Session

The course aims to show the close links between the development of simultaneous interpreting technology, the resulting changes in providing interpreting services and the necessary adaptation of cognitive processes in order to analyse the consequences of RSI (Remote Simultaneous Interpreting) on the health and psychological well-being of interpreters.

In the first part of the course, we will give a historical overview. Simultaneous interpreting owes its birth to advances in communication technologies in the 1920s, especially telephone technology. Such technologies made it possible to simultaneously translate the source speech into the target speech. It became possible to translate speeches into several languages simultaneously, as happened during the Nuremberg trials.

The first attempts at remote interpreting were made in the 1970s with the aim of having interpreters work from remote locations, which could have led to cost reductions. The first attempts at satellite transmission of simultaneous interpreting were realised by UNESCO and the United Nations. Later, the introduction of ISDN lines for video conferencing allowed to improve the audio quality. The new technical developments continued to be tested. This allowed to explore the limits of the technology and the impact of technology on interpreters. The big leap came with the COVID pandemic, with the notable use of online platforms that completely revolutionised the interpreting landscape.

The second part of the course will deal with the development of CAI tools (computer-assisted interpreting tools), their applicability in conference interpreting, how they can accompany, support or sometimes hinder the interpreting process and how these tools and artificial intelligence can affect the cognitive load of interpreters.

The course is aimed at interpreting professionals, students and teachers.