Consecutive Interpreting Research Articles

Strategies of consecutive interpretation in joint press conferences

This article deals with problems of interpretation of political discourse in joint press conference. Novelty of research is identified by the lack of domestic publications in the field of Translation studies on press conferences in the context of Kazakhstan’s foreign policy. Article examines characteristic features of consecutive interpretation of political media discourse. The need of effective strategies that help to provide adequate interpretation is identified and justified. On the basis of the study the authors suggest that backgroundknowledge on communicative situation enables interpreter to solve tasks caused by time deficiency and different semantic structures. It is proved that use of compression, decompression and re-ordering string in consecutive interpretation is key to reach communicative equivalence in target text. Results show that juxtaposition of strategies in one discursive segment illustrates that inherent cognitive feature of interpretation process. Article consists of literature review, methods of research, description and analyses of research material.

The Cognitive Approach to the Semantics of the Russian Verbal Prefix Pere-: A Useful Contribution to Consecutive Interpreting?

The cognitive approach to the semantics of Russian verbal prefixes (RVPs) defines each of their meanings by virtue of a visual cognitive configuration. Since the process of note-taking in consecutive interpreting (CI) calls for the use of symbols that must be clear, evocative, and unambiguous, the aim of this work is to test whether configurations for RVPs can be effectively repurposed as CI symbols, as a way to help interpreters provide more precise translations of Russian prefixed verbs into a target language. In particular, we will focus on the meaning <TRANSFER> of the RVP pere- in the context of Russian→Italian CI. We will analyze examples of Russian texts that will be translated into CI symbols, using RVP configurations for pere-verbs; on the basis of that, these symbols will in turn be translated into Italian. This way, we hope to provide some useful guidelines for the visual language of CI symbols, so as not to alter the meaning of Russian prefixed verbs when interpreting into Italian.

A Case Study on Omissions in Chinese-to-English Consecutive Interpreting

Based on previous studies on omission in interpretation, this paper first reviews Gill’s multi-task processing model and establishes a theoretical framework on this basis. Through analyzing the recorded text of one student interpreter’s on-site alternating interpretation, it is concluded that there are several types of omission: omissions caused by inadequate knowledge of the translator, omissions caused by misallocation of energy and memory overload, and omissions consciously employed by the translator as an interpretation strategy. It is also found through research that the translated text after consciously omission processing is more focused, clearer, and more conducive to the audience’s acceptance of effective information. Therefore, it is concluded that it is a feasible and desirable strategy to omit non-core information in interpretation to ensure the effective transmission of the speaker’s subject information and to optimize the allocation of the interpreter’s multitasking ability.

Linguistic Analysis of Note-taking Strategies in Consecutive Interpretation Based on Saussures Structuralism

Note-taking is simultaneously a key feature and a widely used tool in consecutive interpretation. Based on Saussures Structuralist Linguistics, this essay attempts to evaluate current studies and strategies of CI note-taking and generate further understanding of note-taking procedure from a linguistic perspective. It is interested in three key aspects: theoretical explanation of the course of note-taking, theoretical analysis of current note-taking methods, and developing criteria for note-taking effectiveness. By correlating and analyzing Saussures theory and note-taking studies, this essay will approach these aspects in the following sections. It develops three continua to identify the key aspects of different note-taking strategies: the diversity of symbols, the length and number of words, and the preference for either words or symbols. The conclusion suggests that all CI note-taking strategies are fundamental variations of the distribution of two key resources, cognitive load and time, to achieve two objectives: to serve as auxiliary memory and language reminder. The three continua represent two basic features of notes: volume and language dependency. Despite different focuses on various strategies, practitioners are suggested to adopt a method suitable for their specific capabilities.

Probing the cognitive load of consecutive interpreters

Abstract This study employs four purpose-built corpora to assess the frequency of the disfluency marker uh (emm) in Chinese-English consecutive interpreting (CI) renditions as a proxy measure of interpreters’ cognitive load. Based on Plevoets and Defrancq (2016, 2018), the frequencies are compared across four informational load indicators: delivery rate, lexical density, proportion of numbers, and sentence length. The analysis also probes the potential influence of interpreting directionality on disfluencies. Results reveal differential effects of the four informational load indicators on disfluencies and, by extension, interpreters’ cognitive load, while Chinese-to-English CI is associated with an increase in disfluencies compared to English-to-Chinese for interpreters with Chinese as their A language.

Into-A or Into-B, That is a Question: A Systematic Literature Review of Directionality and Performance in Consecutive Interpreting

Although the debate over the into-A and into-B interpreting has never stopped, the focal point was mostly set on simultaneous interpreting and sign language interpreting. Directionality in consecutive interpreting (CI) has not been studied fully so far. The present systematic literature review was designed to examine the relationship between directionality and performance in CI across a wide range of settings and empirical methods based on PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and search for articles in English in Scopus and Web of Science. Three problems were investigated in the current research: (i) How does directionality impact performance among professional and student interpreters in CI? (ii) What factors contribute to the effect of directionality on performance? (iii) Does directionality preference impact the interpreter’s performance? The findings include: (i) directionality proves to influence the performance of interpreters whose A- and B-languages are not equally proficient, whereas balanced bilinguals are not affected by directionality; (ii) both internal and external factors contribute to the interpreters’ performance; (iii) only descriptive studies about interpreters’ directionality preference were identified in the prior literature, and a further study with more focus on the interactive power of directionality preference on interpreters’ performance is required.

Investigating The Effect of Speaker-related Factors on Consecutive Interpreters’ Performance

Investigating The Effect of Speaker-related Factors on Consecutive Interpreters’ Performance

Errors And Problems Faced by The Students in Practicing Consecutive Interpreting

This research aims to analyze the errors and problems faced by the students in practicing English to Indonesian consecutive interpreting. This study is conducted in an interpreting class of six semester English Letters students of IAIN Surakarta. This study was conducted to know the students’ types of errors and problems in practicing consecutive interpreting. This is a descriptive-qualitative research. It presents the data with a content analysis method. This research uses documentation, error validation, and interviews to answer the research questions. The data were gained by collecting the students’ performance videos in practicing consecutive interpreting and establishing interviews to get additional information. The results showed that among 159 errors, which were occurred during the students’ performances, the errors can be classified into 8 types. They are errors in non-conservation of paralinguistic features, omission, distortion, inadequate language proficiency, literal translation, addition, register conservation, protocol, procedure and ethics. The non-conservation paralinguistic features are the most frequent error with 57 occurrences (35.8%) and the least common error found is protocol, procedure and ethics with 2 occurrences (1.3%). Those errors were caused by the students’ problems. The results show that there are 8 types of problems faced by the students, including nervosity, English proficiency, lack of practice, interpretation partner, classmates, time pressure, confidence and public speaking skills. Overall, the students need more practice and knowledge, especially in English proficiency and need guidance in solving their problems to improve their interpretation skills.

A Corpus-Based Analysis of Pauses in Chinese-English Consecutive Interpreting of Chinese English Majors

A Corpus-Based Analysis of Pauses in Chinese-English Consecutive Interpreting of Chinese English Majors

Analysis of the Effect of Speaker’s Speech Speed on Note-taking in Consecutive Interpreting

Analysis of the Effect of Speaker’s Speech Speed on Note-taking in Consecutive Interpreting

A Study of the Techniques of Consecutive Interpretation Based on a Speech Named How to Realistically Decarbonize the Oil and Gas Industry

At present, all countries are facing the threat of epidemic, and the process of globalization is forced to stop. But it's all temporary. Even if the epidemic situation is normalized in the future, the exchange and development of countries and globalization will be the general trend of history. In such an era, translators are irreplaceable by any technology. As a type of translation, consecutive interpretation plays an important role in foreign exchange. Therefore, this paper takes the speech how to realistically declare the oil and gas industry as an example to simulate consecutive interpretation, so as to explore the skills of consecutive interpretation.

Analyzing Common Problems in Chinese-English Consecutive Interpreting and Countermeasures

Consecutive interpretation is one of the most important and commonest interpretation areas. Interpreters are often required to have excellent language skills, memory, and the ability to convey the exact meaning of the speaker. However, most interpreters, especially inexperienced ones, inevitably make mistakes in consecutive interpretation which will make communication lack efficiency and professionalism. This article reviews some common problems, their causes and coping strategies in the consecutive interpretation: 1) Listening and analysis problems. Its causes include lack of language skills and poor timing in note-taking. Strategies for dealing with this problem include allocating energy and content prediction; 2) Difficulty decoding notes. It can be caused by the formatting of notes and abbreviations. Strategies such as improving overall comprehension and refining the note-taking system can help; 3) Information loss or redundancy. Its causes include short-term memory problems, cultural differences and so on. Strategies for dealing with this problem include doing English to Chinese conversions and so on; 4) Mishandling of logic. It is caused by note-taking and listening errors and over-stimulation. Strategies like analysing the logic of the source text can help. By analysing these problems, interpreters can identify their specific problems and consciously reduce the number of mistakes. Improving the interpreting skills based on strategies can help them convey the speaker's meaning more accurately when doing consecutive interpretations.

"THE IMPORTANCE OF MEMORY TRAINING IN INTERPRETATION "

Among the many things an interpreter should learn in order to perform simultaneous or consecutive interpretation, memory is an important element that needs training. In the present paper, my aim is to discuss some techniques of improving one’s memory, the characteristics of short and long term memory, and the way in which they influence the interpreter’s performances.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETATION AT MULTI-MEDIA ROOMS: FROM LECTURERS’ PERSPECTIVE

This study is to explore the main factors affecting the quality of consecutive interpretation of English majored students at School of Languages and Tourism (SLT), Hanoi University of Industry (HaUI). The data for this paper is mainly collected from a semi-structured interview which was adapted from the research by Chunli et al. (2021). The researchers interviewed 4 lecturers at SLT, then compared the answers with an in-depth analysis and review of common errors in students’ interpretation in the final test of the 7th semester which was assessed by the criteria for interpreting assessment proposed by Zwischenberger (2010). The research findings indicated that language competence, interpreting techniques, and psychological elements had great influence on the quality of students’ consecutive interpretation. Good preparation, avoiding perfectionism and practice are key points for students to improve the consecutive interpretation quality. The paper, hopefully, brings deeper understanding of consecutive interpretation as well as helpful information for lecturers and researchers in language study.

Note-Taking: skill and habit of consecutive interpreters

The notes taken by interpreters who work in the consecutive mode have a fundamental role in the interpreting process. These notes allow the interpreter not to be cognitively overloaded with remembering long segments of information or decontextualized data such as figures, names or series of elements that prove hard to retain in memory. Within the syllabuses of language majors in Cuba where translators and interpreters are trained, note-taking is conceived as a tool or a skill that needs to be automatic in order to be effective, both during formation and professional life of consecutive interpreters. Automaticity is directly related to habits and skills, whose close relationship makes it difficult to establish clear boundaries between one and the other in most situations, but skills and habits require different methodological approaches to be fostered. The aim of the present research is to determine whether note-taking is a professional skill or habit of interpreters. To fulfill such goal, the authors departed from the use of scientific observation during training sessions to continue with the critical appraisal of the documents reviewed as methods to reach conclusions and corroborate the results of the research.

A Study of The Interpreter-related Factors Affecting Consecutive Interpreters’ Performance: A Theoretical Account

A Study of The Interpreter-related Factors Affecting Consecutive Interpreters’ Performance: A Theoretical Account

Predominant Difficulties Encountered by English Department Student During the First Phase of Consecutive Interpreting

This objective of this research is to find out the predominant difficulties encountered by English department students during the first phase of consecutive interpreting. This research uses a descriptive qualitative method and conducted using the theory of Ribas (2012). The source of data of this research is BBC News video entitled “The Devastating Impact of War on the Lives of Ukraine’s Children”. The result of this research shows that lack of practice in listening is the predominant difficulty encountered by students. Whereas, the least difficulty encountered is lack of common sense. The message conveyed in the source language may be radically different for the listeners in the target language. Subsequently, interpreter encountered difficulties in attempting to create the equivalence. Therefore, it shows how much time is needed and it requires a certain amount of practice to be able to produce a good quality of interpretation.

Students’ perceptions of using note-taking in consecutive interpreting assignments

Note-taking is critical in helping interpreters memorize detailed information both quickly and accurately. Therefore, the present study was conducted as a questionnaire survey at a university in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam to investigate how students, specifically student interpreters, perceive note-taking in consecutive interpreting assignments. In detail, this study explores the students’ perceptions of the benefits and the challenges of using note-taking in consecutive interpreting assignments. The participants in this study comprised 160 students majoring in English Interpretation and Translation. Furthermore, they have taken consecutive interpreting courses and experienced taking notes in consecutive interpreting tasks. The findings of this study indicated that most students had good perceptions about note-taking used in consecutive interpretation and perceived its benefits and challenges. Moreover, some pedagogical implications for both students and teachers are made. Specifically, the study suggests that students should frequently practice it to acquire good note-taking skills. Teachers should make effective lecture designs to help students improve their note-taking skills and consecutive interpreting performance.

Some aspects of teaching future translators consecutive interpretation with notation

In the modern and rapidly changing world, the need for qualified specialists in the field of translation is increasing every day. The demands placed on translators by the translation market are also growing. At the moment, training of a future translator implies not only the acquisition of deep theoretical knowledge, but also the formation of a wide range of professional competencies. This article represents the view of the author on how to teach consecutive interpretation with notation. Having presented in chronological order information related to the emergence and development of systems of interpreter’s notation, the author goes deeply into the consideration of the notion and characteristic features of such systems. The factors facilitating and complicating the implementation of consecutive interpretation with notation are given. Training of consecutive interpretation skills done with the help of notation is illustrated by several texts aimed at developing students’ skills and competencies important to render information orally from one language into another one. The author also gives some methodological recommendations for training this subtype of interpretation, presents a list of possible tasks for all types of texts, as well as auxiliary procedures, by which future professionals in the field of interpretation will be able to hone their skills. All assignments are taken from the “Practicum on oral translation” compiled by the author several years ago. She productively applies them at the practical lessons on interpretation with senior university students.

As Consecutive Interpreters, How to Overcome Interpreting Legal and Policing Texts from English into Arabic into English in Terms of Culture Awareness

This article aims to investigate in the cultural awareness among interpreters within legal diverse community communication. The sample consisted of (70) interpreters who worked at International Police Training Center 2005-2006. The researcher developed personal recorded interviews with the participants and heard several times to examine vocabulary related to cultural differentiation of Arabic-English used to achieve the objective of the article. The findings showed a lot of participants reported lack of cultural awareness of vocabulary related to legal and policing. Upon being the findings analyzed, the researcher recommends to conduct more studies related.