Conference Interpreting Explained

by Elisabet Tiselius

Overview

Building on the foundations of Roderick Jones’ authoritative and popular text, this brand-new textbook is a comprehensive, up-to-date and easily accessible introduction to conference interpreting. Elisabet Tiselius combines practical approaches and their theoretical underpinnings to guide beginning students. The text links exercises to the theory behind them, from early theories to modern understandings of the demands of conference interpreting.

This guide includes invaluable material on freelancing and professional development. Tiselius integrates remote interpreting and computer-aided interpreting throughout the book. The volume also includes a range of exercises from self-assessment, speech-writing, and note-taking to consecutive and simultaneous. Theoretical concepts are illustrated with anecdotes from Elisabet Tiselius’ personal experience, taking readers behind the scenes of conference interpreter education, and equipping them with the tools to understand how to practise and why different exercises are necessary.

With further reading and related video resources here: https://routledgetranslationstudiesportal.com/, this is the essential guide to understanding the practice and theory of conference interpreting for all courses in interpreting and interpreter training.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781040359952
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	07/30/2025
Series:	Translation Practices Explained
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	228
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Elisabet Tiselius is Professor of Interpreting Studies at the Institute for Interpreting and Translation Studies (TÖI) at Stockholm University, Sweden. Tiselius is an EU-accredited conference interpreter and member of AIIC. She is the current president of the European Society for Translation Studies (EST). She is the co-editor, with Michaela Albl-Mikasa of The Routledge Handbook of Conference Interpreting (2022).

Table of Contents

List of figures

List of boxes

About the author

About the book

Acknowledgements

Introduction to conference interpreting

What is conference interpreting?

What does it take to become a conference interpreter?

Basic conference interpreting terminology

The modes of interpreting

Labelling languages

Tasks

Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 1: The flying bumblebee – foundations of conference interpreting

1.1 A (short) history of conference interpreting

1.2 Cognitive and social processes

1.2.1 Cognitive processes of interpreting

1.2.2 Social processes of interpreting

1.3 Is interpreting a superpower?

1.4 Tasks

1.5 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 2: Exercising your memory the conference interpreter way

2.1 Different types of memories

2.2 Active listening

2.3 Memory exercises and preparation

2.4 Tasks

2.5 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 3: Practice – The core of conference interpreting

3.1 How to practice like an expert

3.1.1 How to approach practice

3.2 Continued professional development (CPD)

3.3 Tasks

3.4 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 4: Assessment, feedback and self-assessment

4.1 Formative and summative assessment

4.2 How to handle feedback

4.4 Self-assessment

4.5 Tasks

4.6 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 5: Deconstructing speeches and putting them back together again

5.1 Monologues

5.2 Dialogues

5.3 Tasks

5.4 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 6: Words, meaning, and doodles – why note-taking is good for you

6.1 The many purposes of notes

6.1.1 What to note down

6.1.2 Symbols

6.1.2 The language of note-taking

6.1.3 Memory in note-taking

6.1.4 Notepad, tablet, smart pen, sim-consec

6.2 Short and long consecutive interpreting

6.2.1 Short consecutive interpreting – dialogue interpreting

6.2.2 Long consecutive interpreting

6.3. Sight interpreting

6.4 Tasks

6.5 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 7: The power of body language, gaze, and intonation in interpreting

7.1 The metalanguage of speaking

7.2 Interpreting and body language

7.3 Interpreting and gaze

7.4 Intonation

7.5 Tasks

7.6 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 8: Public speaking – the key to long consecutive (and simultaneous, too)

8.1 The basics of public speaking

8.2 Interpreting and public speaking

8.3 Tasks

8.4 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 9: Simultaneous interpreting: chuchotage, speech to text, and in the booth

9.1 Interpreting strategies in simultaneous interpreting

9.2 Whispered interpreting or chuchotage

9.3 Simultaneous interpreting with portable technical equipment – the bidule

9.4 Simultaneous interpreting in the booth

9.4.1 The booth

9.4.2 Booth manners

9.4.3 Microphone handovers

9.5 Simultaneous with text

9.5 Speech-to-text interpreting

9.6 Tasks

9.7 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 10: Ethics, positionality, and discretionary power in conference interpreting

10.1 What is ethics?

10.2 Ethics and deontology

10.2.1 Neutrality – the approach to the topic you are interpreting

10.2.2 Impartiality – the approach to the parties for whom you are interpreting

10.3 Positionality

10.4 Discretionary power

10.5 Tasks

10.6 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 11: Working language combinations, and the question of retour and relay

11.1 Language competence

11.2 Different language combinations

11.2.1 The retour

11.3 Working in teams

11.4 Tasks

11.5 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 12: Healthy working environment and self-care

12.1 The interpreter’s voice

12.2 The interpreter’s hearing

12.3 Stress and vicarious trauma

12.4 Career longevity and being resilient

12.5 Tasks

12.6 Further reading and watching

References

Chapter 13: Entrepreneurship for interpreters

13.1 Freelancing and small business

13.2 Being an employee

13.3 Professional associations

13.4 Personal branding

13.5 Preparing for a test

13.6 Tasks

13.7 Further reading and watching

References

Index

Editorial Reviews

This exceptional book is the conversation every aspiring interpreter would hope to have at the start of their professional journey. It weaves an engaging narrative about the rich and deeply rooted interpreting profession. The author’s thoughtful and interactive approach encourages meaningful reflection through tasks to complete at the end of each chapter. I know this is the book I will want all my interpreting students to adopt.” Danielle D’Hayer, London Metropolitan University

“A classic remarkably revisited! Tiselius covers each and every facet of the subject so comprehensively and minutely that the book could also be titled Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Conference Interpreting. A must read for anyone with an interest in this fascinating area of interpreting." Marc Orlando, Macquarie University

From the Publisher