70168 - Interpreting from Italian into English (CL1)

Learning outcomes

Students know and are able to use the main conference interpreting techniques (consecutive and simultaneous interpreting) from Italian into English in a wide variety of professional settings.

Course contents

Consecutive and simultaneous interpreting require a number of different cognitive, linguistic, communicative and interactional activities to be carried out at the same time: listening, production, memorisation and coordination (and in the case of consecutive interpreting also note-taking) of a speech made in a source language (SL), which must then be re-produced as closely as possible in the target language (TL).

The course aims to develop and perfect the basic skills acquired during the first year of the course, with special attention being paid to the communicative aspects of the student’s output (register, style, prosody, dysfluencies etc), through the interpreting in class of real speeches taken from conferences and lectures, and real-life interpreting at conferences or multilingual meetings organised by the School. The speeches chosen for the lessons will focus on topics of major interest (the economic and financial crisis, human rights, the European Union etc). Students will also be taught how to prepare for the interpreting of specialist topics.

A number of virtual classes together with external bodies are also planned using videoconferencing.

There will be a mock exam towards the end of the course to assess the level of the students, with the mark obtained in this test being added to the mark obtained in the exam, and to identify the specific weaknesses of each student.

Teaching methods

Practice in the classroom and in interpreting booths using audio or video files of real-life speeches concerning important current affairs issues (the economic and financial crisis, human rights, the European Union etc) to develop and perfect the basic skills acquired during the first year of the course, with special attention being paid to the communicative aspects of the students’ output (register, style, prosody, dysfluencies etc). The ability of students to assess their own performance will be highlighted and developed throughout the course.

Assessment methods

The progress students make in improving their simultaneous and consecutive interpreting techniques will be monitored throughout the year. In addition, there will be a mock exam towards the end of the course to assess the level of the students, with the mark obtained in this test being added to the mark obtained in the exam, and to identify the specific weaknesses of each student. The exam at the end of the course consists in the interpreting of a speech from Italian into English, using the consecutive technique  during the first part (4-5 minutes) and using the simultaneous technique during the following part (8-10 minutes). The topic of the speech will involve important current affairs issues.

Teaching tools

Text, audio and video files, with all the material used in class uploaded onto the e-learning platform Moodle, together with other useful material for practice or background research.

Office hours

See the website of Christopher John Garwood