Syllabus
1) Introduction into the field of interpreting: types of interpreting, situations requiring interpreting services, concept of working languages, specifics of online interpreting.
2) Consecutive interpreting overview: situations suitable for CI, introduction into the note-taking, criteria of a good source speech structure, reformulation exercises.
3) Students’ speeches on their own topics (2 – 3 minutes) + consecutive interpreting without note-taking, feedback and general discussion.
4) Developing note-taking system: different types of notes, strategies of creating symbols and abbreviations, seeking effective balance between memory and notes, layout of the notebook, possibilities of digital note-taking.
5) Topic I: Environmental pollution, its causes, and solutions in different countries: students’ speeches + consecutive interpreting, feedback, and general discussion.
6) Topic II: Types of poverty in the developed and developing countries + consecutive interpreting of PowerPoint presentations.
7) Topic III: Panel discussion: Artificial intelligence in education, healthcare, and industry – benefits and drawbacks + consecutive interpreting of speeches.
8) Topic IV: Diseases of affluence, their treatment and prevention + consecutive interpreting, feedback, and general discussion.
9) Topic V: The most significant conflicts in the world and their impact on the European society, + consecutive interpreting, feedback, and general discussion.
10) Topic VI: Europe and migration – challenges and contributions of a new multicultural environment + dialogue interpreting, feedback, and general discussion.
11) Trying simultaneous interpreting: first exercises: shadowing, reformulation, basic level speeches on current topics.
12) Exam: Bilingual conference on current world problems from the perspective of different countries.
Annotation
Focussing on diverse challenges occurring worldwide with a significant impact on the European society, the course’s objective is to create a fruitful international discussion. It gives students from different fields of study an opportunity to obtain skills in consecutive interpreting.
The interactive units consist of a brief theoretical introduction into the interpreting theory, practical interpreting, and an exchange of ideas relating to current global challenges. Although the core of the course lies in acquiring the basics of interpreting, the emphasis is also placed on the development of comprehension, argumentation, and reformulation skills.
The online mode of teaching also provides an excellent opportunity to make students familiar with the growing trend of remote interpreting and presenting.