Cognitive processes in conference interpreter training

This paper aims at giving an overview of the first phase of my PhD project, an interdisciplinary study on working memory and selective attention in interpreting. The research questions are whether these skills improve through interpreting exercise. The subjects of the study are students of the Master’s Degree in Interpreting of the University of Bologna. Six tests aim at measuring working memory and they include five verbal memory tests from the Tests of memory and learning (TOMAL) and an N-Back Task. Furthermore, three tests were used to measure selective attention: a dichotic listening test, a Flanker task and a Stroop task. Students took the tests at the beginning of their Master’s degree, in the middle and at the end. Comparing the test results of the same people over time aims at seeing how the average learning curve looks like and making considerations that may be useful for teaching interpreting.