A study on the amenability of digital pen technology in a hybrid mode of interpreting: Consec-simul with notes.

Abstract

This paper focuses on the use of digital pen technology in interpreting practice and research. It seeks to advance the field of interpreter training through the trial of contemporary technology and the possible development of a hybrid mode of interpreting that has attributes of both conventional modes of interpreting – consecutive and simultaneous (hereafter labelled Consec-simul) – due to the immediate recording and play-back functions that new digital pen technology offers. This latter development could have applications not only in interpreting performance but also in interpreting training. The article sums up and contextualizes data and analysis from a pilot study on the use of digital pen technology in the hybrid mode of interpreting Consec-simul. The study, which measured the quality of performances of four French-English interpreters in two different modes (consecutive and consec-simul) with various indicators, reports a higher level of performance in this mode and invites further research and implementation in training institutions.