Working memory in professional simultaneous interpreting

Working memory is considered to be a crucial cognitive mechanism underlying interpreting but previous research has so far not provided a substantial empirical evidence of working memory use in professional simultaneous interpreting. This paper reports on a study in which 28 professional interpreters completed a battery of working memory tests and a simultaneous interpreting task, and their performance on the two types of tests (working memory and interpreting) compared. The results indicate that a) working memory is involved in several aspects of the interpreting process, b) executive functions are more important than memory capacity, c) some aspects of working memory seem to develop with practice while others do not. Implications for understanding the interpreting process and for training will be discussed.status: publishe