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PL52125: Chinese / English simultaneous interpreting

[Page last updated: 16 August 2024]

Academic Year: 2024/25
Owning Department/School: Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies
Credits: 15 [equivalent to 30 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 300
Level: Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7)
Period:
Academic Year
Assessment Summary: EXIC 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Simultaneous Interpreting Chinese/English (EXIC 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit, you will be able to demonstrate:
  • that you have assimilated the professional skills and techniques of simultaneous interpreting by interpreting Chinese and English speeches of up to 10 minutes into English and Chinese respectively in exam conditions
  • that you have the intellectual capability to analyse and quickly grasp a speaker's argument and ideas
  • that you can communicate clearly and concisely in English and Chinese of an appropriate register
  • that you can research topic areas and build glossaries of relevant terminology
  • that you have gained an understanding of the role of professional interpreters and how they interact with both speakers and end-users



Synopsis: Learn the skills and techniques for simultaneous interpreting that are required to embark on a career as a professional conference interpreter. You'll work in both directions between the languages. Using our professional-grade interpreting suites, you'll apply your linguistic knowledge to this challenging task and engage with a range of practical exercises. You'll also take part as an interpreter in a series of 'mini conferences' designed to provide a realistic practice environment.

Content: The unit begins with a series of sessions designed to improve active listening and analytical skills on the one hand, and linguistic flexibility and agility on the other. Sight translation promotes the development of automatic solutions and links between the two languages. These skills are then applied and developed in the booth, with a focus on interpreting ideas rather than words, and reformulating the speaker's message into natural, easily digestible Chinese/English. The aim is for the interpretation to make the same impression on the listener as the original speaker would have done. The speeches interpreted are of increasing length and complexity and cover a range of topic areas. While early speeches are tailormade to fit teaching objectives, later on authentic real-world material is used. Students are also provided with practice materials to use for individual and group practice. Mini-conferences are organised in Semester 2 to provide an opportunity to practise simultaneous interpreting in a realistic environment with a booth colleague. Individual, formative feedback is provided to each student in class at least once every two weeks, fostering continuous progress. Summative assessment consists of the interpretation of one speech from Chinese into English and one speech from English into Chinese, each lasting up to 10 minutes, for a panel of examiners, reflecting the format of professional accreditation tests.

Course availability:

PL52125 is Compulsory on the following courses:

Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2024/25 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2025/26 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2024/25.
  • Courses and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.