An Assessment of Listening Comprehension and Rendition Ability in Japanese–Thai Interpreting

Author: Wanitcha Sumanat
President, Southeast Asian Association of Translators and Interpreters; Arbitrator; Mediator; Forensic Linguist

21 April 2026, Bangkok—Interpreting from Japanese into Thai involves not only the ability to listen and comprehend the source language, but also the ability to accurately and naturally render meaning into the target language (Moser-Mercer, 2000). Even when interpreters demonstrate a high level of comprehension, the primary challenge often lies in the stage of rendition rather than comprehension (Gile, 2009).

Listening Comprehension
Based on general assessment, experienced interpreters are able to understand approximately 85–95 percent of the source-language input. However, this level of comprehension may decrease to around 70–85 percent when dealing with highly specialized topics, rapid speech, or unfamiliar accents (Gile, 2009).

Therefore, a self-assessed comprehension level of approximately 95 percent can be considered relatively high compared to general professional standards.

Common Issues in Rendition
Despite a high level of comprehension, common challenges arise during the process of rendering meaning into the target language. These can be categorized as follows:

• Overly literal translation, resulting in sentence structures that reflect Japanese syntax
• Use of vocabulary that is not natural or commonly used in Thai
• Word order that follows the source language rather than the target language
• Accurate transfer of meaning but lacking naturalness in expression

As a result, Thai listeners may find the output difficult to understand or perceive it as unnatural (Newmark, 1988).

Error Awareness in Interpreting
Interpreters are generally able to recognize their own errors to a certain extent, particularly in the following situations:

• When the delivery feels disfluent
• When uncertain vocabulary is used
• When an appropriate expression in the target language cannot be retrieved
• When the meaning is correct, but the expression feels unnatural

However, there are also cases in which interpreters fail to recognize their errors or only sense that something is incorrect without being able to identify the exact issue (Gile, 2009).

Overall Competency Assessment
The overall interpreting competence can be summarized as follows:

• Listening comprehension: 90–95%
• Accuracy of rendition: 80–90%
• Naturalness of expression: 60–80%

It is evident that the aspect requiring the most improvement is naturalness in the target language, which is a crucial factor in effective communication.

Developmental Approach
Advanced interpreting development should focus on shifting from word-for-word translation toward sense-based rendering. The essential process can be described as follows:

Listen → Understand → Reformulate in Thai → Deliver

This approach aligns with the sense theory of translation, which emphasizes conveying meaning rather than preserving linguistic form (Seleskovitch & Lederer, 1989).

Conclusion
Although interpreters may possess a high level of listening comprehension, the true challenge lies in producing natural and effective target-language output. Awareness of one’s limitations and the continuous development of Thai language reformulation skills are key to achieving professional-level interpreting competence.

References

• Gile, D. (2009). Basic concepts and models for interpreter and translator training (Rev. ed.). John Benjamins.
• Moser-Mercer, B. (2000). Simultaneous interpreting: Cognitive potential and limitations. Interpreting, 5(2), 83–94.
• Newmark, P. (1988). A textbook of translation. Prentice Hall.
• Seleskovitch, D., & Lederer, M. (1989). A systematic approach to teaching interpretation. Didier Erudition. 

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การประเมินความสามารถในการฟังและการถ่ายทอดความหมายของล่ามภาษาญี่ปุ่นสู่ภาษาไทย

• การแปลตรงตัวเกินไป ส่งผลให้โครงสร้างประโยคยังคงลักษณะของภาษาญี่ปุ่น
• การใช้คำศัพท์ที่ไม่สอดคล้องกับการใช้จริงในภาษาไทย
• การเรียงลำดับคำตามรูปแบบภาษาต้นทาง
• การถ่ายทอดความหมายได้ถูกต้อง แต่ขาดความเป็นธรรมชาติในเชิงภาษา

• เมื่อการถ่ายทอดไม่ลื่นไหล
• เมื่อใช้คำศัพท์ที่ไม่มั่นใจ
• เมื่อไม่สามารถหาคำที่เหมาะสมในภาษาปลายทางได้
• เมื่อรับรู้ว่าประโยคมีความถูกต้องเชิงความหมาย แต่ไม่เหมาะสมเชิงการใช้ภาษา

• ความสามารถในการฟังเข้าใจ: ร้อยละ 90–95
• ความถูกต้องในการถ่ายทอดความหมาย: ร้อยละ 80–90
• ความเป็นธรรมชาติของภาษา: ร้อยละ 60–80

• Gile, D. (2009). Basic concepts and models for interpreter and translator training (Rev. ed.). John Benjamins.
• Moser-Mercer, B. (2000). Simultaneous interpreting: Cognitive potential and limitations. Interpreting, 5(2), 83–94.
• Newmark, P. (1988). A textbook of translation. Prentice Hall.
• Seleskovitch, D., & Lederer, M. (1989). A systematic approach to teaching interpretation. Didier Erudition.