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Article published In: Translation, Cognition & Behavior
Vol. 3:2 (2020) ► pp.263–286

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Cognitive load in relation to non-standard language input

Insights from interpreting, translation and neuropsychology

ORCiD logo with link | Zurich University of Applied Sciences
ORCiD logo with link | Zurich University of Applied Sciences
ORCiD logo with link | Zurich University of Applied Sciences
ORCiD logo with link | Zurich University of Applied Sciences
 | University of Zurich
 | University of Zurich
ORCiD logo with link | University of Zurich
ORCiD logo with link | University of Zurich
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

Published online: 10 November 2020
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https://doi.org/10.1075/tcb.00044.alb
Abstract
The linguistic, psycholinguistic, and neural processes underlying simultaneous interpreting and translation have attracted widespread interest in the research community. However, an understanding of the cognitive load associated with these bilingual activities is just starting to emerge, and the underlying behavioral and physiological mechanisms are still poorly understood. In this article, we describe a promising interdisciplinary approach to assess the behavioral and physiological indices of cognitive load during interpreting and translation in laboratory and simulated workplace settings. In this context, we emphasize the importance of ecological validity and explain how comparisons between authentic non-standard input and edited English versions of the same stimuli can be used to evaluate cognitive load while controlling for the general cognitive demands associated with interpreting and translation. The perspective we present in this article might pave the way for a clearer understanding of the multifaceted dimensions of cognitive load during simultaneous interpreting and translation as well as during the processing of English as Lingua Franca.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Cognitive load in interpreting studies
  • 3.Overview of neuropsychological studies on cognitive control in interpreters
    • 3.1Functional neuroimaging studies
    • 3.2Structural neuroimaging studies
    • 3.3Electrophysiological studies
  • 4.Evidence pointing to ELF adding to interpreters’ cognitive load
  • 5.Measuring cognitive load associated with non-standard input
    • 5.1Simulated workplace setting
    • 5.2Neuropsychology laboratory setting
  • 6.An interdisciplinary approach to investigating cognitive load
  • 7.Implications and future directions
  • Notes
  • References
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