Experience level and adoption of interpreting strategies by Iranian interpreters

Abstract

Just as two hands cannot make a good boxer, knowing two or more languages does not make a skilful interpreter. Interpreting is a cognitively demanding task, requiring not only linguistic and discursive knowledge but also strategic competence. Experience level of interpreters in particular can play a significant role in the strategies they employ. This study investigated what strategies were mainly employed by interpreters, what strategies were employed more frequently, and whether experience level affects interpreters’ choice of strategies. To collect the data, his study was divided into two stages. In the first stage, retrospective interviews were first held with 10 interpreters working in simultaneous and consecutive modes to identify strategies beyond those classified in the literature. Next, several classifications of strategies in the literature were merged with those emerging from the retrospective interviews to come up with a comprehensive questionnaire on interpreting strategies. The questionnaire was developed and its wording and content were validated by five experts. In the second stage, it was administered to 60 interpreters. ANOVA of questionnaire data and experience level showed that experience level could affect the choice of strategies. The findings demonstrate that experience level shapes interpreters’ use of strategies, with implications for theorizing interpreting as a strategic process and for developing more targeted strategy training in interpreter education.