Skill Acquisition in Interpreting

Performance is central to interpreting, both at the professional level and in the classroom. Successful expert performance that meets the standards set for entry into the profession allows students to transition into the world of professional practice. Past research on the cognitive dimensions of interpreting has led to modelling the interpreting process of the hypothetical expert interpreter with solid professional experience. However, skill acquisition in interpreting and the various stages learners pass through towards more expert performance cannot readily be explained with the models developed for expert interpreters. There are numerous factors that co-determine successful expert performance; many of them, however, are not replicated in novice performance; also, the learning environment produces additional factors that will not transition into professional practice. This paper attempts to look at skill acquisition in interpreting from a performance psychology perspective, with particular reference to the development of adaptive expertise. Additional data are presented to provide a first performance psychology look at the ageing interpreting student. The author seeks to model the interpreting student’s learning environment as it has evolved in the 21st century as well as the skill acquisition process in the age of new technologies.