Ensuring accuracy and quality for oral examinations in translation

Abstract

Viva voce or oral examinations are an intrinsic part of the examination of many doctoral theses. There is some ambiguity about their purpose; however, they are generally perceived to be an opportunity for the candidate to respond to the examiners’ comments and questions. They also allow examiners to assure themselves of the candidate’s grasp of the topic and research process. In most cases, the examinations are conducted in the institution’s language of instruction. However, it is possible for an examination to be held in another language, for example in bicultural countries with more than one official language or to make use of the expertise of an examiner who does not speak or read the language that the student has been supervised in. If the examination is conducted a language that is not common to all the participants – candidate, examiners and examination convenor – then there needs to be a clear process for accurate translation to ensure the examination is valid. This paper contributes to an acceptance of the importance of validating a student’s ability to be assessed in their own language.