Consecutive Interpreting
A Short Course
Translation Practices Explained Series

Consecutive Interpreting: A Short Course provides a step-by-step guide to consecutive interpreting. This user-friendly coursebook tackles key skills such as presentation, analysis, note-taking and reformulation, as well as advanced market-related skills such as preparation for assignments, protocol and practical tips for working interpreters. Each chapter provides examples of the skill, as well as a variety of exercises to learn the skill both in isolation and then in combination with other skills.

Including model answers, a glossary of terms and further reading suggestions, this is the essential coursebook for all students of consecutive interpreting as well as for interpreter-trainers looking for innovative ways of teaching consecutive interpreting.

Thanks

Part I

1. Introduction

What is consecutive interpreting?

When is consecutive interpreting used?

Who can be a consecutive interpreter?

Why learn consecutive?

Should we learn consecutive before simultaneous?

How good is good enough?

About this book

How to use this book

2. Presentation

Posture

Delivery

Practice

Conclusion

3. Consecutive without notes

A word about memory

Chunking

What you already know

Narrative prompts

Visual prompts

Structural prompts

Logical prompts

Notes

Conclusion

Skills combining

4. Analysis

Structural breakdown

Mind maps

Sections

Mini-summaries

Section diagrams

Logical analysis

Recognizing and splitting ideas

Notes

Skills combining

5. Preparation and practice

Preparation

Exam preparation

Practice

6. Note-taking

Abbreviations

Ideas

Clauses

Verticality

Links

Symbols

Values (more and less important)

What language to note in

Skills combining

7. Noting less

Memory prompts

Things in front of you

Obvious in context

Obvious from the structure of the notes

8. Reformulation

What is reformulation?

Why reformulate?

How to reformulate

How does consecutive facilitate reformulation?

9. Effort management in consecutive

What is effort?

Preemptive effort management

Directionality

Notes as an effort management tool

Part II

10. Advanced presentation

Differences between interpreting and speaking

Style

Preparing for a real meeting room

Looking at your audience

Notes as stage direction

11. Advanced Analysis

Types of speech

Speech analysis in the media

Structure maps

Echos

Rhetorical devices

12. Advanced preparation

Practice

The situation

Preparing the content

13. Protocol and practicalities

Dress code

Interpreting equipment

Survival equipment

What to do when you arrive on site

During the speech and after

Tips from other authors

14. Digitally-assisted consecutive

Simultaneous consecutive

Note-taking on a tablet computer

Real-time transcription

Pros and cons

Appendix 1 Versions of the tasks set

Chapter 2: Presentation

Chapter 3: Memory

Chapter 4: Analysis

Chapter 6: Note-taking

Chapter 11: Advanced analysis

Chapter 12: Advanced preparation

Appendix 2 Memory techniques

The memory palace

Visual linking

Appendix 3 The Example Speeches

1: Javid

2: Jobs

3: Lumumba

4: Ralston

5: Martin Harvey

6: Bishop

7: Sinofsky

8: Homden

9: Gonzales

10: Bett

11: Kyles

12: Obama

13: Asani

14: Barker

15: Haley

16: Romecki

17: Baird

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Andrew Gillies trains students, interpreters and interpreter-trainers worldwide on behalf of universities, international institutions and the International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC). He is the author of several books, including Note-taking for Consecutive Interpreting (2017), and also created the Interpreter Training Resources website.