INTERPRETER’S CONCENTRATION DOMINANCE: CASE STUDY

Abstract

The paper introduces an experimental approach towards concentration dominance training in classes for second-year master students who although gained all necessary theoretical and practical skills in simultaneous interpreting, are still to refine the most subtle points in keeping the interpretation process under full control. That means the second-year master students of translation department are to be able to consciously keep the process of interpreting and everything, which is happening to their psychological state in booths under full-fledged control. The author offers a range of innovative exercises based upon his own many-year interpreter’s practice. The offered exercises train the students to focus upon several cognitive triggers at the same time, which in fact enables an interpreter to be more stress-resilient, to timely empty short-term memory, to shift concentration more smoothly and consequently lose less information. The paper also offers the term of interpreter’s concentration dominance, based upon the ability to switch from one different cognitive act to another one whenever necessary. It guarantees that an interpreter regains concentration in less time, making sure that during concentration shift period less precise information is lost. Finally, the author gives his perspective of what is to be done in bringing interpreting theory and practice closer in the sphere of split attention training and concentration dominance practice.

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References

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