnaires. The results suggest that the pedagogical design was well received by the trainees and effectively helped them achieve the course objectives.

Analyzing translation and interpreting textbooks

Translation and Interpreting Studies The Journal of the American Translation and Interpreting Studies Association, 2019

Textbooks are a significant source of knowledge and a major factor in shaping teaching and learni... more Textbooks are a significant source of knowledge and a major factor in shaping teaching and learning; however, textbook analysis has been a neglected area of research. This pilot study examines the coverage of business interpreting competences and their pedagogical treatment in thirty-two business interpreting textbooks. Two analysis frameworks, on business interpreting expertise and pedagogical expertise, were developed. The results indicate that most competences are weakly present in the textbooks and that most pedagogical principles are not well applied. This inadequacy has two potential consequences: (1) students may leave the classroom ill-equipped and form biased views of the profession, by considering topics well-covered in the textbooks as important and legitimate while seeing others as unimportant and (2) students may not be adequately assisted in internalizing and acquiring competences efficiently. This study has implications for translation and interpreting textbook analys...

Simulation Dominated Approach versus Video Dominated Approach in Teaching Consecutive Interpreting to Undergraduates: An Exploratory Comparison Study

Onomázein Revista de lingüística filología y traducción, 2019

Video dominated instruction (VDI) and simulation dominated instruction (SDI) are commonly practis... more Video dominated instruction (VDI) and simulation dominated instruction (SDI) are commonly practised in interpreter training, and yet their teaching effects have not been adequately researched so far. The present study was intended to compare the effectiveness of the two instructional approaches in teaching consecutive interpreting (CI) to third-year undergraduates. A quasi-experimental two-group pre-test/post-test comparison design was used. Sixty-two students took a pre-test on consecutive interpreting skills and completed a pre-self-assessment to rate their competence in eleven learning objectives at the beginning of a consecutive interpreting course. Thirty-one students in class one as the comparison group received VDI, while thirty-one students in class two received SDI. Sixteen weeks later at the end of the course, the two classes took a post-test on consecutive interpreting skills and completed a post-self-assessment to rate their competence in the same eleven learning objectives. After controlling the effects of pre-test and pre-self-assessment scores, ANCOVA results suggested that VDI and SDI are equally effective in teaching CI to undergraduates, except for one aspect that the latter is more effective in cultivating students' ability to use non-verbal elements. Pedagogical implications about the complementary nature of the two approaches were discussed.

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Teaching translation and interpreting courses to students’ lacks and wants: An exploratory case study of prioritizing instructional objectives

Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación, 2019

Though formulation and prioritization of instructional objectives is an important link in the cha... more

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What is the publication language in humanities? The case of Translation Studies scholars

English Today, 2018

English is becoming the default language of knowledge construction and dissemination (Kuteeva & M... more English is becoming the default language of knowledge construction and dissemination (Kuteeva & McGrath, 2014; Zheng & Gao, 2016; Fuentes & Gómez Soler, 2018). However, English as a monolingual and mono-rhetorical means of disseminating knowledge may maximize its ‘Tyrannosaurus rex’ side (Tardy, 2004; Espinet et al., 2015; Zheng & Gao, 2016). The use of English as an Academic Lingua Franca (EALF) is depicted as hegemonic, totalitarian, colonial and imperialistic, silencing other academic traditions, imposing Anglophone ideologies of norms and rhetorical conventions, and controlling other academic territories (Phillipson, 1992; Bennett, 2013). It is claimed that an orientation towards the norms and rhetorical conventions of the Anglo-Saxon discourse demotes non-English languages, cultures and rhetorical conventions (Tardy, 2004; Espinet, Izquierdo & Garcia–Pujol, 2015), disadvantages non-native English-speaking scholars and their scholarship (Flowerdew, 2013; Zheng & Gao, 2016), erod...

Material development principles in undergraduate translator and interpreter training: balancing between professional realism and classroom realism

The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 2018

ABSTRACT Material development is one of the most important links in the chain of course design. H... more ABSTRACT Material development is one of the most important links in the chain of course design. However, it has received limited attention in the academic context of applied translation studies. This paper proposes a conceptual framework to encourage material development in interpreter and translator education at undergraduate levels. It first justifies the application of two idealistic principles (authenticity and diversity) to reflect market realism, thus narrowing the gap between classrooms and the professional world. For undergraduate T&I programmes, there seems to be an inherent conflict between the need to use diversified authentic texts and the fact that students are not yet competent enough to handle those texts. Classroom realism, for example, students’ level and learning needs, should also be respected. The paper moves on to propose five additional principles (continuity in subject matter, simplification, scaffolding, building, and motivating), striking a balance between professional realism and classroom realism. As a demonstration, an undergraduate sight translation course is used to illustrate how each principle is followed in material development. This work is an attempt to inspire colleagues of translator and interpreter training to formulate their own material development principles that fit in with their teaching contexts.

Self-assessment as ‘assessment as learning’ in translator and interpreter education: validity and washback

The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 2018

ABSTRACT T&I programmes aim to produce self-reliant graduates capable of judging their own wo... more ABSTRACT T&I programmes aim to produce self-reliant graduates capable of judging their own work against agreed criteria and increasing their levels of competence over the course of their careers. An essential element to achieve this goal is student-centred assessment, i.e. ‘assessment as learning’ (AaL) (also known as ‘sustainable assessment’), which requires students to critically and actively analyse and reflect on their learning progress and thus to guide new learning. The purpose of this study is to examine the validity and washback of self-assessment (SA), a particular form of AaL. The participants were 54 undergraduate translation majors enrolled in a sight translation course and their instructor. The students conducted four SAs of their translation performance which were also assessed by the teacher using the same criteria. The results show: the students’ SA correlates positively with teacher assessment; their SA accuracy improved over time with regular repetition; and SA promotes positive learning attitudes among learners. The findings provide further evidence on the validity of SA as a learning technique and suggest positive washback associated with learning and learners. It is hoped that this study will increase awareness of the validity and positive washback of the use of SA in T&I classrooms.

Teaching beliefs and learning beliefs in translator and interpreter education: an exploratory case study

The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 2017

ABSTRACT Since 2000, translator and interpreter trainers have been arguing against the use of a t... more ABSTRACT Since 2000, translator and interpreter trainers have been arguing against the use of a transmissionist approach and for the use of a transformationist approach. Such a change in instructional approach is rooted in a shift in trainers’ beliefs from behaviourism to social constructivism/situated learning. Teachers’ beliefs on the nature of knowledge and learning influence curricular choices, instructional approaches and assessment formats, while students’ beliefs determine their plans for and approach to learning. However, relevant research on teaching and learning beliefs in translator and interpreter education is rare. This study reports on an exploratory case study of teachers’ and learners’ beliefs in the context of translator and interpreter education. It reviews the state of art of educational research on teaching and learning beliefs, and describes two categories of teaching beliefs in translator and interpreter education: behaviourism and constructivism/situated learning. Data were collected through two questionnaires from five teachers and their sixty students. Results suggested that teachers’ beliefs contained mixed elements of behaviourism and constructivism/situated learning and that students’ beliefs did not match those of their teachers. Pedagogical implications were discussed to justify advantages of the co-existence of behaviourism and constructivism/situated learning and reconcile the discrepancies between teachers’ and students’ beliefs..

Mock conference as a situated learning activity in interpreter training: a case study of its design and effect as perceived by trainee interpreters

The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 2015

The use of mock conferences (MCs) to prepare student interpreters for future professional careers... more The use of mock conferences (MCs) to prepare student interpreters for future professional careers has been repeatedly mentioned by interpreting studies scholars, yet the systematic design of MCs and their teaching effects are under-researched. This article justifies the use of MCs as a situated approach in interpreting teaching and describes the principles and procedures of MC design before reporting on a case study of their teaching effects. Data were collected through web-based questionnaires from 15 second-year graduate trainees of interpreting. The trainees rated MCs as good, beneficial and stimulating experiences, and their ratings were positively correlated to frequencies of their interpreting at MCs. Findings indicate that skills concerning professionalism, psychological competence, strategic competence and many other non-linguistic dimensions may be better acquired at MCs than in traditional interpreting classes. Those areas of competences concur with the pedagogical advantages of MCs reported by trainees. The trainees suggested improving the authenticity and pedagogical progression, and videotaping their performances for reflection, with a view to better design of the MCs in which they had been involved. This study has significant implications for preparing trainee interpreters for their future professional life through the use of MCs.

Translation studies communities in Spain and South Korea

Toward Comparative Translation and Interpreting Studies, 2017

Translation Studies (TS), while being one academic discipline, may develop differently in differe... more Translation Studies (TS), while being one academic discipline, may develop differently in different regions under the influence of sociocultural contextual factors. TS communities in different societies may have different research foci and standards. However, to date, there has been little empirical research into such regional variations. By piloting a cross-national comparative study of the TS communities in Spain and South Korea, this study aims to identify and map the research foci and standards of the two TS communities, describe and explain real or apparent differences and similarities between them, and ultimately enhance understanding and awareness of possible particularities in different TS communities. Scholarly articles published in 24 international, Spain-based and Korea-based TS journals were systematically analyzed. The contributions of Spain-based and Korea-based scholars were compared diachronically. Results suggest that the two TS communities have differences in resea...

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