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THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF PREDICTION STRATEGY IN SIMULTANEOUS
INTERPRETATION
Bayronova Shakhnoza Berdakhovna
UzSWLU
Scientific advisor: Prof.
Samigova Khushnuda Botirovna
Abstract:
Simultaneous interpretation is a highly professional activity in which interpreters
deliver spoken words in real time, usually in multilingual situations such as conferences,
diplomatic meetings, or international events. The prediction approach is one of the most
important tactics that interpreters use to increase their efficacy. This article discusses the
significance and usefulness of prediction in simultaneous interpretation, emphasizing how it
improves accuracy, fluency, and overall communication.
Key words:
simultaneous interpretation, prediction strategy, linguistic predictions, contextual
predictions, cultural predictions, accuracy, fluency, comprehension, confidence, listener
engagement, active listening.
INTRODUCTION.
Simultaneous interpreting is particularly difficult because interpreters have
to attend to and produce utterances concurrently in two different languages. Therefore, it is
unsurprising that most accounts assume that simultaneous interpreters also make use of
prediction during comprehension. Prediction in
interpretation refers to the ability of interpreters to anticipate what a speaker is going to say next.
This involves not only linguistic elements but also contextual clues, cultural references, and the
speaker's intent. Effective prediction allows interpreters to prepare their responses in advance,
ensuring a smoother and more coherent delivery.
LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODS.
Much evidence for prediction is comparatively
recent, but the potential value of prediction for simultaneous interpreting has been apparent for a
long time, so it is not surprising that traditional accounts have also assumed a role in prediction.
There are several types of predictions:
Linguistic Predictions
: Interpreters predict the next words or phrases based on
grammatical structures and vocabulary. Familiarity with the language and common expressions
enables them to make educated guesses about upcoming content.
Contextual Predictions
: Context plays a crucial role in prediction. Interpreters consider
the subject matter, the audience, and the speaker's tone to anticipate the direction of the
conversation. For instance, in a political speech, knowing the current events can help interpreters
predict key terms or phrases.
Cultural Predictions
: Understanding cultural nuances allows interpreters to anticipate
idiomatic expressions or culturally specific references that may arise during interpretation.
Prediction significantly contributes to the accuracy of interpretation. By anticipating content,
interpreters can prepare relevant vocabulary and phrases, reducing the likelihood of errors. For
instance, if an interpreter knows the speaker is discussing economic policies, they can mentally
prepare terms related to economics ahead of time, leading to a more precise interpretation. One
reason for this is that interpreters produce utterances about 70% of the time that they are
listening. They thus need to keep pace with the speaker while planning and producing their
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utterances. The prediction could allow interpreters to maintain a shorter lag between input and
output, reducing demands on memory and allowing them to focus attention on their production.
Another reason to make predictions during comprehension relates to differences in word order
between the source and the target languages. Without prediction, interpreters would be unable to
produce the appropriate translation of a phrase in the target language before encountering the
relevant phrase in the source language. If a German-English interpreter encountered a
subordinate clause with subject-object-verb (SOV) word order and interpreted it into SVO word
order, then she could not produce the object in English until she heard the verb, even though the
object may be preceded by a long adjectival phrase. But if she predicted the German verb, she
could produce its English translation and then produce the translation of the object without delay.
If the interpreter were reasonably confident, then acting on the prediction would be advantageous,
as it would allow her to reduce the demands on memory (the interpreter would be able to
maintain a shorter lag). Of course, simultaneous interpreters could make inaccurate predictions,
and suppressing or revising these could require additional processing. Federmeier, Kutas, and
Schul (1999) found evidence of processing effects (an ERP deflection) of plausible yet
incorrectly predicted words in younger adults and some older adults, which might suggest
additional processing. Similarly, incorrect predictions may induce additional processing during
simultaneous interpreting, as interpreters would not only have to revise their prediction but might
also have to revise their planned utterance.
Moreover, the prediction may facilitate the processing of words that are semantically related
to the predictable word. The potential additional processing required following incorrect
predictions may also lead to a processing advantage in the longer term: Dell and Chang (2023)
proposed that incorrect predictions may lead to long-term changes in the comprehension system,
as it could learn from the difference between the predicted and the actual utterance, thus
reducing future errors in similar situations. Given the benefits of prediction in comprehension
during simultaneous interpreting, and the benefits of error-based learning, it seems likely that the
ability to make predictions and decide whether or not to act on them constitutes a processing
advantage rather than a disadvantage for is an optional step in one of the first simultaneous
interpreting process models suggested that the ability to predict is a prerequisite for being a
successful simultaneous interpreter. Moreover, Grover et al. found that students performed better
in interpretation exams if they were more likely to fill in blanked-out words correctly in a
passage of text. In other words, the ability to use context to determine probable words was
positively related to interpreting performance (but note that students saw the entire passage at
once). Seleskovitch posited an even more central role for prediction, arguing that interpreters
engage in ‘freewheeling anticipation’; that is, they predict constantly during comprehension and
update their predictions regularly based on whether what the speaker says fits with them.
Strikingly, these accounts do not consider the locus of prediction. They do not propose
whether prediction takes place in the source language (being comprehended) or in the target
language (being produced). Does the comprehension predict the upcoming word in the source
language or its translation in the target language (or both)? Predictive production occurs when a
simultaneous interpreter produces the translated utterance in the target language before it has
been uttered in the source language. It is viewed as a strategy used by interpreters working with
(mismatched) language pairs that involve a great deal of syntactic asymmetry.
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RESULTS.
In a recent study, Hodzik and Williams (2017) had simultaneous interpreters and
(non-interpreter) bilinguals simultaneously interpret German verb-final sentences into English.
The verbs followed either a high or low constraint context and were therefore predictable or not
predictable. They found that the English verb was produced more quickly after the German verb
in high-constraint contexts. Moreover, participants occasionally produced the verb before they
heard it (4% of interpreted sentences for interpreters and 2.4% for bilinguals), and almost all of
such predictive productions (around 90%) followed the high constraint contexts. This
demonstrates that prediction takes place during simultaneous interpreting. However, given that
interpreters lag a few seconds behind the original speaker, and that lag may vary, there may also
be instances where interpreters predict but do not predictively produce a sentence constituent. In
sum, theoretical accounts and a few empirical studies suggest that prediction is part of the
simultaneous interpreting process.
More compelling evidence of prediction during comprehension comes from the
psycholinguistics literature. The most convincing evidence of prediction taking place at semantic,
syntactic, and phonological levels comes from event-related (brain) potential (ERP) and eye-
tracking studies using monolingual participants. Evidence of meaning-based prediction comes
from Altmann and Kamide (1999), who presented participants with scenes containing an agent
(e.g., a boy) and four objects in an eye-tracking study. Participants heard a sentence with a verb
that was semantically linked to either only one or all four of the objects in the display, such as
“The boy will eat the…” or “The boy will move the…”, where the objects were a cake, a train
set, a toy car, and a balloon. In the “eat” condition, eye movements to the cake began before
noun onset, whereas in the “move” condition they did not, indicating that information from the
verb was used to predict the semantic nature of the noun. In an ERP study, Grisoni et al. showed
that participants can also make meaning-based predictions in the absence of a supportive visual
context. They had participants listen to highly constraining sentences related to either the hands
or the face (e.g., “I take a pen and I… write”) and showed that participants pre-activated the
corresponding parts of the motor cortex depending on the verb.
DISCUSSION.
Prediction allows interpreters to maintain a steady pace by preparing for
anticipated information. This fluidity not only enhances the listener's experience but also helps
interpreters manage their cognitive load more effectively. When interpreters can predict content,
it aids in their overall comprehension of the message. By grasping the direction of the discourse,
interpreters can better understand the nuances and underlying meanings, leading to a more
faithful representation of the speaker’s intent. The ability to predict effectively fosters confidence
in interpreters. As they become more adept at anticipating content, their anxiety decreases,
allowing them to focus on delivering high-quality interpretations. This confidence also positively
impacts their performance, as they can engage more fully with the material. A smooth and
coherent interpretation keeps the audience engaged. When interpreters use prediction strategies
effectively, they create a seamless flow of information, allowing listeners to absorb the message
without interruptions. This engagement is vital in settings where the success of communication
can influence outcomes, such as negotiations or public speeches.
REFERENCES
1.
Setton. R. Simultaneous interpretation: A cognitive pragmatic analysis. Amsterdam: John
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Benjamins Publishing. 1999. P–12.
2.
Babayev Javid. Impact of socio-linguistic and socio-cultural factors on translation process.
Sciences of Europe. № 128, Praha, Czech Republic, 2023.
3.
Hodzik. E., & Williams. J. N. Predictive processes during simultaneous interpreting from
German into English. Interpreting, 19; 2017. P–20.
4.
Altmann. G. T. M., & Kamide. Y. Incremental interpretation at verbs: restricting the
domain of subsequent reference. Cognition, 73. 1999.P–264
