[[alternative]]Directionality in Simultaneous Interpretation : A Reassessment

[[abstract]]Abstract This study discussed SI directionality by examining the validity of the claim that interpreting into A language was a better/standard direction. Two approaches were taken: literature review and Internet survey. On the part of literature review, aside from the fact that the ambiguity of the existing language terms that necessarily involved in the discussion of directionality deserved more research attention, some of the major arguments for supporting A-B and B-A were reviewed respectively. Other previous empirical studies also revealed important clues which might turn out to be factors that determined SI directionality in quite independently of the interpreter’s working languages being native or non-native, as identified by this study. It was highly likely that SI directionality was an issue that had gone beyond the discussion of native vs. non-native languages. On the other hand, the Internet survey results showed that interpreting into A language as the standard direction was a well-noted idea in the field but few respondents actually gave their support to its strict practice mostly out of the concern for market reality.