Applications of the Language Laboratory to Training in Simultaneous Interpretation

Abstract

An attempt is made at showing how a standard Coll or high school lang laboratory may be successfully utilized in teaching simultaneous interpretation. The major drawback of such laboratories is a lack of suitable electronic equipment & practice conference facilities. However, through proper utilization of live utterances & tapes, three target & three source languages can be employed at the same time. Nine different applications of the language laboratory to serve this purpose are listed, & a functional & technical description provided for each. Advantages of these applications include: a decent simulation of the simultaneous technique can be provided; students may be monitored; several different languages (both target & source) can be utilized in a single class session; & an approximate simulation of conference situations can be achieved. Disadvantages concern the system's built-in feedback, a poor physical arrangement of facilities, & lack of an audience. A. Sbragia