Teaching Consecutive Interpreting Remotely Online

Students’ Perceptions

Abstract

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, interpreter training, just like almost all forms of training and education, was carried out online, using remote teaching methods. The aim of this paper is to summarize students’ perceptions of learning consecutive interpreting remotely during the Spring 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 semesters at the University of Szeged’s MA Program in Translation and Interpreting. 

Data was collected using an online questionnaire from students of interpreting attending interpreting techniques and consecutive interpreting classes. 23 students answered the questionnaire, which included questions concerning the positive and negative aspects of remote online teaching and learning of consecutive interpreting, together with its perceived effect on the development of students’ interpreting skills, and the amount of stress students faced in online classes. Results indicate that there were both positive and negative aspects of these classes, and that students found the classes equally or less effective as on-site lessons. Online classes were found equally or less stressful than on-site classes.