Teaching Simultaneous Interpreting with Text

Abstract

Proceeding from the ever-growing use of simultaneous interpretation with text (SI+T) at international conferences and on the private market and the need to teach it to future interpreters, this paper touches upon the following issues: What is SI+T; types of SI+T (running texts vs. Power Point slides vs. real-time captioning, etc.); theoretical foundations of SI+T; four time-related scenarios in SI+T, i.e. (1) ideal (text given to interpreter well in advance), (2) normal (text given 10-20 minutes in advance), (3) rush (text given just before the speaker starts), and (4) crisis (text given after the speaker starts); SI with or without text: which Is easier? - Cognitive constraints and benefits in SI+T (e.g., dual input vs. increased precision); interpreting strategies in dealing with text in SI under four time-related scenarios, including (1) strategic decision on whether or not to use the text, and (2) text preparation strategies and techniques; current and recommended approaches to teaching SI+T; cognitive foundation for teaching SI+T with selected methodological recommendations; and sample progression scale for teaching SI+T.