Tecnologia e didattica dell'interpretazione. Esperimento di interpretazione consecutiva e simultanea a distanza con inTrain.

This study focuses on the role of technology in interpreter education and explores the possibilities and limitations of interpreting practice using online synchronous technology. The study involved 8 students practicing consecutive and simultaneous interpreting in pairs on site and online through the web-based interpreting application called inTrain. The first goal of this work is observing whether and how some interactional components change in two different settings with different student pairs and namely: a) consecutive interpreting practice carried out on site by two pairs of students who are used to practising together; b) consecutive and simultaneous interpreting practice carried out remotely by the same two pairs of students, and c) consecutive and simultaneous interpreting carried out remotely by four pairs of students who had never practised together before. The second goal is evaluating inTrain accessibility, and adaptability to the interpreting mode as well as collecting students’ perception of their experience with this new technological tool. The first chapter presents an overview of ICTs and CAIT tools applied both to interpreting practice and interpreter education. The second chapter deals with both blended and distance interpreter education to set the scene for the experience carried out for the purpose of this study which is described in chapter 3. Chapter 4 deals with two different aspects related to the experience with inTrain. On the one hand it reports the results of the analysis of the interactions taking place during the consecutive on site and remote practice to identify the main differences, focusing mainly on gaze, use of direct and indirect reported speech and use of deictic expressions. On the other, it presents the responses to the questionnaires given to students to assess both inTrain per se and their experience with it. Finally, some conclusions are drawn and some areas for future research are suggested.