Linking classroom exercises to real-life practice: a case of situated simultaneous interpreting learning

In training graduates to become future interpreters or to undertake interpreting-related jobs, a learner-centred and work experience-related pedagogical design can help students quickly adapt to the professional community of practice (CoP). Although many translation and interpreting (T&I) programmes now offer Simultaneous Interpreting (SI) courses at undergraduate level, there is a paucity of relevant pedagogical explorations. In light of this gap, the present study reports a case of SI teaching in an undergraduate T&I training programme in Hong Kong. The course design was guided by the principles of situated learning. Based on the SI skill and knowledge preparation in the first half of the course, students were guided through a scaffolded process to attempt live simulated conference SI. With carefully designed guidelines and step-by-step scaffolding, students successfully delivered a series of conferences and demonstrated their potential to perform practical SI. The study reported findings from the teacher’s observation, students’ achievement results and their feedback regarding the situated learning experience. It provides a feasible model of situated SI learning that is applicable to the teaching of other varieties of interpreting and sheds light on the philosophies and practice of interpreter education.