To the Zoominar

Abstract

This presentation will focus on lexical processing in simultaneous interpreting understood as a task performed under cognitive load and temporal constraints that requires extreme language control (Hervais-Adelman & Babcock, 2019). An overview of bilingual control mechanisms, such as facilitation and inhibition (Christoffels et al., 2013) will be followed by a presentation of research findings based on experimental and corpus-based studies. The first study will show how interpreters cope with cognates and homonyms in visual and auditory modalities (Chmiel et al., 2020). The second and third study will focus on the interpreters’ cognitive load and potential benefits from cross-linguistic similarities in lexis (Chmiel et al., 2023). Such studies contribute to our understanding of bilingual processing in interpreting and help us understand how this remarkably difficult task can be successfully completed.

References

Chmiel, A., Janikowski, P., & Cieślewicz, A. (2020). The eye or the ear? Source language interference in sight translation and simultaneous interpreting. Interpreting. International Journal of Research and Practice in Interpreting, 22 (2): 187–210.
The eye or the ear? Source language interference in sight translation and simultaneous interpreting.

Chmiel, A., Janikowski, P., Koržinek, D., Lijewska, A., Kajzer-Wietrzny, M., Jakubowski, D., & Plevoets, K. (2023). Lexical frequency modulates current cognitive load, but triggers no spillover effect in interpreting. Perspectives, 1–19.
Lexical frequency modulates current cognitive load, but triggers no spillover effect in interpreting

Christoffels, I. K., Kroll, J. F., & Bajo, M. T. (2013). Introduction to bilingualism and cognitive control. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 199.
Introduction to bilingualism and cognitive control

Hervais-Adelman, A., & Babcock, L. (2019). The neurobiology of simultaneous interpreting: Where extreme language control and cognitive control intersect. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 23(4), 740–751.
The neurobiology of simultaneous interpreting: Where extreme language control and cognitive control intersect

Bio

Agnieszka Chmiel is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Translation Studies at the Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. Her research interests include conference interpreting, audio description and audiovisual translation. She has participated in many national and international research projects on conference interpreter training, audio description and respeaking. She is also Associate Editor of TARGET International Journal of Translation Studies. She currently leads an interdisciplinary research team that examines bilingual control mechanisms in conference interpreting and develops PINC, the Polish Interpreting Corpus. She is also a co-investigator in the AIIC-funded project on the impact of remote interpreting settings on interpreter experience and performance.

Agnieszka Chmiel

Opponent of dissertation

Agnieszka Chmiel will be the opponent of Aleksandra Adler's dissertation on 17 November:
Dissertation in Translation Studies. Aleksandra Adler: Cognitive Load in Dialogue Interpreting

About the Higher seminar in Translation Studies