MOCK conference as a tool for interpreters' skills development: A case study

Mastering skills in consecutive interpretation has been indispensable for translator profession, and Mock Conference as a teaching tool should be used to model the real life conditions of interpreters' work. This case study research is aimed at identifying Mock Conference benefits and challenges trainee translators faced to by involving 45 senior students from the private Kazakhstani University. The data were collected through a survey including Likert-scale questionnaire and open-ended questions for trainee translators, and were analyzed by means of descriptive percentages. The results of the study revealed that our respondents viewed positively the opportunities to develop such professional skills and competencies as bilingual and cross-cultural competences, subject-specific knowledge, application of language-specific strategies considered the most essential interpreters' skills for successful performance at their prospective work. Additionally, the study implied that there were some challenges in Mock Conference procedure; thus, stress, problems with concentration, taking notes and appropriate time management were mentioned by our research participants as the key ones. The core findings of the study have few implications for pre-service interpreters training, measurement of positive and negative aspects of Mock Conference as interpreters training tool, and future research.