The Impact of Information and Communication Technology on Interpreter Training

Abstract

CAIT (Computer Assisted Interpreter Training) is a relatively new field of Interpreting Studies which began to develop in the mid 1990s. The impetus behind CAIT is an attempt to exploit the multimedia capabilities of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance the teaching and learning of interpreting in various ways. The present feature article offers an overview of the three major approaches that have been developed within CAIT over its ten-year history. Integrative CAIT relies on digital speech banks or repositories to provide students with suitable materials for classroom use or self-study, with computers playing the twofold role of tutor and stimulus. Intelligent CAIT has flourished on the back of new dedicated authoring programs which enable interpreter trainers to easily create various types of exercises and provide trainees with tools to optimize the use of the available resources; in an environment where the computer plays the role of tool, intelligent CAIT applications incorporate new utilities to increase interaction between computer and users and to situate learning in more realistic contexts. The third approach, based on Virtual Learning Environments, seeks to exploit the opportunities offered by computer-mediated communication tools and make the teaching and learning of interpreting more immersive by applying aspects of simulation technology available in computer games. As the overview progresses, the reader is introduced to a number of state-of-the-art CAIT programs and applications.