Rethinking interpreting training : the impact of interpreting mode on learner performance through entropy-based measures

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of interpreting mode on learner performance and its practical implications for interpreting training. Utilizing a corpus of learners’ performance in Chinese-English consecutive interpreting (CI) and simultaneous interpreting (SI), this study applies two entropy-based measures, namely word entropy and part-of-speech (POS) entropy, to analyze the linguistic properties of learners’ output and the cognitive processes involved. Results indicate that learners’ output in CI demonstrates a lower level of lexical and syntactic complexity compared to SI, suggesting heightened cognitive saturation that motivates learners to rely on less complex linguistic constructs to manage increased cognitive load. These findings challenge the conventional sequential training approach, which advocates mastering CI before SI due to the latter's greater cognitive demands. A parallel training approach, which allows learners to have simultaneous engagement with both modes, may offer a more effective strategy for addressing the distinct cognitive challenges associated with each interpreting mode. 本研究调查了口译模式对学习者表现的影响及其对口译训练的实际意义。本研究利用学习者在汉英交替传译和同声传译中的表现语料库, 应用两种基于熵的测量方法, 即词熵和词性熵, 来分析学习者输出的的语言特性以及所涉及的认知过程。结果显示, 与同传相比, 学习者在交传中的输出在词汇和句法复杂性方面表现出较低的水平, 这表明较高的认知负荷促使学习者依赖较简单的语言结构来应对。这些发现挑战了同传口译模式下学习者的认知负荷更高的传统观念, 以及主张先掌握交传再学习同传的传统训练方法。本研究主张让学习者同时参与两种口译模式, 以应对每种口译模式所特有的认知挑战。