Module Directory

This module introduces the fundamental skills and language knowledge of consecutive interpreting (CI) in a selection of languages, namely English-French/German/Portuguese/Spanish/Italian/Arabic and vice versa. The comprehensive training provided aims to equip you with the necessary expertise to work as a professional interpreter, meeting the needs of an increasingly diversified market both locally and globally. The module will develop your abilities to actively and analytically listen, memorize extensive dialogues, interpret, communicate effectively, and transmit messages in both languages.

In this module, you will learn how to implement specific strategies used by interpreters to deal with a range of potential challenges that may come up when interpreting real-life speeches and other types of oral interventions. These could include reusing vocabulary introduced by a speaker, requesting clarification or repetition, and correcting mistakes. In addition, you will be taught how to prepare effectively for interpreting assignments by conducting research, building a range of terminologies, increasing your background knowledge, and utilizing online resources. To enhance your presentation skills such as public speaking, voice projection, pacing, posture, and overcoming speech anxiety, your interpretive performances will be recorded for self-analysis and improvement. It is also expected that you adhere to the professional interpreters' code of conduct by introducing you to principles such as impartiality, neutrality, cultural sensitivity and context-based decision making.

The aims of this module are:

• To introduce students to conference interpreting, with a focus on the consecutive modality even though practice on simultaneous mode will be carried out.


• To provide students with the necessary skills and strategies to interpret consecutively in a variety of settings.


• To enable students to practice skills such as note-taking, active listening, discourse analysis and managing the cognitive load, that is, mental effort linked to multitasking.


• To introduce students to sight-translation and simultaneous interpreting.


• To enable students to develop skills required for interlingual and intercultural communication in the consecutive domain.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to: 

1. Demonstrate familiarity with computer-aided interpreting training tools.


2. Development of high-level of active listening skills to comprehend and analyze complex speeches or dialogues.


3. Apply relevant strategies such as split attention and anticipation for effective consecutive interpreting in both source and target languages.


4. Show competence in sight translation skills.


5. Possess an introductory understanding of simultaneous interpreting, preparing them for chuchotage interpreting mode in the spring term.


6. Utilise enhanced public speaking and diverse communication skills in working collaboratively with partners and clients.


7. Efficiently prepare for assignments, showcasing their ability to conduct relevant research using resources that aid interpretation.


8. Ability to demonstrate effective note-taking strategies that are specialized for consecutive interpreting.


9. Have a deep understanding of cultural differences and sensitivities that can affect the interpreting process, including non-verbal communication cues.


10. Exhibit a critical understanding of the various roles present in a conference setting and how to productively interact with those roles as an interpreter.


11. Reflect critically on the interpreting process, monitoring and evaluating personal and peer performances by applying appropriate theoretical and practical knowledge.


12. Demonstrate awareness and application of the Interpreters' Code of Ethics, guiding their decision-making in instances of ethical dilemmas. Case studies will be presented to students for analysis.

Syllabus information

Weekly interpreting training on general texts of socio-political (education, immigration, employment, environment, media, inclusivity, societal changes etc.), economic and commercial topics will also be conducted.

Classes will be complemented by workshops and seminars led by professionals in the field.

Some of the topics to be covered in class include:

• Introduction to consecutive interpreting


• Short-term memory training


• Active listening and analysis


• Note-taking training


• Following the logical development of the source speech


• Pre-task preparation


• Presentation and language delivery skills


• Sight translation and Simultaneous Interpreting strategies


• Practicing on a wide range of common fields of interpreting

This module will be delivered via:

• One 2-hour seminar per week (wks 2-11)
• One 2-hour multi-lingual session (wks 2-10)
• One 1-hour lecture per week (offered by guest speakers)
• One 1-hour workshop per term (offered by guest speakers)

Students are expected to undertake practical preparation before classes and be prepared to engage in discussion.