Simultaneous interpreting (20.10.08)

...something that does not exist at my home university in Poland...

During my studies at University in Poznań all we found out about the simultaneous interpreting was that there is something like that. Of course, there was some theory as well, but that's it. Nothing more. Here, in Vienna, we have a possibility to do the real simultaneous interpreting .

First of all, the rooms are excellently well equipped. The interpreting is taught in one room only, which has 6 special cabins, each for 2 interpreters. As in real life situations. I thought it would be extremely difficult to listen and interpret at the same time. But our genius teacher does all to make it easier and harmless for us. Today, for example, we did shadowing all the time. It consists in simultaneous listening and repeating. In the same language, of course. At the beginning we shadowed very slow texts that were prepared for beginners. But then we did the real speeches, which was not so easy anymore. Especially, when it was in German and extremely fast.
Well, I must admit I like working in the cabin. All the technique, buttons, devices, no one watches me, no audience. The only disadvantage is that you really need thorough knowledge on variety of subjects. And the resilience to stress is important, too. Well, we’ll see. And maybe one day we’ll have similar equipment at our uni in Poznań...