Is interpreter advantage a gift or an effect of training? Cognitive changes and interpreting acquisition at the early stage of training

Zhang, Xueni; Zheng, Binghan; Wang, Rui; He, Haoshen

Abstract

Simultaneous interpreting (SI) is an intensive multitasking activity that requires coordination of a variety of linguistic and cognitive control mechanisms. Research has shown that interpreters perform better in tasks that require domain-general executive functions (EF), but the question remains whether such cognitive alternation is a result of interpreting experience or it reflects a selection bias that only cognitively capable people are recruited and trained to be interpreters. We examined the cognitive changes experienced by beginner-level students engaged in an intensive, two-week interpreting training programme. Our findings show that: (a) only cognitive flexibility was enhanced by training, together with improvement in SI performance; (b) the three EF subcomponents in their pre-existing forms negatively correlated with training gains; and (c) only pre-existing cognitive flexibility was positively associated with improvement in SI performance. Findings were discussed regarding the relationship between cognitive abilities and the early-stage acquisition of interpreting.

Citation

Zhang, X., Zheng, B., Wang, R., & He, H. (online). Is interpreter advantage a gift or an effect of training? Cognitive changes and interpreting acquisition at the early stage of training. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, https://doi.org/10.1017/S136672892500032X

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 16, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Apr 11, 2025
• Deposit Date: May 19, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: May 19, 2025
• Journal: Bilingualism
• Print ISSN: 1366-7289
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-1841
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S136672892500032X
• Keywords: simultaneous interpreting; executive function; interpreter advantage; short-term training; cognitive flexibility
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3893826