Individual factors of listening comprehension in a second language: Implications for interpreter training

Simultaneous interpretation is a form of oral translation in which a message spoken in one language is rendered into another language almost immediately, in real time and in a situated context. This entails the ability to provide not only an accurate rendition in the target language but also one that fits into the communicative context and fulfills its pragmatic intent. Comprehension in a second language is therefore at the core of the ability to interpret. This paper presents a brief review of recent advances in this field and how these relate to our understanding of the simultaneous interpreting process. Suggestions as to how to incorporate these findings into the interpreter classroom are discussed.