Two modes of practice in dialogue-interpreter training: adding live practice in the interpreting booth alongside traditional face-to-face training

摘要

The article explores students’ views and thoughts on two distinct ways of training students in dialogue interpreting (DI) by looking at a combination of the more traditional method of face-to-face training (which utilises simulated real-life DI situations in a classroom environment) with a ‘semi remote’ method involving simultaneous-interpreting booths used for consecutive DI. At the University of Tampere, DI is a mandatory course for all students of translation and interpreting at BA level. On the basis of two semi-structured interviews with senior DI teachers and the author’s experience in teaching DI, a questionnaire was created and a survey conducted among DI students focusing on students’ views of practising DI in the booth alongside traditional in-classroom practice. The survey focused on learning (sub)skills involved in DI and on comparing the two training methods used in the course. The findings indicate that using in-booth practice as an additional training method can actually serve students even better than DI teachers had initially expected.