Domain knowledge in simultaneous interpreting

Abstract

This article analyzes the role that domain knowledge plays on the understanding of and performance in simultaneous interpreting tasks. Students from two classes of the undergraduate program in Translation of the Federal University of Uberlândia answered a questionnaire and performed a simultaneous interpreting session. The questionnaires were used to analyze the participants beliefs, while the sessions were audio-recorded for the analysis of cognitive effort (i.e., omissions, additions, head starts, pauses, meaning errors, and logical-time sequence errors). The results pointed to some changes in the students’ declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge after they had received theoretical and practical training in simultaneous interpreting. However, it was not sufficient to help them find interpreting strategies to avoid a high level of cognitive effort. This research contributes to both process research and interpreter training.