Consecutive Interpreting I General Seminars Dr Morven Beaton-Thome Session 1

Consecutive Interpreting I  Introduction of staff and students  Language classification in Conference Interpreting  Definition and Demonstration of Consecutive Interpreting  Brief historical overview  Situations where consecutive interpreting is used  Phases of Consecutive Interpreting Listening & Analysis Memory Production  Discussion of Course Outline  Assessment and assessment procedures

Language Classification: A Language  “A Language:The interpreter's mother tongue (or another language strictly equivalent to a mother tongue), into which s/he interprets from all other working languages, generally in the two modes of interpretation, simultaneous and consecutive”. [ last accessed ]

Language Classification: B Language  “B Language:A language into which the interpreter works from one or more of her/his other languages and which, although not a mother tongue, is a language of which s/he has perfect command. Some interpreters work into B languages in only one of the two modes of interpretation”. [ last accessed ]

Language Classification: C Language  “C Language: Passive languages are those languages of which the interpreter has complete understanding and from which s/he interprets. These are what interpreters call their C languages, according to AIIC classification”. [ last accessed ]

Consecutive Interpreting  “the interpreter sits at the table with the delegates or on the platform next to the speaker and interprets the speech into the required language once the speaker has finished speaking. The interpreter takes notes to give an accurate rendering of the speech which may be delivered in sections, up to approximately 15 minutes” [ last accessed ]  “The interpreter listens to a speech segment for a few minutes or so, takes notes, and then delivers the whole segment in the target language; then the speaker resumes for a few minutes, the interpreter delivers the next segment, and the process continues until the end of the speech” (Gile 2000:41).

Consecutive Interpreting  A brief history of CI Origins of the concept as old as communication between peoples First formal training programme developed at ETI in Geneva during WWII Systems of notetaking as a memory aid developed and introduced to interpreter training programmes Despite the widespread use of Simultaneous Interpreting (SI) since 1945, classic CI is widely used in smaller, more intimate meetings in a range of settings (diplomacy, government ministries, international organisations, business meetings) CI proficiency is tested in all major organisations (EU,UN) and government ministries as an integral part of interpreter competence.

Consecutive Interpreting  Techniques of consecutive interpreting can also be used in Courtroom interpreting Guided tours Liaison interpreting situations (predominantly in business and diplomatic settings) Community settings (police, medical, schools, religious etc.)

Consecutive Interpreting  Techniques of Consecutive Interpreting (CI) may vary according to setting (e.g. more verbatim rendition required in courtroom setting)  However, CI is NOT a literal sentence-by- sentence rendition (pseudo-consecutive) but remains replication of ideas and argumentation structure.

Phases of Consecutive Interpreting Two Phase Model (Gile 1997)  Reception Phase  Reformulation Phase

Reception Phase CI (Reception)= L+M+N+C CI=Consecutive Interpreting, L=listening and analysis, M=short-term memory,N=Notetaking, C=Coordination (Gile 1997:167)

Reformulation Phase CI (Ref.) = Rem + Read + P CI=Consecutive Interpreting, Rem=recall from memory and notes, Read= Reading of notes, P=Production (Gile 1997:168)

Student Skills  Listening & Analysis Identification of hierarchy and structure  Memory Extended short-term memory Strategic use of long-term memory Note-taking skills  Production Presentation and Public Speaking Skills Intonation Enunciation

Preparation  Note-taking seminar Please read in advance:  Section on Consecutive Interpreting in Jones, Roderick (2002) Conference Interpreting Explained, Manchester: St. Jerome, Translation Practices Explained 6.

References and Further Reading  Gile, Daniel (1997) Basic Concepts and Models for Interpreter and Translator Training, Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins.  Kurz, Ingrid and Margaret Bowen (eds), Special Issue on the History of Interpreting, Interpreting 4(1).  Jones, Roderick (2002) Conference Interpreting Explained, Manchester: St. Jerome, Translation Practices Explained 6.