Introduction to Interpreting MODLANG5041

  • Academic Session: 2025-26
  • School: School of Modern Languages and Cultures
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No
  • Curriculum For Life: No

Short Description

This course offers an introduction to Liaison and Consecutive interpreting, the relevant theories connected to such practices and relevant technologies for interpreting practice. Students will learn about transferable skills that are central to interpreting, such as public speaking, note taking, shadowing, researching assignments, and summarising information. Students will practise forms of interpreting such as sight translation, chuchotage and liaison and consecutive interpreting with reference to fields where these are commonly used, such as legal, health, business and the culture industries.

Timetable

2 hour seminar x 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

Requirements of Entry

Standard entry to Masters at College level.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Oral Presentation - 10 minutes - 20%

Reflective Commentary 1 - 2000 words - 40%

Reflective Commentary 2 - 2000 words - 40%

Course Aims

The course aims to: 

■ Develop students' interpreting and related skills for liaison and consecutive interpreting in a multilingual environment, and in relation to changes in technology. 

■ Encourage student reflection on interpreting practice, in relation to existing scholarly work in the field and known standard practices. 

■ Develop students' research skills in relation to interpreting practice. 

■ Ask students to discuss interpreting practices across language barriers and explain their thinking orally and in writing. 

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

■ By the end of this course students will be able to:
Critically analyse their own and others' interpreting practice in relation to relevant scholarship.

■ Reflect on their interpreting practice, using knowledge of standard practices and relevant scholarship.

■ Examine how machine translation and other technologies can be used critically in interpreting, or why they might be avoided.

■ Communicate complex ideas orally and in writing in relation to interpreting.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.