A Memory-Based Processing Approach to Training Student Interpreters

Abstract

This study demonstrates that adequate training of the students to fully use of their memory enables them to enhance their translation ability, overcome translation problems, and avoid communication failure. The study argues that failure in any oral translation task, including interpreting, could be attributed to the role of memory (in comprehending and producing oral texts); the more the memory is trained to keep as much information as possible, the easier the interpreting task and the less likely the failure is. To investigate the role of memory in interpreting and how it influences (positively/negatively) the process and product of interpreting, the researchers designed two questionnaires: a quantitative one for the 4^th year students at the Department of English, School of Basic Education, University of Sulaimani, and a qualitative one for the translation lecturers, and a videotaped test for a sample of five best students. The data has been analyzed according to a well-specified set of criteria including the linguistic input (e.g. difficulty and structural complexities), background knowledge, and some basic cognitive processes required in interpreting (e.g. attention, associations, inferencing, etc.). This study contributes to research on translation studies and it may yield certain pedagogical implications.

Keywords: Long-term and Short-term memories, Text comprehension and production, Interpreting, Information processing.