Interpreting Technologies Training Resources

This website is an ongoing project on the didactics of interpreting technologies.

Introduction

The technical solutions that have recently entered the market, for example in the areas of remote interpreting (RI) or computer-assisted interpreting (CAI), are slowly changing the way interpreters work and could have a disruptive effect on the profession in the years to come. The small body of research on technology-supported interpreting makes it clear that the presence of technology is a challenging factor for interpreters. For this reason, in order to successfully integrate technology in interpreted-mediated communication, interpreters need to undergo a process of knowledge and expertise acquisition, understanding the chances and limitations of technology use and integrating them, whenever reasonable, in their daily practice. The design of training modules on ICT seems to be an integral part of such a process.

The aim of this website is to provide teaching materials and practical examples to interpreting trainers who wish to include information and communication technologies in the curriculum. Our training module covers one topic that we consider crucial in the teaching of technology in interpreting: Computer-Assisted Interpreting (CAI) Tools.

There are also other topics that are of interest in the domain of Interpreting and Technology, such as Remote interpreting and Automatic speech translation. They are very different technologies with completely different goals, namely influencing the delivery of the interpreting service (RI), improving an interpreter’s performance (CAI), and replacing human interpreters (MI). It is our belief that all three will play - directly or indirectly - an important role in the professional life of interpreters in the years to come.

For the topic of Computer-Assisted Interpreting, we provide one or more exercises with a description of the desired learning outcomes, the methodology to be used and some practical tips. The module is designed to be adapted to local contexts and requirements, allowing institutions and trainers to select or expand the ideas that most suit their needs. The delivery of the module is flexible, as it can be offered during one term and become part of a broader teaching unit or course on conference interpreting, but it could also be condensed in one day, for example, to suit the needs of professional associations or in-service training. Our indications should by no means be considered complete, but rather as a starting point on which trainers can base their training and further develop their own set of teaching activities.

Fantinuoli, Claudio and Prandi, Bianca: Teaching information and communication technologies: a proposal for the interpreting classroom, in Trans-Kom, 2018.