How to Use Interpreting Techniques for Language Learning

In my practice, I encounter a variety of motivations for learning a language. Some people want to be able to chat while on vacation, while others hope to get a promotion at work. Some want to improve their brain fitness, and in some cases, romance and love play a role. But few of my students are learning a language to become language experts, such as interpreters, linguists, or translators. That doesn’t mean, however, that we can’t borrow techniques from these professionals and use them for our own language study. An interpreter facilitates direct communication between two languages, and various tactics and strategies aid them in their craft. I’ve selected two for you that you can use in different variations.

Shadowing

This involves repeating words and sentences after a speaker. This technique helps train your memory and practice dividing your attention. For us, it will be useful for students who want to improve their pronunciation, memory, and become more fluent.

The process is simple:

1. Find an audio recording with a transcript online that matches your English level.

2. Play the recording and repeat the words after the speaker in real time. You can try different variations—read and repeat the text, repeat only the recording, write down words that are difficult to pronounce, and repeat them until you pronounce them correctly. You can choose a topic that interests you or that you want to practice. You can also choose the accent you want to practice or a favorite speaker. Another benefit of this exercise is that you’ll remember the repeated words more easily and for longer.

Text Reproduction

An important strategy for interpreters is paraphrasing. This means that the interpreter expresses an idea in different words. When teaching, I often encounter situations where a student gets stuck because they can’t say exactly what they wanted to say, so they’d rather say nothing at all. The truth is that when you’re just starting out, it’s not always possible to express an idea 100 percent exactly as you have it in your head and as you know it in your first language. You’ll reach that level only through gradual knowledge acquisition and learning. However, if you stubbornly remain silent because you don’t want to make a mistake or don’t know how to say exactly what you want, this technique is for you. It will also help improve your speaking skills when you don’t have a partner on hand and serve as cognitive fitness training.

Activity

Find a short text that matches your level. Read it, and at the end, try to retell it as accurately as possible. When retelling the story, don’t use a dictionary—rely only on the vocabulary you already know. Try to capture the main idea of the text. You can record yourself and compare your retelling with the text.

This technique has many variations: you can train your memory and try to remember as many details as possible; you can do it bilingually—find a text in Slovak and translate it orally into English, or vice versa (cognitive skills training).

Another variation is that you can select only individual sections or ideas from the text and try to retell them in your own words.

I believe you will find these two techniques useful, and keep in mind that this is still practice, not perfection. Gradual practice will get you to the level you desire.

Written by: Zuzana Žipaj-Mišková / Edited by: Vanessa Kimličková

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