Planning as a cognitive process in simultaneous interpreting: case study

Background. The purpose of this article is to define the role of planning as a mental activity in simultaneous interpretation (SI) as well as to evaluate how it influences the components of SI, such as attention, decision taking, memory, and focus. It relies on the works of such Ukrainian scientists as V. Karaban, I. Korunets, O. Chernov as well as international scholars D. Gile, B. Moser-Mercer, and more, to point out the criticality of planning when switching between auditory channels in simultaneous interpreting due to cognitive overload. Results. In the theoretical part of the work, the role of planning is considered in comprehending the speaker’s intention and in the process of load distribution and in the process of dynamic emphasis and production of the bulge between the two processes. There was also an experiment with first year and second year Master’s students of the Department of English Translation, who underwent a planning training over two semesters. The results obtained showed that cognitive functions improved in the following aspects: attention span grabbed by 12 %, attention in taking information improved by 20 %, retention of information increased to 25 %, and attention concentration improvement was by 30 %. Methods employed for teaching are not restricted to only anticipation exercises, chunking shadowing and cognitive load management. Conclusions. Certain of such techniques not only enhanced the cognitive operation but managed to positively influence the accuracy, fluency and quality of interpreting skills among the students. Faced with this task, the author argues that planning makes the process of SI more purposeful and lessens the mental load that the interpreters encounter in solving problems practiced during SI. Moreover these conclusions draw the way for more studies addressing what actually are those planning strategies instructional to SI, how the planning aids might be used in the teaching practice and the planning effects over time in the course of interpreter’s training. Considering the place of the work on improving practical and theoretical aspects of and teaching as well as the practice of interpreting, the work carries practical suggestions aimed at interpreter training in particular, such as the targeted provision of training in planning, as a means of increasing interpreters’ cognitive capacity and their performance quality.