CPI Preparation Module
Topic outline
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This module has been designed to assist candidates in preparing for the Certified Provisional Interpreter test.
For more information about the Certified Provisional Interpreter test, please see our website. It is important that you read and understand all candidate information prior to sitting the test.
- Spoken languages (For specific information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, click here)
- Auslan
- Deaf Interpreter
NOTE: If you are an examiner looking for the CPI Test Marking module, please make sure you are logged into your NAATI Learn account and then navigate to "My Courses".
Start by going over the 'How this module works' presentation.
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Welcome to Topic 1 in NAATI's CPI preparation module. This topic provides materials for you to practice your interpreting. The topic is broken up into three sections:- Resources
- Practice dialogues (all languages)
- Practice monologue (Auslan test only)
- Practice sight translation (Deaf Interpreter test only)
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This section contains resources designed to assist you in preparing for your Certified Provisional Interpreter test. Please see the Candidate Instructions to access the marking rubrics.
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This section contains pre-recorded dialogues that will allow you to practise your dialogue interpreting skills. These videos include a conversation between an English speaker and a LOTE speaker, for which you will need to interpret. You will be able to pause and rewind the video at any point, allowing you to practise your interactional management skills. In order to simulate the testing environment, we recommend you practice using verbal cues that you would use in a live setting to request pauses and repeats.The audio recorder built into the activity will allow you to record your performance. You can then download this recording as a .wav file and listen back to it for self-assessment. Note that the recorder may not work on all devices - if this is the case, you can record yourself with a secondary device.
We have provided a Self-Review Sheet (found in section 1.1) which you can use as a guide. You may also want to share your recording with teachers, mentors, or peers to gain additional feedback.
Practice dialogues are provided for your own preparation. You will not receive any results or feedback from NAATI.
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The Certified Provisional Interpreter test in Auslan involves three tasks:- Two simultaneous interpreting face-to-face dialogues
- One simultaneous interpreting monologue into Auslan.
This section contains an audio recording of a monologue, so that you can practice your skills. The monologue is approximately 3 minutes in length. A practice dialogue can be found in section 1.2. -
The Certified Provisional Deaf Interpreter test involves four tasks:- Two face-to-face dialogues (consecutive/simultaneous mode)
- One sight translation (Written English into NCSL) – related to the second dialogue task
- One sight translation (Written English into Auslan)
- Resources
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Welcome to Topic 2 in NAATI's CPI preparation module. This topic addresses interactional management.
Start by going over some essential information about the contents of this topic and what to expect in the 'How this topic works' presentation.
You will be asked to submit a survey at the end of the module - we welcome your input so we can make this resource even better!-
This section introduces you to the topic and what you can expect from the presentations and activities here. We explore the different purpose of test preparation compared with training and look at how the standardised format of the test means that some aspects of interactional management are not relevant to the test situation. -
In this section, we look at what interactional management is. We explore why it is a core skill for interpreters, who use it to ensure that they capture and comprehend all information. This then allows interpreters to transfer the meaning of that information accurately into another language. We also introduce some techniques and protocols that enable interpreters to manage the interaction as they need. In the second presentation, we consider how NAATI includes opportunities for interactional management in the test and what general principles and actions govern how candidates should respond to interactional management opportunities. We revisit the idea that not all techniques and protocols are relevant to the NAATI test and expand on that idea to consider how some relevant techniques and protocols may need to be adjusted a little, in order to maintain the standardised format.
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In this section, we consider barriers that hinder the performance of interactional management and ways to overcome those barriers. We focus on candidates' reluctance to cut in, which was identified by training institutions as a common cause of unsuccessful interactional management. Three potential barriers are considered: a fear of undermining credibility, cultural factors such as politeness protocols and test tactics. We then explore how these barriers can be overcome, for example, by professionalism, by considering the situational nature of politeness and by an understanding of what examiners are looking for.We also look at some general advice for candidates taking NAATI's CPI test, such as making specific requests to role-players, and at how interactional management varies in different settings. In an in-person setting, interpreters can use body language to support interactional management. In an online setting, body language becomes less useful, due to limitations on participants' fields of view, so verbal management becomes more important. In telephone settings, body language is impossible, as participants cannot see each other at all, so interpreters need very strong listening skills.
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In this section, we look at how interactional management is assessed in the CPI test. We explore the rubric assessment system, identifying the six skills that are assessed and the Bands needed to pass each skill. We also explore the key elements in the Interactional Management skill: how candidates manage challenges and the impact of their management on the flow of the interaction.We look at the rubric assessment system and consider what examiners look for when assessing interactional management. We revisit the relationship between interactional management and meaning transfer and then look at what may make an intervention warranted and well-handled. We explore how examiners consider specific things, like keeping everyone informed, cutting in, managing turn-taking and responding to asides. Finally, we summarise some dos and don'ts and look at things that are not assessed.
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This anonymous feedback survey will take 5-10 minutes to complete and provides you with an opportunity to give feedback directly to NAATI.
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Congratulations on completing the Interactional Management topic!
If you feel that you need to spend more time on interactional management, consider looking through the Resources section for more information.
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This list contains the resources used in the Interactional Management topic. NAATI is grateful for permission to reproduce material in this course. Every effort has been made to trace and acknowledge copyright. However, should any infringement have occurred the publishers tender their apologies and invite copyright owners to contact NAATI.
In addition to the resources listed here, NAATI has included some instructional videos developed by TAFE SA in partnership with RMIT and NAATI.
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NAATI gratefully acknowledges the support of training institutions, whose staff generously provided feedback on this topic during its development.
