TRIN409-26S2 (C) Semester Two 2026

Introduction to Simultaneous Interpreting: Foundations and Practice

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 13 July 2026
End Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 26 July 2026
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 27 September 2026

Description

This course offers comprehensive training in simultaneous interpreting, equipping students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for both in-person and remote interpreting contexts, including Remote Simultaneous Interpreting (RSI). Through a progressive and immersive approach, students will develop core competencies in shadowing, self-monitoring, décalage management, and real-time decision-making. Special attention will be given to paralinguistic features such as tone, intonation, pacing, and vocal delivery, as well as the cognitive processes underpinning simultaneous interpreting. Students will critically engage with RSI-specific protocols, including platform functionality, technical preparation, and communicative strategies for remote delivery. Weekly practice-based assignments and live interpreting simulations will prepare students for professional scenarios, including bilateral meetings, multilingual conferences, and remote interpreting assignments. By the end of the course, students will be well-positioned to enter the field of simultaneous interpreting with confidence, competence, and cultural sensitivity.

Learning Outcomes

  • As a student in this course, you will acquire a conceptual framework for thinking and talking about producing translation and/or do interpreting that can fulfil the functions of the original text. You will also develop appropriate strategies for achieving such a goal. Students who successfully complete the course will:
  • Understand the key concepts of the academic discipline of translation studies, particularly within the theoretical framework of functional translation studies.
  • Develop critical thinking on cross-linguistic and cross-cultural features between the source and target language.
  • Develop abilities to explain and analyse pragmatic functions of the original text.
  • Develop strategies to produce a translation/rendition that delivers pragmatic functions similar to those of the original text.
  • Develop abilities to explain and analyse failures of expected paralinguistic aspects in the interpretation/rendition.
  • Gain practical experience and strategies for producing translations/renditions that meet professional quality standards in the current translation/interpreting sector.
  • Acquire the theoretical knowledge of translating/interpreting for the culturally and ethnically diverse communities of Aotearoa New Zealand.
  • Be able to engage in independent ethical decision-making and action while translating/interpreting for the diverse communities of Aotearoa New Zealand.
  • Gain a heightened understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand’s connectedness to the global communities and the individual’s right to have language access to publicly shared information.
  • Develop all the necessary knowledge, skills, and practical experience to confidently sit the NAATI Certified Interpreter (CI) Test, with a focus on meeting the test’s requirements and standards.
    • University Graduate Attributes

      This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

      Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

      Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

      Employable, innovative and enterprising

      Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

      Biculturally competent and confident

      Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

      Engaged with the community

      Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.

      Globally aware

      Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Subject to the approval of the Head of Department.

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Wladimir Padilla Silva

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Performance log (6) 10% Weeks 1-6
Glossary and Domain Strategy (1) 10% Due week 8
RSI Simulation (1) 20% Held week 6
Online Forum (12) 20% Weeks 1-12
Active Participation 10% Weeks 1-12
Final Interpreting Exam 30%

Textbooks / Resources

Course materials will draw from selected journal articles and publicly accessible public services related texts.

There is a AKO | LEARN component to this course.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $2,299.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All TRIN409 Occurrences

  • TRIN409-26S2 (C) Semester Two 2026