Interpreter-Training-Specific Techniques: A Didactic Approach

Abstract

As an experimental study, the present work addresses the effect of applying certain interpreter-training-specific techniques (such as shadowing, improvisation, anticipation, split-attention exercises, memory enhancement exercises, etc.) on the quality of simultaneous interpreting by the trainees. A standard test of General English (IELTS) was administered prior to the commencement of the experiment to ensure homogeneity. The participants (initially 102 who were then reduced to 70) were all undergraduate Translation students, 35 of whom received the treatment (experimental group) and the remaining 35 did not (control group). Two tests of simultaneous interpreting (a pretest and a posttest) were conducted and then rated by three judges. T-test results for the pretest (t=0.59) showed there was no significant difference between the two groups whereas t-test results for the posttest (t=5.1) indicated that the experimental group outperformed the control group significantly. Such an improvement is believed to have resulted from the application of the techniques specific to training interpreters.