NAATI sets language policies to help candidates understand how NAATI will assess language use during their test. This includes how examiners will assess language variation or borrowing.
NAATI’s general policies on language variation and borrowing, as well as specific information for each language we offer tests in, are below. The language-specific policies complement, but don’t override, the general policies.
- Language variation is the different ways people from different regional areas or social groups use the same language.
- Borrowing is how people borrow words and signs from languages other than their own.
General policies
Users of the same language sometimes use language differently because of their regional or social backgrounds. This variation can apply to grammar, vocabulary, the pronunciation of words (spoken languages), and the production of signs (signed languages).
Candidates sitting a NAATI interpreting test must be able to understand common regional and social variation and to make themselves understood to users of different language varieties.
In the live role-play dialogue tasks, candidates should use interactional management strategies to make sure they understand and are understood by the role-players.
NAATI recognises that users of a particular language may borrow words or signs from other languages, especially English. Borrowed words and signs that are both regularly and commonly used and widely understood by users of a language will be accepted in NAATI interpreting tests. However, if a common lexical equivalent exists, candidates are encouraged to use words or signs from the language being examined.
For advanced-level interpreting tests (i.e. CSHI, CSLI, and CCI), there may be a greater incidence of technical terms borrowed from English. Borrowed words will be accepted if they are commonly understood as standard equivalents by target language specialist audiences or if they are used in situations where no equivalent exists in the language being examined.
Language specific information
A
Refer to General Policy A.
Refer to General Policy B. Amharic has borrowed many words from the English language, especially for certain domains, including medical (e.g., ሂስተረክቶሚ , አልትራሳውንድ), scientific (e.g., ዲ ኤን ኤ, ጁፒተር ), and technological (e.g., ኮምቲውተር, ላፕቶፕ, ሶፍትዌር). Where no equivalent in Amharic exists, candidates can use the borrowed terms.
General Policy A: Language Variation
As per General Policy A, candidates need to understand and make themselves understood in both the Eastern and the Western variants of the Armenian language. In order to achieve this, candidates are expected to use appropriate interaction management techniques.
General Policy B: Use of Borrowed Words and Signs
Refer to General Policy B.
Policy A: Variations of the Spoken Language
Speakers of the Assyrian Neo-Aramaic language use the same grammar but with different dialects and pronunciation of words due to upbringing in different countries and regions.
Candidates undertaking the interpreting certification test must be able to understand and speak the common Assyrian Neo-Aramaic language that is widely used across the community and should avoid heavily regionalised dialects.
Where a standard Assyrian Neo-Aramaic word is available, this should be preferred over a dialect-specific variant.
Policy B: Use of English words in the LOTE
In Australia, some English words are commonly used and understood by Assyrian Neo-Aramaic speakers. In these cases, use of an English word that expresses the same information instead of the Assyrian Neo-Aramaic word is acceptable.
Commonly used English words with no clear equivalent in the Assyrian Neo-Aramaic language – for example, Centrelink, police, university, computer, etc. – are acceptable.
Candidates should not use words from other (non-English) languages.
Language Variation
Refer to General Policy A.
Significant grammatical variation exists in Auslan as a result of the influence of English. Native acquisition (L1) of Auslan is limited, and many signers are L2 learners whose first language is English. This imbalance of L1/L2 users has increased the number of signers whose Auslan is influenced by English grammatical conventions. Candidates sitting a NAATI interpreting test should ensure that their signing follows the conventions of Auslan grammar and syntax and is not excessively or unduly influenced by English.
The language profile of the Auslan role-player will be indicated in the interpreting brief. Candidates will have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the signing of the role-players before the test commences.
Use of Borrowed Words and Signs
Refer to General Policy B.
In Auslan, some fingerspelled words are part of the native lexicon, while others are borrowed from English. As per General Policy B, candidates sitting a NAATI interpreting test should be mindful not to borrow a word from English through fingerspelling if there exists an idiomatic sign in Auslan.
B
Refer to General Policies A & B.
Language Standard
The standardised form of Bangla i.e., the Promito Bangla must be used in interpreting, which is the most commonly used colloquial standard of Bangla in formal speaking and writing at the present time in Bangladesh and India.
Interactional status markers
Bangla has honorific, ordinary and affectionate/contemptuous forms of verbs and pronouns to indicate interactional status of individuals involved. These should be used appropriately according to the context of a passage and dialogue.
Generally, the words used in greetings become different depending on the faith/religion of a person. For example:
- Us-salam-walikoom is used to greet an individual from Muslim faith. In response that person would say Wa-lie-koom-selam.
- Namashkar or Namaste is used to greet an individual from Hinduism or Buddhism faith. In response that person would say the same.
- There is also a practice of using Adaab to greet a non-Muslim person. The person would say the same in response.
- In addressing individuals from Muslim faith, the titles used are Janab (male) and Janaba/Begum (female), whereas for the individuals from Hindu faith they become Sree/Babu (male) and Sreemati (female).
- Forms of verbs and pronouns which mark interactional status should be used appropriately, according to the context of a dialogue and passage. (The inconsistent use of these markers for the same individuals in a passage or dialogue will be penalised).
There is a unique difference in expressing genders and persons in Bangla. Unlike in English, the genders (e.g., he/she) is used by a single (gender-neutral) pronoun in Bangla. And those expressions vary depending on the honorifics, age (senior/junior) and type of the person (i.e., first, second or third person).
Other Cultural and Regional Considerations
- Candidates must interpret words, phrases and homonyms (same words with different meanings) whilst taking the cultural or regional context into account, as they can convey different meanings. (An example of a homonym is jamai. It commonly means husband in Bangladesh, but in India it usually means daughter’s husband).
- The minimal use of regional or dialectal variations of nominal and postpositional forms are permissible where they are widely understood by the Bangla speaking population.
- The Certification interpreting tests use common Standard Burmese. The use of non-standard Burmese or of vague and ambiguous words which the majority of Burmese speakers cannot understand will not be accepted.
- Candidates should be aware of the importance of using culturally sensitive registers. They must use the culturally appropriate and/or polite register when addressing their interlocutors during interpreting into Burmese.
- The use of non-Burmese words may be accepted if these words are adopted or borrowed from English or another language, and if they are commonly used by the majority of standard Burmese speakers, as long as these words/terms are in a current Burmese Dictionary published by the Department of the Myanmar Language Commission, the Ministry of Education of the Union of Myanmar or in any other current Myanmar Dictionaries officially published.
- The candidates sitting Certification interpreting tests must be competent in the use of appropriate tonal language and articulation of standard syllables when interpreting into Burmese to minimise any feasible deviations, for example “စံ” means “standard” and “ဆန်” means “rice”.
C
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Modern Chinese comprises seven major groups of dialects, which, in their spoken form, differ among themselves to such an extent that they may be considered as being virtually separate languages. They are largely mutually incomprehensible.
Yue dialects, one of which is known in English as Cantonese, are native to about five per cent of the population of China and are widely spoken in the province of Guăngdōng, in the city of Guăngzhōu (Canton), in Hong Kong and in Macau. Many overseas Chinese, including many residents of Australia with ethnic Chinese background, are native speakers of Cantonese.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
In interpreting tests, standard Croatian is to be used. In terms of vocabulary and lexicon, those forms found in authoritative dictionaries such as the Rječnik hrvatskoga jezika (2002) by Jure Šonje (Ed.) (Zagreb: Leksikografski zavod Miroslav Krleža) or the Veliki rječnik hrvatskoga jezika (2003 – 4th edition) by Vladimir Anić (Zagreb: Novi Liber) are to be used. Terms identified in these dictionaries as being specific to particular dialects or regions are to be avoided. Grammatical and semantic expression used in interpreting tests should, in general, conform to normative guidelines such as those recommended in Hrvatski jezični savjetnik (1999) by Eugenija Barić et al. (Eds.) (Zagreb: Institut za hrvatski jezik i jezikoslovlje).
When interpreting into Croatian, standard Croatian is to be used, unless the source text uses a dialect form and the candidate employs a Croatian dialect form that is widely known amongst Croatian- speakers.
NAATI recognises that there are groups of speakers of languages other than English in Australia who regularly and commonly use English words in their LOTE speech. The candidate is required to always use Croatian words. However, when in the English source dialogue, the speaker refers to a specifically Australian concept, the candidate may use the English word but must also provide a Croatian equivalent to this.
In line with Australian government policy, NAATI treats Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian as different languages, each with its own characteristics. Consequently, no tests are held in the Serbo-Croatian language.
D
Refer to General Policies A and B.
- There are several Dari dialects used across various regions in Afghanistan. Candidates sitting an interpreter certification test must be able to understand common regional and social variations within the language and make themselves understood to speakers of these variations.
- Region-specific terms and expressions can be used to the extent where this does not hinder efficient and effective communication. Candidates will not be penalized for using such region-specific terms and expressions so far as it is understood by the speakers.
- English terms that can be used are for example:
- “license – لایسنس”
- “adjust – اجست”
- “appointment – اپاینمنت”
- “reserve –ریزرف ”
- “drive –درایو ”
- Usage of common informal words such as those below are allowed and will not be penalised:
- موتروان
- دریور
- وارخطا
- بالا روی
Refer to General Policies A and B.
F
General Policy A: Variations of the Spoken Language
Speakers of the same language sometimes use the language differently because of their regional or social backgrounds. This can apply to the use and pronunciation of words and grammar. Candidates sitting an interpreter certification test must be able to understand common regional and social variations within the language and make themselves understood to speakers of these variations.
In the live role-play dialogue tasks, candidates should use strategies to make sure they understand the speakers and their interpretations are understood by the speakers.
There is a great deal of variation in the pronunciation of words in Filipino. This involves both sound changes and stress. Variation in pronunciation is accepted if it does not affect comprehensibility.
In addition to the above, there are also regional variations in intonation. These are reflected in the use of different particles; for example, a, e, ha and o (Tagalog), baga (Batangas), ay (Quezon), and gid (Visayan). Variations in intonation are accepted as long as the particles are final words and are not attached to any word in the sentence.
General Policy B: Use of English words in the LOTE
In some Languages Other Than English (LOTEs), English words, and in some cases words from other languages, are regularly and commonly used and widely understood.
In these situations, use of an English word will be accepted even if a LOTE word could have been used to describe or express the same information.
For advanced level interpreting tests (i.e. CSHI, CSLI and CCI), there may be a greater incidence of technical terms borrowed from English. Words commonly understood as standard equivalents by technical audiences in the LOTE will be accepted.
Candidates are in general encouraged to choose Filipino words over other languages where a Filipino word is readily available and applicable in the given context.
Most English computer-related words such as web page, to enter, to search are acceptable. This also applies to some medical, legal and technical words which have no equivalent in Filipino and are too cumbersome or impractical to translate; for instance, comatose, adrenaline, garnishee, double jeopardy, shaft and output.
There are also some culturally specific English terms (e.g., Centrelink, concession card and TAFE), which do not have a direct equivalent in Filipino, and in these cases, it is acceptable to use the English term.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
G
Refer to General Policy B.
Tests are conducted in non-dialectical Standard German and candidates are expected to express themselves in non-dialectical, non-regional German. Country specific terms can be used by candidates but to a very limited extent, e.g. Grüß Gott by Austrian speakers or Grüezi by Swiss speakers instead of Guten Tag.
The candidate should be able to effectively and efficiently interpret for the German-speaking role player – whether this involves the use of dialectal and/or non-dialectal German.
Region-specific terms and expressions can be used to the extent where this does not hinder efficient and effective communication.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Within the Greek Community in Australia, as with many NESB communities, ethnolect (i.e. the use of terms which are not clearly English or Greek but a ‘hybrid’ of the two) are not considered appropriate Greek language for the purposes of this testing.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
H
Refer to Policies A and B.
NAATI acknowledges that there are regional variations/dialects of the Hazaragi language. However, due to strong cultural and identity connections there is a high level of mutual understanding between these regional dialects.
For the purposes of NAATI testing, a candidate will not be penalised for the dialect spoken as long as what is being said would be understood by an average Hazara person living in Hazaragi speaking regions.
Candidates need to be aware that the Hazaragi language spoken by Hazaras in some locations, including the major cities in Afghanistan, has been heavily influenced by other languages of those cities and areas.
Any use of ‘non- Hazaragi’ words will be penalised.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Standard Hindi (खड़ी बोली), as approved by Central and State Education Boards in India, should be used in the NAATI interpreting test.
Supplementary to General Policy B on the Use of Borrowed Words and Signs, proper names should remain in English, e.g. Centrelink (सेंटरल किं), Department of Home Affairs (डिपाटटमेंट ऑफ़ होम अफ़े यसट).
Language Variation
Refer to General Policy A.
Use of Borrowed Words and Signs
The candidate is required to use non-dialectal Standard Hungarian vocabulary, however, when a speaker refers to a specifically Australian concept, phenomenon or institution, with no commonly used Hungarian equivalent and which is widely used in the Hungarian community, the candidate may use the English word, e.g. Melbourne Cup Day, Centrelink, Medicare, Telehealth, Royal Melbourne Hospital. The candidate may need to provide a Hungarian explanation or equivalent to this.
When an English word has been adopted in the standard Hungarian, the pronunciation of the candidate needs to conform to standard Hungarian, e.g. project/projekt.
I
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Candidates are expected to use Standard Italian. The use of some English (or other foreign language) words in the LOTE is acceptable where these words are commonly used by native Italian speakers and are part of the lexicon. To confirm whether this is the case, candidates may make reference to authoritative Italian language dictionaries such as the Treccani, referred to above.
J
The language used should be the standard form (Hyojungo). Style and register should be appropriate to the subject matter and the mode, and dialect and slang expressions should be avoided.
J
The language used should be the standard form (Hyojungo). Style and register should be appropriate to the subject matter and the mode, and dialect and slang expressions should be avoided.
K
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Tests are conducted in the Standard South Korean (표준어), which is defined as ‘the modern Seoul dialect
widely used by the well-cultivated’. Candidates are expected to express themselves in the Standard South Korean. However, a modest regional accent is acceptable as long as it does not hamper the process of understanding.
M
Refer to General Policy A.
In the absence of any specific language variants being used by the LOTE speaker, the candidate should prefer the standard and official Macedonian language rather than a language variety that is characteristic of a particular region or background.
Preference should also be given to using standard Macedonian over English terms where a Macedonian term is readily available.
In the case of specifically Australian concepts, however, such as Medicare and Centrelink, or where there is no readily available Macedonian equivalent, the candidate may use the English word instead.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
There are 10 dialects used in Malay language: Bahasa Malaysia, Kelantanese, Terengganu, Kedahan, Sarawakian, Bajau, Negeri Sembilan Malay, Banjar, Bruneian and Indonesian.
The candidate is required to use the standard Bahasa Malaysia. No tests are held in any other dialects except for Bahasa Malaysia. However, where region-specific terms and expressions are to be used, region-specific terms will be accepted, provided they do not alter the effective communication of the message.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
N
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Candidates sitting for the Nepali Certified Provisional Interpreter test are expected to use Standard Nepali.
Supplementary to General Policy B on the Use of Borrowed Words and Signs, proper names and some medical and technological terms should remain in English (e.g. कोल्स, सेन्टरलिंक, यू.एस.बी. The use of borrowed words and terms will be accepted if they are commonly used and widely used by speakers of Nepali.
P
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Candidates sitting for an interpreter certification test must be able to understand common regional and social variations within the Pashto language and make themselves understood to speakers of these variations.
Dialect specific terms and expressions can be used to the extent where this does not hinder efficient and effective communication.
The use of Urdu and Dari words and expressions instead of the Pashto equivalent will be penalised. For example, numbers or dates in Urdu or using Dari terms and expressions where there is a Pashto equivalent word available will be penalised.
The use of some terms and expressions borrowed from English, Arabic and Dari languages that are commonly used in Pashto, will not be penalised.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
New variations of the Persian language, particularly among youth, make use of uncommon and made up words or phrases, including many ordinary English words (such as time, support). It is expected that candidates will use the Persian equivalent of the English words in those cases. As per policy B, widely understood, regularly and commonly used English words such as computer, helicopter can be accepted, even if a Persian word could have been used to describe or express the same information.
Certified Provisional Interpreter/Certified Interpreter tests are conducted with role players who speak the official variation of Persian language, with minimal accentual nuances related to the backgrounds of role players. The role players, however, will use vocabulary, structures and idioms common to all or biggest majority of Persian speakers.
NAATI expects the candidate to:
- Interpret for the Persian speaking Role-Player using the official Persian language effectively and efficiently
- Interpret into offical Persian appropriate to the audience for the monologue interpreting task
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Candidates are expected to use contemporary Polish. When an established Polish term exists, candidates are not to use an English word, except when it is part of the lexicon and in common usage.
When interpreting dialogues between a Polish speaker and a professional into Polish, candidates must not use the informal form of address “ty” (you), which is inappropriate in such contexts. The correct forms of “pan” and “pani” (Mr, Mrs) must be used at all times.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
It is recognised that variations in vocabulary and usage may arise in the same language as spoken in different countries, e.g. Portuguese in Portugal and in Brazil. Individuals sitting an interpreter certification test must be able to understand regional variations within the language.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
NAATI testing is in Punjabi (Eastern) as spoken in India.
Punjabi (Western) is offered at Recognised Practising Interpreter level.
- The use of Western Punjabi and Urdu will be penalised in this test.
- English words referring to recent technologies, e.g. “iPad”, which is widely adopted in the Punjabi language, can be used in Punjabi.
- When speaking in Punjabi, candidates may occasionally use words from the English language and other regional languages if they would be easily understood by a majority of Punjabi speakers in Australia. For example – “mobile phone”, “fridge”, “3G networks”, “satellite”. Frequent use of words from other languages that would not be understood by many Punjabi speakers will be penalised. For example, “because”, “marriage”, “documents”. When referring to numbers in Punjabi the use of English numerals (e.g. “thirty-six” for “chhattee”) will be penalised. If a figure is provided in millions in English, it must be converted to lakhs or crores in Punjabi and vice versa.
R
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Test candidates are expected to interpret into the non-dialectical and non-regional standard Russian.
Candidates should follow the rules set in:
- Розенталь Д. Э., Джанджакова Е. В., Кабанова Н. П. Справочник по правописанию, произношению, литературному редактированию (A Manual on Spelling, Pronunciation and Literary Editing by D.E. Rozental, E.V. Dzhandzhakova and N.P. Kabanova),
- Зализняк А. А. Грамматический словарь русского языка. Словоизменение. (A Grammar Dictionary of the Russian Language. Word Modification. by A.A. Zaliznyak),
- Русское литературное произношение и ударение. Словарь-справочник / Под ред. Р. И. Аванесова и С. И. Ожегова. (Russian Literary Pronunciation and Stress. Dictionary-Manual / Ed. R.I. Avanesov and S.I. Ozhegov.),
- Борунова С. Н., Воронцова В. Л., Еськова Н. А. Орфоэпический словарь русского языка: произношение, ударение, грамматические формы / Под ред. Р. И. Аванесова (Orthoepic Dictionary of the Russian Language: Pronunciation, Stress, Grammatical Forms by S.N. Borunova, V.L. Vorontsova and N.A. Eskova / Ed. R.I. Avanesov),
- Or any other relevant resource approved by Институт русского языка имени В. В. Виноградова Российской академии наук (V.V. Vinogradov Russian Language Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences).
Candidates can use pronunciation, stress, and grammatical and word variations approved by the above- mentioned Russian Language Institute (e.g. neutral gender for «кофе» («чёрное кофе») instead of masculine («чёрный кофе»), stress for «творог» («твóрог» or «творóг») or any of the word equivalents («прото́к», «прото́ка»), as long as they do it consistently throughout the text or dialogue.
Candidates should note that when interpreting names of authorities for which there is an official Russian translation, they should use it.
S
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Standard Language
The language used in interpreting tests is standard Serbian and candidates are to use standard Serbian in their interpreting tests.
Standard Serbian has two spoken forms: екавски (ekavian) and ијекавски (ijekavian). Both forms are acceptable.
The source speech and the target speech should not contain dialectal forms which are specific to one area or region, and which are unknown in others.
With Reference to General Policy B
Candidates are required to always use words from the Serbian lexicon, which may include words of foreign origin as are found in the Лексикон страних речи и израза (any edition) by Milan Vujaklija and published by various publishers (e.g. website – веб-сајт).
Candidates may repeat proper nouns (e.g. Centrelink, Mark Twain) as they are said in English. When in the English source dialogue a speaker refers to a specifically Australian concept, candidates can repeat the term in English but they should also provide a Serbian translation (e.g. Disability Support Pension – инвалидска пензија).
The standard S’gaw Karen language is used in certification test.
All regional terms and accents of S’gaw Karen are accepted but non-standard term and usage or of vague and ambiguous words which the majority of S’gaw Karen speakers cannot understand will not be accepted.
Candidates should be aware of the importance of using culturally sensitive registers. They must use the culturally appropriate and/or polite register when addressing their interlocutors during interpreting into S’gaw Karen.
When interpreting into S’gaw Karen, candidates are encouraged to minimise the use of non-Karen words. The use of non-Karen words will be accepted if the borrowed words are widely used and understood by majority of S’gaw Karen speakers.
In the case of technical terms which do not have a direct equivalent, the technical term may be used followed by a brief gloss of the term.
There are also some culturally specific English terms (eg. “Centrelink” “concession card” “TAFE”), which do not have a direct equivalent in S’gaw Karen, and in these cases, it is acceptable to use the English term.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
- Candidates are expected to interpret for the role player either spoken or written Sinhalese, but the spoken Sinhalese is preferred.
- The use of some English words is acceptable when these words are commonly used by native Sinhala speakers and are part of the lexicon. For example, computer, password, butter, yoghurt, ice cream, Centrelink and tyre are a few.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
The Certification interpreting tests use Standard Swahili. The use of vague and ambiguous words which most Swahili speakers cannot understand will not be accepted.
Region-specific terms and expressions can be used to the extent where this does not hinder efficient and effective communication. The use of region-specific terms and expressions is acceptable as far as they are understood clearly by the speakers. Candidates need to take special care when using region-specific words which have different meaning in Standard Swahili, such as “kuuza”, “kutumika and “fasi”.
As per policy B, widely understood, regularly and commonly used English words such as “internet”, “appointment”, “Centrelink”, and “computer” can be accepted, even if a Swahili word could have been used to describe or express the same information.
The unnecessary or inappropriate use of English or French words will not be accepted.
Style and register must be appropriate to the subject matter and the mode. Flow of language must be natural, and candidates are expected to pronounce the words/ utterances correctly and clearly with appropriate tone of voice. Slang expressions must be avoided.
T
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Tamil language is spoken by Tamil people in many parts of the world, but Tamil is a mostly spoken language in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore. Tamil dialects, however, vary from country to country and even from region to region in those countries. Due to diversification and evolution from its origins for a long period, usage of various dialects in Tamil Language is standardised to an acceptable level by Tamil scholars to establish a uniformity in any forms of communication. Standardised Tamil means it is a formal Tamil with proper grammar usage, without any regional dialects. Therefore, it is preferable to use standardised Tamil in NAATI tests.
Unless there is no exact term or expression in Tamil for an English word, English usage is acceptable, otherwise unnecessary excessive English usage is unacceptable in NAATI tests.
A set of basic benchmark criteria are proposed and elucidated below to ensure the transfer of message is articulated accurately. Therefore candidates are expected to execute these criteria contextually without any doubt.
Candidates should consider and realise the consequences of usage of dimensions of register variations by means of pronunciation in Tamil. Such register variations, ultimately alter and give different meanings as “distortions”.
Example:
“malai” can be recognised under two different contextual scenarios.
“மலை” refers “mountain”
“மழை” refers “rain”
In dialogue settings some words affect grammar and give a different perception.
Example:
In spoken Tamil, words like “vanthanga” can be expressed as a singular verb and on the other hand it can be expressed as a plural verb.
Therefore, it is better to avoid terms like (“vanthanga”), which confuses interlocutor and examiner.
When considering noun words like “Aunty” or “Aunt”, various paternal/maternal relationships are indicated. They are the following:
“Atthai”, “Maami”, “Periamma”, “Sinnamma” in Tamil, which give several misconceptions to the interlocutor and examiner.
Hence candidates are expected to express above words clearly.
Overall it is important that candidates abide by these protocols during their NAATI tests
Refer to General Policies A and B.
The Telugu language is spoken in many parts of India, especially in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and in Puducherry (Yanam). NAATI acknowledges that three main regional variants of the Telugu language exist: Coastal, Rayalaseema, and Telangana.
In accordance with General Policy B, candidates should use appropriate Telugu equivalents where they exist. For example, అత్త for “aunt” and మామ for “uncle”.
Dialect: When speaking Thai, candidates must use the central dialect only. Delivery, whether in part or in full, in other non-central dialects, such as Isan, southern or northern dialects, is not acceptable.
English words: When interpreting into the Thai language, candidates are encouraged to minimise the use of English words except where the relevant terminology is formally accepted or widely used in the Thai language. Some examples of English terms that are formally accepted for use in Thai are นิวเคลียร์, โปรแกรม and คอมพิวเตอร์. Terms that are widely used include, for example, อัปโหลด, เว็บไซต์ and พาสปอร์ต. The use of English terms, whether formally accepted or widely used, when speaking in Thai must also be appropriate to the register. For example, ร้อยละ is more appropriate in a more formal register than เปอร์เซ็นต์. Similarly, ธนาคาร is more appropriate in a formal setting than แบงก์.
Candidates should distinguish between proper nouns, which may appropriately be left in English in the majority of cases, and terms which can and ought appropriately to be interpreted into Thai. Examples of proper nouns include Centrelink, Medicare, Perth and Opera House.
Pronunciation: Correct pronunciation is key to good delivery. In particular, candidates must be able to clearly distinguish between the ร sound from the ล sound when speaking in Thai, and the r sound from the l sound when speaking in English.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Refer to General Policies A and B.
Candidates sitting for the Turkish Certified Provisional Interpreter/Certified Interpreter tests are expected to use the standard, spoken form of the Turkish language. They should be able to interpret effectively and efficiently for the Turkish role player whether this involves the use of dialectal and/or non-dialectal form of Turkish.
Türk Dil Kurumu [The Turkish Language Institution] is the reference point in this regard. It is the authority to determine whether a word/ a term/ pronunciation/ usage is acceptable in Turkish or not.
Ethnolect (words which are not clearly English or Turkish, but hybrid, e.g. lokasyon, set etmek, fokus olmamak, kompo, işsizlik ofisi) is not considered appropriate Turkish language for the purposes of this test. Candidates are expected to switch codes appropriately.
Style and register must be appropriate to the subject matter and the mode. Flow of language must be natural, and candidates are expected to pronounce the words/ utterances correctly and clearly with appropriate tone of voice. Dialect and slang expressions must be avoided.
For Interpreter Certification tests, NAATI expects Turkish candidates to adhere to the above rules and standards.
U
Refer to General Policies A and B.
NAATI Urdu tests are delivered in Urdu as used in Pakistan. Minimal use of Hindi words is permissible when those words are widely adopted in the Urdu language.
Numerical concepts i.e. “29, millions, billions etc.” should be interpreted.
Candidates are also expected to use the correct gender verbs for Urdu nouns, regardless of whether these nouns refer to living beings. The use of incorrect gender verbs will be penalised.
The use of English terms may be appropriate and/or necessary in some contexts, for example, for household appliances and medical or other technical terms that do not have appropriate equivalents in the Urdu language. The unnecessary or inappropriate use of English words will be penalised.
Refer to General Policy A. Supplementary to this policy, candidates are expected to use non-dialectical Standard Ukrainian in the test.
Refer to General Policy B. Supplementary to this policy, it is acceptable to borrow words from English where there is no Ukrainian equivalent available (eg. маркетинг, коучинг, моніторинг, інтерактивний).
