CILISAT CILISAT - Community Interpreter Language and Interpreting Skills Assessment Tools Simultaneous Interpreting Techniques Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In simultaneous interpreting, what is the ideal 'ear-voice span' (EVS) for most interpreters?
- Less than 1 second
- 2 to 4 seconds (Correct answer)
- 8 to 10 seconds
- 15 or more seconds
Correct answer: 2 to 4 seconds
The ideal ear-voice span is typically 2 to 4 seconds, allowing the interpreter to process meaning before rendering it in the target language.
Question 2: Which technique involves the interpreter starting to speak before the speaker finishes a sentence by predicting likely completions?
- Chunking
- Anticipation (Correct answer)
- Shadowing
- Compression
Correct answer: Anticipation
Anticipation allows the interpreter to begin rendering a message based on grammatical and contextual cues before the speaker finishes.
Question 3: What is 'shadowing' used for in simultaneous interpreting training?
- Translating written documents aloud
- Repeating speech in the same language with a slight delay (Correct answer)
- Interpreting from two languages simultaneously
- Taking notes while listening
Correct answer: Repeating speech in the same language with a slight delay
Shadowing is a training exercise where the trainee repeats speech in the same language with a short delay to build split-attention skills.
Question 4: When a speaker uses a complex subordinate clause in simultaneous interpreting, what strategy helps the interpreter manage it?
- Skipping the clause entirely
- Restructuring the sentence into shorter segments (Correct answer)
- Asking the speaker to pause
- Switching to consecutive mode
Correct answer: Restructuring the sentence into shorter segments
Restructuring long, complex clauses into shorter, clear segments helps the interpreter maintain fluency and accuracy.
Question 5: In community interpreting settings, simultaneous interpreting is most commonly used in which scenario?
- Medical appointments
- Large conferences and legal proceedings with multiple languages (Correct answer)
- Telephone triage calls
- Written document review
Correct answer: Large conferences and legal proceedings with multiple languages
Simultaneous interpreting is most practical in large multi-language settings such as conferences or immigration court where pausing for consecutive would be too disruptive.
Question 6: What is 'compression' in simultaneous interpreting?
- Increasing speaking speed to match the source speaker
- Condensing a message to convey its meaning with fewer words (Correct answer)
- Recording the interpreted output for review
- Pausing to consult a glossary
Correct answer: Condensing a message to convey its meaning with fewer words
Compression involves conveying the full meaning of a message using fewer words when the target language is more verbose or time is limited.
CILISAT CILISAT - Community Interpreter Language and Interpreting Skills Assessment Tools Simultaneous Interpreting Techniques Questions and Answers 1
In simultaneous interpreting, what is the ideal 'ear-voice span' (EVS) for most interpreters?