1st Edition

Conference Interpreting Explained

By Elisabet Tiselius Copyright 2025
228 Pages 13 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

228 Pages 13 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

228 Pages 13 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

Building on the foundations of Roderick Jones’ authoritative and popular text, this brand-new textbook is a comprehensive, up-to-date and easily accessible introduction to conference interpreting. Elisabet Tiselius combines practical approaches and their theoretical underpinnings to guide beginning students. The text links exercises to the theory behind them, from early theories to modern... Read more

List of figures 

List of boxes

 

About the author

About the book

 

Acknowledgements

 

Introduction to conference interpreting    

What is conference interpreting?       

What does it take to become a conference interpreter?         

Basic conference interpreting terminology    

The modes of interpreting

Labelling languages   

Tasks  

Further reading and watching

References     

 

Chapter 1: The flying bumblebee – foundations of conference interpreting     

1.1 A (short) history of conference interpreting        

1.2 Cognitive and social processes    

1.2.1 Cognitive processes of interpreting      

1.2.2 Social processes of interpreting

1.3 Is interpreting a superpower?       

1.4 Tasks        

1.5 Further reading and watching      

References     

 

Chapter 2: Exercising your memory the conference interpreter way   

2.1 Different types of memories        

2.2 Active listening    

2.3 Memory exercises and preparation          

2.4 Tasks        

2.5 Further reading and watching      

References     

 

Chapter 3: Practice – The core of conference interpreting         

3.1 How to practice like an expert     

3.1.1 How to approach practice         

3.2 Continued professional development (CPD)       

3.3 Tasks        

3.4 Further reading and watching      

References     

 

Chapter 4: Assessment, feedback and self-assessment     

4.1 Formative and summative assessment     

4.2 How to handle feedback  

4.4 Self-assessment    

4.5 Tasks        

4.6 Further reading and watching      

References     

 

Chapter 5: Deconstructing speeches and putting them back together again    

5.1 Monologues         

5.2 Dialogues 

5.3 Tasks        

5.4 Further reading and watching      

References     

 

Chapter 6: Words, meaning, and doodles – why note-taking is good for you   

6.1 The many purposes of notes        

6.1.1 What to note down       

6.1.2 Symbols

6.1.2 The language of note-taking     

6.1.3 Memory in note-taking 

6.1.4 Notepad, tablet, smart pen, sim-consec

6.2 Short and long consecutive interpreting  

6.2.1 Short consecutive interpreting – dialogue interpreting 

6.2.2 Long consecutive interpreting  

6.3. Sight interpreting

6.4 Tasks        

6.5 Further reading and watching      

References     

 

Chapter 7: The power of body language, gaze, and intonation in interpreting

7.1 The metalanguage of speaking    

7.2 Interpreting and body language   

7.3 Interpreting and gaze       

7.4 Intonation

7.5 Tasks        

7.6 Further reading and watching      

References

 

Chapter 8: Public speaking – the key to long consecutive (and simultaneous, too)

8.1 The basics of public speaking      

8.2 Interpreting and public speaking 

8.3 Tasks        

8.4 Further reading and watching      

References     

 

Chapter 9: Simultaneous interpreting: chuchotage, speech to text, and in the booth

9.1 Interpreting strategies in simultaneous interpreting        

9.2 Whispered interpreting or chuchotage    

9.3 Simultaneous interpreting with portable technical equipment – the bidule        

9.4 Simultaneous interpreting in the booth   

9.4.1 The booth          

9.4.2 Booth manners  

9.4.3 Microphone handovers 

9.5 Simultaneous with text    

9.5 Speech-to-text interpreting          

9.6 Tasks        

9.7 Further reading and watching      

References

 

Chapter 10: Ethics, positionality, and discretionary power in conference interpreting

10.1 What is ethics?   

10.2 Ethics and deontology   

10.2.1 Neutrality – the approach to the topic you are interpreting    

10.2.2 Impartiality – the approach to the parties for whom you are interpreting      

10.3 Positionality       

10.4 Discretionary power      

10.5 Tasks      

10.6 Further reading and watching    

References     

 

Chapter 11: Working language combinations, and the question of retour and relay

11.1 Language competence   

11.2 Different language combinations           

11.2.1 The retour       

11.3 Working in teams           

11.4 Tasks      

11.5 Further reading and watching    

References     

 

Chapter 12: Healthy working environment and self-care           

12.1 The interpreter’s voice   

12.2 The interpreter’s hearing

12.3 Stress and vicarious trauma       

12.4 Career longevity and being resilient      

12.5 Tasks      

12.6 Further reading and watching    

References     

 

Chapter 13: Entrepreneurship for interpreters    

13.1 Freelancing and small business 

13.2 Being an employee         

13.3 Professional associations           

13.4 Personal branding          

13.5 Preparing for a test        

13.6 Tasks      

13.7 Further reading and watching    

References

 

Index

Biography

Elisabet Tiselius is Professor of Interpreting Studies at the Institute for Interpreting and Translation Studies (TÖI) at Stockholm University, Sweden. Tiselius is an EU-accredited conference interpreter and member of AIIC. She is the current president of the European Society for Translation Studies (EST). She is the co-editor, with Michaela Albl-Mikasa of The Routledge Handbook of Conference Interpreting (2022).

 

“This exceptional book is the conversation every aspiring interpreter would hope to have at the start of their professional journey. It weaves an engaging narrative about the rich and deeply rooted interpreting profession. The author’s thoughtful and interactive approach encourages meaningful reflection through tasks to complete at the end of each chapter. I know this is the book I will want all my interpreting students to adopt.” Danielle D’Hayer, London Metropolitan University

“A classic remarkably revisited! Tiselius covers each and every facet of the subject so comprehensively and minutely that the book could also be titled Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Conference Interpreting. A must read for anyone with an interest in this fascinating area of interpreting." Marc Orlando, Macquarie University