Consecutive interpreting services and VR

Among the top translation trends in 2019 is the development of Interpreter-mediated communication and training using virtual reality. Currently, interpreters face a wide range of scenarios that are demanding and difficult to recreate for training purposes.  For this reason, the ability to recreate a medical emergency or a courtroom environment for those providing legal interpreting services is very useful. Additionally, VR training programs for consecutive interpreting services, such as IVY, are working to recreate fast-paced and unpredictable elements to enhance interpreter education.

The benefits of training through VR for consecutive interpreting services is that they’re able to manipulate the camera to face the person directly without making them uncomfortable. Naturally, this allows an interpreter for meetings or a government interpreter to read the person’s expressions and lips better. It also allows interpreters to practice remotely and prepare for specific assignments. Additionally, virtual reality is used to train professionals to work with interpreters as well. VR can enhance the client relationship between the interpreter and the professionals they will work with, which always leads to better interpretation.

The debate among learners lies in the learning curve to adapt to the virtual reality environment.  It takes time for a corporate interpreter to feel comfortable and attached to their Avatar in order to use it as an extension of them.  Basically, the physical separation from the real world and the traditional equipment has raised various cognitive and ergonomic issues.  Additionally, developing virtual reality programs to provide in-depth practice requires global translation services to create enough scripted dialogue that can be used by trainee interpreters to work on linguistic and subject knowledge required. Although this approach does not provide spontaneous material, it is still a suitable tool during simulations.

Recently, the IVY project compiled narrative interviews with speakers from different backgrounds and asked them to speak freely about their professional experience.  In this project, English was used as the main language to create a question and answer structure that will eventually be adapted to different languages. Later on, the questions will be audio recorded individually by native speakers. The main goal of this project is to successfully incorporate authentic elements of consecutive interpreting services in practice. In order to train professionals in dialogue interpreting, there needs to be a combination of role-playing, observation and practice in real-life situations that will compliment classroom-based training.