Simultaneous interpreting is a process that's fascinating to watch and extremely difficult to do...
Most commonly it can be seen in the UN, at conferences, in the courts, and in emergency medical situations, is the mode of interpreting that I find quite challenging to master. As its name suggests, simultaneous interpreting is when the interpretation is rendered almost at the same time the speaker is speaking. The slight delay is to allow for information gathering so there is context to interpret into.
Unlike consecutive interpreting where note taking is a part of the process, there is no time for that during a simultaneous interpreting session. Instead of using notes and your short-term memory, you would use your immediate short-term memory in such a case.
In addition to being barred from taking notes, another challenge in simultaneous interpreting is its multitasking. Can you chew gum and walk at the same time? If so, you can multitask. But try to listen, comprehend, and analyze a live speech, and then interpret it into a different language while still listening to that same speech, regardless of the complexity of the topic. How long can you last before you mess up or lose track of the speech, 5 minutes? Good!
Ingredients for Success
As you can probably tell, it is indeed a hard thing to do. The speed and immediacy of simultaneous interpreting create a few challenges. Here are some ways to overcome the challenges.
Learn to anticipate and pre-empt. Because the message is still in progress as you’re relaying the interpretation, it helps to be able to anticipate what is upcoming. Familiarity with the topic at hand is a must; familiarity with the speaker’s speech pattern is also beneficial, but that comes with time. To practice, pay attention to how people around you speak. You’ll find that often times, you can logically predict the next idea from the keywords that are already given.
Increase your decalage. A decalage is the length of time between the start of the speech and the beginning of your interpretation. A longer decalage allows for higher accuracy because you get more context before interpreting. In your training, challenge yourself to increase your decalage.
Watch yourself. One of the downsides to simultaneous interpreting is that sometimes, due to the speed in which the message needs to be conveyed, the interpreter isn’t able to catch everything, leading to some omission of the message or nuances. It is important for an interpreter to self-monitor all the time to make sure he is on top of his game.
Practice is the key!
Shadowing. A good way to start is by shadowing a 20-min-long, structured speech, such as TEDTalks. Try to avoid newscasts or radio shows as they tend to lack continuity between segments. Shadowing means to repeat whatever was said in the same language it was said, i.e., English>English. This will train your brain to listen and speak while continuing to listen at the same time. As you practice, you can slowly lengthen your decalage to help with your memory skills. Once you feel comfortable, you can start interpreting the speeches.
Do some brain exercising
Listen to a 30-second speech while writing out a series of numbers (doing another structured task). Try to repeat what you heard, using a recorder to monitor yourself, and see how much you retained and lost. This is will train your brain to somehow concentrate on both tasks without sacrificing quality.
Okay, enough with all the words. Here’s a nice demonstration of the three main modes of interpreting in the video below...
Hopefully you’re right, cause I’m just starting my career in live interpreting!
As a person who’ve doing interpreting for the last 20 years I confirm everythign mentioned here!