Han Lili

Interpreter’s Training at SCIC

This paper examines the interpreter’s training system of the Directorate General for Interpretation of European Commission (SCIC), with special focus on the training methods applied to the Chinese-Portuguese interpreters.

Based on personal experiences of study and internship at SCIC, this paper presents the working mechanism of the SCIC and its standards and expectations for professional interpreters, exploring how interpretation works under institutional intervention (working philosophy, facilities, human resources backup, linguistic combination, speech repository, etc.).

This paper also explores their brand-new techniques applied in consecutive and simultaneous interpretation trainings. The trainers deconstruct the interpretation process and label each step (with the terms like short memory, mind mapping, automatism, active listening, notes-taking, anticipation, moral and conclusion), which not merely establishes the logical sequences in the consecutive and simultaneous interpretation, but also and more importantly, facilitates the trainees to specify and locate their personal strengths and weaknesses and be able to make progress accordingly. Along with the techniques applied, intensive thematic exercise is another characteristic that marks daily training, during which the register, tone and vocabulary that each trainee uses are strictly examined.

Specific training methods (triangle training in consecutive interpretation, relay in simultaneous interpretation, simulation, mutual-study, self-evaluation, etc.) are also examined and recommended to be adopted by the higher educational institutions in the interpretation classes as pedagogical instruments. Among these methods, the triangle training (SL1-TL-SL2) reveals its great vitality in cultivating the Chinese-Portuguese interpreters, which permits a trainer who knows nothing of the TL to evaluate the reproductive process through conducting comparisons between SL1 e SL2.

This paper addresses in its last part the professional ethics of interpreters (mutual respect and support).  

Keywords: interpretation training mechanism, institutional intervention, professional ethics, pedagogical methods

Han Lili, teacher of the School of Languages and Translation of Macao Polytechnic Institute, had obtained Bachelor degree from Peking University, Master from the University of Macau, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Portuguese language and culture at the University of Lisbon. Previously, Ms. Han had worked as an intern at the European Commission’s Joint Interpreting Conference Service, where she subsequently became an instructor for its Chinese-Portuguese interpreting courses. She also worked as visiting scholar at the Cambridge University, KU Leuven University and Coimbra University. So far, she has published some academic papers on translation and cultural issues in journals and conferences in Macau, mainland China and Brazil etc.