Cover not available

Article published In: Babel
Vol. 61:2 (2015) ► pp.170–192

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
authorization required

Putting interpreting strategies in their place

Justifications for teaching strategies in interpreter training

Published online: 29 October 2015
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/babel.61.2.02li
The term strategy is increasingly mentioned in the interpreting literature. Individual strategies have been approached from various perspectives by a number of interpreting research scholars. Those strategies are used by interpreters to cope with cognitive constraints, interpreting mode-specific difficulties, and language- and culture-specific constraints. Given its importance, the author argues to include strategy training in interpreter education based on a synthesis of evidence from the current literature. This article firstly presents a state-of-theart review of research on the defining features of strategies and their varieties. It then validates the contribution of strategy training to interpreter education in terms of overcoming cognitive constraints, combating interpreting mode-specific constraints, coping with language- and culture-specific constraints, conforming to interpreting norms, revealing problem-solution relations in the interpreting process, highlighting novice-expert differences for pedagogical use, and leading to interpreter competence development. The article also provides a brief demonstration of how to teach strategies to trainees. Hopefully, this article can inspire interpreter trainers to recognize the importance of strategies and include strategy training in their teaching.
References (70)
Al-Khanji, Raja, Said El-Shiyab, and Riyadh Hussein. 2000. “On the Use of Compensatory Strategies in Simultaneous Interpretation.” Meta 45 (3): 548–557. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
An, Se-rim. 2009. “Syntactic Challenges in Simultaneous Interpreting from Korean into English and Coping Strategies.” Interpreting and Translation Studies 12 (2): 183–210.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Anderson, John R. 1995. Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications (Fourth edition). New York: Freeman.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Barik, Henri. 1971. “A Description of Various Types of Omissions, Additions and Errors Encountered in Simultaneous Interpretation.” Meta 15 (1): 199–210. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bartłomiejczyk, Magdalena. 2006. “Strategies of Simultaneous Interpreting and Directionality.” Interpreting 8 (1): 149–174. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bevilacqua, Lorenzo. 2009. “The Position of the Verb in Germanic Languages and Simultaneous Interpretation.” The Interpreters’ Newsletter 141: 1–31.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Calvo Encinas, Elisa. 2001. La Evaluación Diagnóstica en la Didáctica de la Traducción Jurídica [The Diagnostic Evaluation in the Teaching of Legal Translation]. Unpublished research paper, University of Granada, Spain.
Chang, Chia-Chien. 2005. Directionality in Chinese/English Simultaneous Interpreting: Impact on Performance and Strategy Use. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas at Austin.
Chang, Chia-Chien, and Diane L. Schallert. 2007. “The Impact of Directionality on Chinese/English Simultaneous Interpreting.” Interpreting 9 (2): 137–176. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1997. Memes of Translation. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dam, Helle V. 1993. “Text Condensing in Consecutive Interpreting.” In Translation and Knowledge, ed. by Yves Gambier and Jorma Tommola, 297–313. Finland: University of Turku.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1996. “Text Condensation in Consecutive Interpreting.” Hermes 171: 273–281.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Donato, Valentina. 2003. “Strategies Adopted by Student Interpreters in SI.” The Interpreters’ Newsletter 121: 101–132.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gambier, Yves. 2010. “Translation Strategies and Tactics.” In Handbook of Translation Studies (Volume 11), ed. by Yves Gambier and L. Van Doorslaer, 412–418. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Garzone, Giuliana. 2002. “Quality and Norms in Interpretation.” In Interpreting in the 21st Century, ed. by Giuliana Garzone and Maurizio Viezzi, 107–119. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Gile, Daniel. 1997, 2002. “Conference Interpreting as a Cognitive Management Problem.” In The Interpreting Studies Reader, ed. by Franz Pöchhacker and Miriam Shlesinger, 162–176. London: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1999a. “Testing the Effort Models’ Tightrope Hypothesis in Simultaneous Interpreting: A Contribution.” Hermes 231: 153–172.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1999b. “Norms in Research on Conference Interpreting.” In Translation and Norms, ed. by Christina Schäffner, 98–105. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2005. “Teaching Conference Interpreting: A Contribution.” In Training for the New Millennium, ed. by Martha Tennent, 127–152. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hurtado Albir, Amparo, and Fabio Alves. 2009. “Translation as a Cognitive Activity.” In The Routledge Companion to Translation Studies, ed. by Jeremy Munday, 54–74. London: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kader, Stephanie, and Sabine Seubert. 2015. “Anticipation, Segmentation … Stalling? How to Teach Interpreting Strategies.” In To Know How to Suggest … Approaches to Teaching Conference Interpreting, ed. by Dörte Andres and Martina Behr, 125–144. Berlin: Frank & Timme.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kalina, Sylvia. 1992. “Discourse Processing and Interpreting Strategies.” In Teaching Translation and Interpreting, ed. by Cay Dollerup and Annette Lindegaard, 251–257. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1994a. “Some Views on the Theory of Interpreter Training and Some Practical Suggestions.” In Translation Studies: An Interdiscipline, ed. by Mary Snell-Hornby, Franz Pöchhacker, and Klaus Kaindl, 219–225. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1994b. “Analyzing Interpreters’ Performance: Methods and Problems.” In Teaching Translation and Interpreting 2, ed. by Cay Dollerup and Annette Lindegaard, 225–232. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1998. Strategische Prozesse beim Dolmetschen [Strategic Processes in Interpreting] Tübingen: Gunter Narr.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2000. “Interpreting Competence as a Basis and a Goal for Teaching.” The Interpreters’ Newsletter 101: 3–32.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kohn, Kurt, and Sylvia Kalina. 1996. “The Strategic Dimension of Interpreting.” Meta 41 (1): 118–138. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kurz, Ingrid, and Birgit Färber. 2003. “Anticipation in German-English Simultaneous Interpreting.” Forum 1 (2): 123–150. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lederer, Marianne. 1999. “The Interpretive Theory of Translation: A Brief Survey.” Interpretation and Translation 11: 15–28.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lee, Sohhee. 2007. “The Use of Segmentation Strategy in Sight Translation: A Pilot Study.” Conference Interpretation and Translation 9 (1): 153–172.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lee, Migyong. 2013a. “Language Directionality and Omission as Strategy during Simultaneous Interpreting.” The Journal of Translation Studies 14 (1): 155–181. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Lee, Sohhee. 2013b. Ear-Voice Span and Syntactic Makeup of Segments in Simultaneous Interpretation of Korean and English Unscripted Speeches. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
Lim, Hyang-Ok. 2011. “Using Anticipation as a Simultaneous Interpretation Strategy.” Interpretation and Translation 13 (1): 59–87.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Liontou, Konstantina. 2011. “Strategies in German-to-Greek Simultaneous Interpreting: A Corpus-based Approach.” Gramma 191: 37–56.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2012. Anticipation in German to Greek Simultaneous Interpreting: A Corpus-based Approach. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Vienna.
Mead, Peter. 2000. “Control of Pauses by Trainee Interpreters in their A and B Languages.” The Interpreters’ Newsletter 101: 89–102.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Meuleman, Chris, and Fred Van Besien. 2009. “Coping with Extreme Speech Conditions in Simultaneous Interpreting.” Interpreting 11 (1): 20–34. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mizuno, Akira. 2005. “Process Model for Simultaneous Interpreting and Working Memory.” Meta 50 (2): 739–752. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Moser-Mercer, Barbara. 1997. “The Expert-novice Paradigm in Interpreting Research.” In Translationsdidaktik [Translation Didactics], ed. by Eberhard Fleischmann, Wladimir Kutz, and Peter A. Schmitt, 255–261. Tübingen: Gunter Narr.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Oléron, Pierre, and Hubert Nanpon. 1963, 2002. “Research into Simultaneous Translation.” In The Interpreting Studies Reader, ed. by Franz Pöchhacker and Miriam Shlesinger, 42–51. London: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
PACTE. 2011. “Results of the Validation of the PACTE Translation Competence Model.” In Methods and Strategies of Process Research, ed. by Cecilia Alvstad, Adelina Hild, and Elisabet Tiselius, 317–343. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pöchhacker, Franz. 1994. “Quality Assurance in Simultaneous Interpreting.” In Teaching Translation and Interpreting 2, ed. by Cay Dollerup and Annette Lindegaard, 232–242. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2004. Introducing Interpreting Studies. London: Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2007. “Coping with Culture in Media Interpreting.” Perspectives: Studies in Translatology 15 (2): 123–142. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2009. “Issues in Interpreting Studies.” In The Routledge Companion to Translation Studies, ed. by Jeremy Munday, 128–140. London: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Pöchhacker, Franz, and Miriam Shlesinger. 2001. The Interpreting Studies Reader. London: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Riccardi, Alessandra. 1995. “Language-specific Strategies in Simultaneous Interpreting.” In Teaching Translation and Interpreting 3, ed. by Cay Dollerup and Vibeke Appel, 213–222. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 1998. “Interpreting Strategies and Creativity.” In Translators’ Strategies and Creativity, ed. by Ann Beylard Ozeroff, Jana Králová, and Barbara Moser-Mercer, 171–179. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2002. “Interpreting Research: Descriptive Aspects and Methodological Proposals.” In Interpreting in the 21st Century, ed. by Giuliana Garzone and Maurizio Viezzi, 15–28. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. 2005. “On the Evolution of Interpreting Strategies in Simultaneous Interpreting.” Meta 50 (2): 754–767. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schjoldager, Anne. 1995. “An Exploratory Study of Translational Norms in Simultaneous Interpreting.” Hermes 141: 65–87.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Seeber, Kilian G., and Dirk Kerzel. 2012. “Cognitive Load in Simultaneous Interpreting.” The International Journal of Bilingualism 16 (2): 228–242. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Shlesinger, Miriam. 1999. “Norms, Strategies and Constraints: How do We Tell Them Apart?” In Anovar/Anosar: Estudios de Traduccion e Interpretacion, ed. by Alberto Álvarez Lugrís and Anxo Fernández Ocampo, 65–77. Vigo: Universidade de Vigo.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Snelling, David. 1992. Strategies for Simultaneous Interpreting. Udine: Campanotto Editore.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Stenzl, Catherine. 1983. Simultaneous Interpretation: Groundwork towards a Comprehensive Model. Unpublished M.A. thesis, University of London.
Straniero Sergio, Francesco. 2003. “Norms and Quality in Media Interpreting.” The Interpreters’ Newsletter 121: 135–174.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sunnari, Marianna. 1995. “Processing Strategies in Simultaneous Interpreting.” In Topics in Interpreting Research, ed. by Jorma Tommola, 109–120. Turku: University of Turku.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Sunnari, Marianna, and Adelina Hild. 2010. “A Multi-factorial Approach to the Development and Analysis of Professional Expertise in SI.” The Interpreters’ Newsletter 151: 33–49.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Viaggio, Sergio. 2002. “The Quest for Optimal Relevance.” In Interpreting in the 21st Century, ed. by Giuliana Garzone and Maurizio Viezzi, 229–244. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Viezzi, Maurizio. 1993. “Written Translation and Simultaneous Interpretation Compared and Contrasted.” The Interpreters’ Newsletter 51: 94–100.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wang, Binhua. 2012. “A Descriptive Study of Norms in Interpreting.” Meta 57 (1): 198–212. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wilss, Wolfram. 1978. “Syntactic Anticipation in German-English Simultaneous Interpreting.” In Language Interpretation and Communication, ed. by David Gerver and H. Wallace Sinaiko, 343–352. New York: Plenum. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Wu, Michelle. 2001. “The Importance of being Strategic.” Studies of Translation and Interpretation 61: 79–92.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Zanetti, Roberta. 1999. “Relevance of Anticipation and Possible Strategies in the Simultaneous Interpretation from English into Italian.” The Interpreters’ Newsletter 91: 79–98.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (19)

Cited by 19 other publications

Mlundi, Simon
2025. Amateur English-Kiswahili Interpretation in Tanzanian Pentecostal Churches: Challenges and Strategies. Journal of Translation 21:1 ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Zou, Deyan, Huahui Zhang, Ying Zhao & Piao Xu
2025. Unleashing the potential: how ChatGPT improves gisting skills in student interpreters. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Gao, Bin & Jiashun Fan
2024. Understanding student engagement with teacher feedback in Chinese-to-English consecutive interpreting courses. Language Teaching Research DOI logo
Gu, Chonglong & Binhua Wang
2024. From “Within” to “Beyond” in interpreting studies. Babel. Revue internationale de la traduction / International Journal of Translation / Revista Internacional de Traducción 70:6 ► pp. 783 ff. DOI logo
Li, Xiangdong
2024. Teaching listening for interpreting through mind mapping. Revista Española de Lingüística Aplicada/Spanish Journal of Applied Linguistics 37:1 ► pp. 172 ff. DOI logo
Wen, Jiachen & Xiangdong Li
2024. Practice Report as a Form of Graduation Thesis among Master of Interpreting Students in China. TRANS: Revista de Traductología :28 ► pp. 179 ff. DOI logo
Liu, Yi, Andrew K.F. Cheung & Kanglong Liu
2023. Syntactic complexity of interpreted, L2 and L1 speech: A constrained language perspective. Lingua 286 ► pp. 103509 ff. DOI logo
Han, Tianyi, Dechao Li, Xingcheng Ma & Nan Hu
2022. Comparing product quality between translation and paraphrasing: Using NLP-assisted evaluation frameworks. Frontiers in Psychology 13 DOI logo
Liu, Yiguang, Florian Hintz, Junying Liang & Falk Huettig
2022. Prediction in challenging situations: Most bilinguals can predict upcoming semantically-related words in their L1 source language when interpreting. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 25:5 ► pp. 801 ff. DOI logo
Lozano-Argüelles, Cristina & Nuria Sagarra
2021. Interpreting experience enhances the use of lexical stress and syllabic structure to predict L2 word endings. Applied Psycholinguistics 42:5 ► pp. 1135 ff. DOI logo
Ma, Xingcheng & Dechao Li
2021. A cognitive investigation of ‘chunking’ and ‘reordering’ for coping with word-order asymmetry in English-to-Chinese sight translation. Interpreting. International Journal of Research and Practice in Interpreting 23:2 ► pp. 192 ff. DOI logo
Ma, Xingcheng & Dechao Li
2024. Effect of word order asymmetry on the cognitive load of English–Chinese sight translation. Translation and Interpreting Studies 19:1 ► pp. 105 ff. DOI logo
Ma, Xingcheng, Dechao Li & Yu-Yin Hsu
2021. Exploring the impact of word order asymmetry on cognitive load during Chinese–English sight translation. Target. International Journal of Translation Studies 33:1 ► pp. 103 ff. DOI logo
Su, Wei
2021. Rubric-Based Self-Assessment of Chinese-English Interpreting. In Testing and Assessment of Interpreting [New Frontiers in Translation Studies, ], ► pp. 67 ff. DOI logo
Lozano-Argüelles, Cristina, Nuria Sagarra & Joseph V. Casillas
2020. Slowly but surely: Interpreting facilitates L2 morphological anticipation based on suprasegmental and segmental information. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 23:4 ► pp. 752 ff. DOI logo
Lozano-Argüelles, Cristina, Nuria Sagarra & Joseph V. Casillas
2023. Interpreting experience and working memory effects on L1 and L2 morphological prediction. Frontiers in Language Sciences 1 DOI logo
Wang, Weiwei, Yi Xu, Binhua Wang & Lei Mu
2020. Developing Interpreting Competence Scales in China. Frontiers in Psychology 11 DOI logo
Chen, Jing, Rongrui Yu & Xiao Zhao
2019. Interpreting Training in China: Practice and Research. In Translation Studies in China [New Frontiers in Translation Studies, ], ► pp. 87 ff. DOI logo
Han, Chao & Sijia Chen
2016. Strategy use in English-to-Chinese simultaneous interpreting. FORUM. Revue internationale d’interprétation et de traduction / International Journal of Interpretation and Translation 14:2 ► pp. 173 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 18 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue