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Preparatory techniques for consecutive interpreting B-A (French-Spanish)

Code: 103561
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Translation and Interpreting OB 4

Contact lecturer

Name :
Laia Llinas Bertran
Email :
laia.llinas@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Susagna Guardiola Criach
Teresa Perramon Llado

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

At the beginning of the course students should be able to:

  • · Demonstrate advanced knowledge of grammar for translating and interpreting into Spanish.
  • · Understand a range of complex texts with linguistic variation problems in Spanish.
  • · Understand clearly structured general texts in French.
  • · Understand different types of oral texts in French on general topics in familiar subject areas.
  • · Produce different types of oral texts in Spanish on general topics in familiar subject areas.

Language level required:

A language Spanish: Native speaker

B language French: C1.3 CEFR

International exchange students must have a minimum level C1.3 of the CEFR in both Spanish and French.

Objectives

Learning objectives

The aim of this course is twofold: to familiarise students with the theory and methodology of consecutive interpreting; and to introduce them to the basic techniques of this mode so that they can put them into practice in straightforward simulated professional interpreting situations.

At the end of the course students should be able to:

  • · Demonstrate knowledge of the professional aspects of consecutive interpreting and identify its place on the interpreting continuum (social, bilateral, whispered, simultaneous).
  • · Demonstrate that they have understood the methodological principles of consecutive interpreting.
  • · Demonstrate that they are able to analyse a spoken message from a cognitive point of view as preparation for note-taking.
  • · Demonstrate that they have developed their own note-taking system for performing consecutive interpreting in a B-A pre-professional situation of short duration.
  • · Demonstrate that they have mastered the basic techniques of consecutive interpreting in the situations in which it is most frequently used.

Learning outcomes

  1. Working effectively in teams: Working effectively in teams.
  2. Implementing strategies in order to understand verbal texts from different fields: Implementing strategies in order to understand verbal texts from different fields.
  3. Applying lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge: Applying phonological, lexical, morphosyntactic, textual, rhetorical and linguistic variation related knowledge.
  4. Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of verbal texts of several fields: Comprehending the communicative purpose and sense of verbal texts of several fields.
  5. Producing verbal texts that are appropriate to their context and possess linguistic correctness: Producing verbal texts that are appropriate to their context and possess linguistic correctness.
  6. Producing verbal texts from different fields and with specific communicative purposes: Producing verbal texts from different fields and with specific communicative purposes.
  7. Solving interferences between the working languages: Solving interferences between the working languages.
  8. Applying the documentation resources in order to solve interpretation problems: Applying the documentation resources in order to solve interpretation problems.
  9. Producing verbal texts that are appropriate to their context and possess linguistic correctness: Producing verbal texts that are appropriate to their context and possess linguistic correctness.
  10. Implementing strategies to acquire topic-based knowledge in order to interpret: Implementing strategies to acquire topic-based knowledge in order to interpret.
  11. Possessing topic-based knowledge in order to interpret: Possessing topic-based knowledge in order to interpret.
  12. Incorporating topic-based knowledge in order to solve interpretation problems: Incorporating topic-based knowledge in order to solve interpretation problems.
  13. Applying the terminological resources to solve interpretation problems: Applying the terminological resources to solve interpretation problems.
  14. Identifying the interpretation as an act of communication that is addressed to a recipient: Identifying the interpretation as an act of communication that is addressed to a recipient.
  15. Identifying the textual and dynamic nature of the translation equivalence: Identifying the textual and dynamic nature of the translation equivalence.
  16. Students must demonstrate they know the functioning of the interpretation labour market: Students must demonstrate they know the functioning of the interpretation labour market.
  17. Managing problems related to the practice of the profession of interpreter: Managing problems related to the practice of the profession of interpreter.
  18. Identifying the specific translation problems of sight translation: Identifying the specific translation problems of sight translation.
  19. Properly incorporating the different phases of sight translation: Properly incorporating the different phases of sight translation.
  20. Using the appropriate strategies and techniques in order to solve sight translation problems: Using the appropriate strategies and techniques in order to solve sight translation problems.
  21. Finding the most appropriate translation solution in each case: Finding the most appropriate translation solution in each case.
  22. Identifying the specific translation problems of consecutive interpretation: Identifying the specific translation problems of consecutive interpretation.
  23. Properly incorporating the different phases of a consecutive interpretation: Properly incorporating the different phases of a consecutive interpretation.
  24. Using the appropriate strategies and techniques in order to solve problems related to consecutive interpretation: Using the appropriate strategies and techniques in order to solve problems related to consecutive interpretation.
  25. Identifying the need to mobilise cultural knowledge in order to interpret: Identifying the need to mobilise cultural knowledge in order to interpret.
  26. Incorporating cultural knowledge in order to solve interpretation problems: Incorporating cultural knowledge in order to solve translation problems that might arise during a consecutive interpretation.
  27. Incorporating cultural knowledge in order to solve interpretation problems: Incorporating cultural and topic-based knowledge in order to solve problems related to liaison interpretation.
  28. Students must demonstrate they know the functioning of the interpretation labour market: Students must demonstrate they know the functioning of the consecutive interpretation labour market.

Contents

Specific traits of consecutive interpreting as compared to other modes of interpreting (bilateral, social, simultaneous, whispered).


Situations in which consecutive interpreting is typically used: confidential meetings, press conferences, interviews, official missions.


Areas in which consecutive interpreting is used: international, national, public/private sector.


Methodological and technical aspects of consecutive interpreting.


Public speaking techniques


Note-taking


Introduction to the practice of consecutive interpreting: simulated pre-professional situations.


Sight translation.


Proper use of the booth and the recording system.

Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Sight translation exercises 8 0.32 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 25, 26, 27
Reformulation exercises • 5 0.2 5, 6, 7
Searching for material in French for practising outside classes 12 0.48 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 25, 26, 27
Consecutive interpreting exercises 14 0.56 5, 6, 7, 14, 15
Sight translation exercises 15.5 0.62 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 25, 26, 27
Reading the national and international press, listening to speeches via the internet, podcasts, etc. 35 1.4 24
Documentation searches 5 0.2 10, 11, 12, 25, 26, 27
Reading the national and international press, listening to speeches via the internet, podcasts, etc. 20 0.8 10, 11, 12, 25, 26, 27
Glossary- making 3 0.12 13
Development of a personal note-taking system following the main principles taught in class 10 0.4 24
Supervised analytical listening and memory exercises • 5 0.2
Development of a personal note-taking system following the main principles taught in class 10 0.4 22, 23, 24

Learning activities will be organised into the following types:

  • Problem solving
  • Tasks
  • Cooperative learning
  • Exercises
  • Individual or group assignment.
Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 4: PRACTICE AND REFLECTION 10% 1 0.04 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 3: CONSECUTIVE INTERPRETING WITH NOTE-TAKING 40% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 1: NOTE-TAKING 20% 2.5 0.1 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY 2: SIGHT TRANSLATION 30% 2 0.08 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

To show the progress they have made, students will have to submit recordings and perform exercises.

Assessment will be carried out through four tests.

Assessment criteria:

• Integrity of the original speech (no omissions, no added information).

• Accuracy of interpreting (no distortion of the original message).

• Quality of expression.

• Appropriateness to the speech and the audience.

Review

When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing assessment activities. Students must arrange reviews in agreement with the lecturer.

Missed/failed assessment activities

Students may retake assessment activities they have failed or compensate for any they have missed, provided that those they have actually performed account for a minimum of 66.6% (two thirds) of the subject's final mark and that they have a weighted average mark of at least 3.5.

The lecturer will inform students of the procedure involved, in writing, when publishing final marks prior to recording them on transcripts. The lecturer may set one assignment per failed or missed assessment activity or a single assignment to cover a number of such activities. Under no circumstances may an assessment activity worth 100% of the final mark be retaken or compensated for. In case of retaking, maximum grade will be 5 (Pass).

Classificationas \"not assessable\"

In the event of the assessment activities a student has performed accounting for just 25% or less of the subject's final mark, their work will be classified as \"not assessable\" on their transcript.

Misconduct in assessment activities

Students who engage in misconduct (plagiarism, copying, personation, etc.) in an assessment activity will receive a mark of “0” for the activity in question. In the case of misconduct in more than one assessment activity, the student involved will be given a final mark of “0” for the subject. Assessment activities in which irregularities have occurred (e.g. plagiarism, copying, impersonation) are excluded from recovery.

The information regarding the grading system and activites is provided as guidance. The instructor in charge will provide further details at the beginning of the course.

SINGLE ASSESSMENT

This subject may not be assessed under the single assessment system.

AI

In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not permitted at any stage of the assessment activities. Any work that includes AI-generated content will be considered a breach of academic integrity and will be graded a 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated.


Bibliography

Gillies, Andrew: Note-Taking for Consecutive Interpreting. Manchester, UK & Northampton MA, St. Jerome Publishing, 2005

 Jones, Roderick: Conference interpreting explained. Translation Theories Explained. Manchester, St. Jerome Publishing,1998

 Phelan, Mary: The Interpreter’s Resource. Clevedon; Buffalo; Toronto; Sydney: Multilingual Matters, 2001

 Pöchhacker, Franz: Introducing Interpreting Studies. Londres; Nova York, 2004

 Rozan, Jean-François: La prise de notes en interprétation consécutive. Ginebra, Université de Genève,1979

 Seleskovitch, Daniça: Langages, langues et mémoire. Paris, Lettres Modernes: Minard, 1975

Links

Advice for students wishing to become conference interpreters: http://www.aiic.net/ViewPage.cfm/article25

Software

  • LMS: Moodle.
  • Text processor: Word (or similar).
  • PDF reader: Acrobat reader (or similar).
  • Browser: Chrome (or similar).
  • Audio editor: Audacity (or similar).

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 1 French first semester morning-mixed
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 2 French second semester morning-mixed