A theory of prediction in simultaneous interpreting

People make comprehension easier by predicting upcoming language. We might therefore expect prediction to occur during the extremely difficult task of simultaneous interpreting. This paper examines the theoretical and empirical foundations of this premise. It reviews accounts of prediction during comprehension in both monolinguals and bilinguals, and discusses these theories in light of experimental data (e.g., using the visual-world paradigm). It considers how these accounts may be applied to the unique and ecologically valid context of simultaneous interpreting, when two languages are used concurrently, one overtly engaging the comprehension system, and the other overtly engaging the production system. It then posits a role for the production system in prediction during comprehension and develops a theoretical framework for prediction-by-production in simultaneous interpreting that has implications for our understanding of prediction during language comprehension.</p

Prediction during simultaneous interpreting:Evidence from the visual-world paradigm

We report the results of an eye-tracking study which used the Visual World Paradigm (VWP) to investigate the time-course of prediction during a simultaneous interpreting task. Twenty-four L1 French professional conference interpreters and twenty-four L1 French professional translators untrained in simultaneous interpretation listened to sentences in English and interpreted them simultaneously into French while looking at a visual scene. Sentences contained a highly predictable word (e.g., The dentist asked the man to open his mouth a little wider). The visual scene comprised four objects, one of which depicted either the target object (mouth; bouche), an English phonological competitor (mouse; souris), a French phonological competitor (cork; bouchon), or an unrelated word (bone; os). We considered 1) whether interpreters and translators predict upcoming nouns during a simultaneous interpreting task, 2) whether interpreters and translators predict the form of these nouns in English and in French and 3) whether interpreters and translators manifest different predictive behaviour. Our results suggest that both interpreters and translators predict upcoming nouns, but neither group predicts the word-form of these nouns. In addition, we did not find significant differences between patterns of prediction in interpreters and translators. Thus, evidence from the visual-world paradigm shows that prediction takes place in simultaneous interpreting, regardless of training and experience. However, we were unable to establish whether word-form was predicted

Student interpreters predict meaning while simultaneously interpreting - even before training

Prediction has long been considered advantageous in simultaneous interpreting, as it may allow interpreters to comprehend more rapidly and focus on their own production. However, evidence of prediction in simultaneous interpreting to date is relatively limited. In addition, it is unclear whether training in simultaneous interpreting influences predictive processing during a simultaneous interpreting task. We report on a longitudinal eyetracking study which measured the timing and extent of prediction in students before and after two semesters of training in simultaneous interpreting. The students simultaneously interpreted sentences containing a highly predictable word as they viewed a screen containing four pictures, one of which depicted a highly predictable object. They made predictive eye movements to the highly predictable object both before and after their training in simultaneous interpreting. However, we did not find evidence that training influenced the timing or the magnitude of their prediction

Prediction in Interpreting

People make comprehension easier by predicting upcoming utterances. But what happens when people comprehend and produce utterances concurrently, in two different languages? That is the question addressed in this thesis, which considers the role of prediction in simultaneous and consecutive interpreting. After developing a model of prediction in simultaneous interpreting, the dissertation reports three eye-tracking studies which use a visual-world paradigm. These studies explore whether prediction takes place during simultaneous interpreting; how specific this prediction is; whether interpreters predict differently from other bilinguals; whether training affects prediction; and whether a consecutive interpreting task affects predictive processing. The dissertation concludes that prediction often takes place in both simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, even in noisy conditions, and that interpreters tend to predict earlier and to a greater extent than other bilinguals. Exploratory findings suggest that greater synchronicity of comprehension and production supports prediction – something that could be investigated in future research

Prediction during simultaneous interpreting: evidence from the visual-world paradigm

Raw data and R script

Capacity, load, and effort in translation, interpreting and bilingualism

The ability to communicate through language, which is often said to set humans apart from other animals, is governed by complex cognitive processes enabled by a similarly complex cognitive architecture. The estimated storage capacity of the human brain has recently been revised upwards and put in the range of several million gigabytes. The construct of capacity is usually related to that of working memory and generally understood as the maximum number of resources the system can deploy in order to temporarily retain and process information at a given time. The notion of load finds its origins in educational psychology, more specifically in the construct of Cognitive Load Theory. While comprehension processes are traditionally viewed from the bottom up, production processes are often considered from the top down. Shadowing, in other words the overt verbatim repetition of an auditory message usually heard over headphones, is among the simplest tasks combining language comprehension and production processes in real time.</p

Simultaneous interpreting and improvised ensemble playing : the role of anticipation

This thesis compares cues which may be used for anticipation in simultaneous interpreting and musical ensemble playing. Previous research has found links between music and language. We have narrowed the focus to simultaneous interpreting and musical ensemble playing because both disciplines involve listening to and producing sound simultaneously. The focus of the thesis is on the cues present in music and speech that could allow musicians and interpreters respectively to speed up the rate at which they process what they are hearing, and thus improve their performance. This thesis is an attempt to provide a theoretical framework on which to base further experimental research. It substantiates the view that similar cues may be used in musical ensemble playing and simultaneous interpreting