Abstract
This study assesses the quality of English-Kiswahili Sermon interpretation in church settings in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with a specific focus on the accuracy of vocabulary interpretation and its impact on effective communication between preachers and audiences. Conducted in two purposively selected Pentecostal churches, the study employed the Sense-Based Theory as its guiding framework. Data were gathered through interviews, non-participant observation, and video recordings; and were analysed qualitatively. The findings reveal frequent misinterpretation of preachers’ English vocabulary by Sermon interpreters, leading to significant communication breakdowns between preachers and their audiences. The incorrect interpretations of vocabulary were primarily attributed to the Sermon interpreters’ inadequate mastery of both the source and target languages of the preachers, failure to consider situational and verbal contexts, as well as the interpreters’ poor biblical and general knowledge. Based on these findings, the study recommends professional training for interpreters to enhance their linguistic competence, methodological skills, and ethical standards; with the goal of improving the quality of interpretation services in church settings in Tanzania.
Recommended Citation
Mwinuka, Liyenja
(2024)
"quality interpretation, quality interpretation assessment, back translation, communication breakdown, sense-based theory,"
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences: Vol. 13:
No.
2, Article 12.
DOI: 10.56279/13/2/1
Available at:
https://commons.udsm.ac.tz/jhss/vol13/iss2/12