Saudi Interpreters’ Adaptive Cognitive Strategic Behaviors in Consecutive Interpretation

Abstract

This study investigates the adaptive cognitive strategies used by Saudi interpreters in consecutive interpretation (CI) guided by Gile’s (2009) Effort Models. Using a structured questionnaire, insights were gathered from 102 Saudi interpreters, divided into undergraduate students and professional interpreters with varying levels of experience. The research focuses on how interpreters manage the selection of interpretation strategies across four phases of CI: listening, note-taking, note-decoding, and reformulating. Notable findings include the contrast between experienced professionals, who seldom rely on common sense, omitting, or paraphrasing, and trainees, who employ these strategies more frequently in response to unfamiliar topics. Professionals, regardless of experience, effectively use paraphrasing when faced with numerical complexities. When dealing with fast-speaking speakers, experienced professionals avoid omitting content, while trainees rely on this strategy. In conclusion, to manage concentration during long speeches, trainees prioritize attention to the source speech and use selective omission, while experienced professionals gravitate toward generalizing and summarizing approaches. This research highlights the influence of experience on strategy choice, aligning with Jääskeläinen’s (1996) claim that experienced translators allocate more cognitive resources to production strategies than novices. A key recommendation of this study is the need for specialized training for novice interpreters, particularly in strategy development, to handle various CI process challenges. Training focused on enhancing note-taking skills is vital, especially for trainees, as clear and understandable notes are crucial for success in the note-decoding and reformulating stages of CI.