Tapping Into Interpreting Students’ Motivation to Engage in Targeted Translation Practice

Abstract

Translation and interpreting are different in many aspects. For the former, the source and target text remain available and communication between participants happens asynchronously; the latter demands immediate interaction and speech signals are fast fading. The two activities and their respective contexts, including working conditions, are also dissimilar in the professional world. A quick glance may leave an impression that entirely different training is in order. However, translation and interpreting as a profession also share tremendous similarities — the European Master’s Translation competence framework adequately applies to interpreting. This action research study aimed to motivate beginning interpreting students to overcome challenges in interpreting practice via translation activities. A two-stage translation workshop was designed, and the results show that students became more engaged in the workshop when the authenticity of the tasks and the relevance between translation practice and interpreting performance were elucidated. Keywords: motivation, situated translation, simulated training, project-based learning, entrepreneurship, action research