Cognitive Load in Interpreting and Translation (CLINT)

In this interdisciplinary project, researchers in the fields of interpreting, translation and neuropsychology are studying the influence of non-standard English on language processing to determine the cognitive correlates associated with non-standard input and to measure its impact on the performance of interpreters, translators, and other bilinguals.

The spread of English as the first global lingua franca is a determining factor of the 21st century with enormous repercussions for multilingualism and multilingual societies. Preliminary research at the interface of interpreting, translation and English as a lingua franca (ELF) suggests that the increasing number of ELF speakers have impacts on professional interpreters’ capacity management and the time and effort that translators spend on processing source texts written by non-native speakers. Cognitive load seems to be an overriding issue for both groups, although these professionals have developed strategies to deal with it. Drawing on perspectives from translation and interpreting studies, ELF and neuroscience, the present project will address the following research questions:

What processing problems do ELF speeches and texts cause compared with those in standard English?
What influence does interpreting or translation expertise have on processing ELF input?
What coping strategies do interpreters, translators, and other multilinguals use when processing ELF?
What physiological correlates reflecting cognitive load are associated with processing ELF?
What other challenges do ELF speeches and texts present to the communities of practice?

Project overview

The interdisciplinary research project 'Cognitive load in interpreting and translation' (CLINT) is a Sinergia project funded by SNSF. The recursive mixed-methods design combines perspectives from:

neuroscientific investigations on multilingualism
translation and interpreting studies
research on ELF

Project financing: Swiss National Science Foundation
Grant: CHF 1.26 million
Project start: 01/07/2018
Project end: 31/10/2022

Methods

The mixed-method design of the research project CLINT includes

quasi-experiments of active language processing (i.e. interpreting, translation, summarizing) in simulated workplace settings including techniques such as video recordings, eye tracking techniques, and heart-rate measurements
covert language processing experiments (e.g. listening and reading) in the controlled setting of the neuro-psychology lab using EEG
self-report observations in an online survey

Publications

Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen; Gieshoff, Anne Catherine; Hunziker Heeb, Andrea,

2024.

English as a lingua franca in interpreting and translation : a survey of practitioners.

Frontiers in Communication.

9(1413110).

Available from: https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1413110
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela,

2023.

Relevance of ELF speakers’ source speeches : interpreters’ interventions.

Meta.

68(2), pp. 384-405.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.7202/1109343ar
Gieshoff, Anne Catherine; Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Hunziker Heeb, Andrea,

2023.

Effects of non-native text input on performance and perceived comprehensibility in translation, interpreting and other language processing tasks.

In:

ICTIC4 Abstract Book.

Fourth International Conference on Translation, Interpreting, and Cognition (ICTIC 4), Santiago de Chile, Chile, 5-9 September 2023.

Available from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vmbhZB_OtKFM2GLkSUUcNpygPJnpW0Gr/view
Gieshoff, Anne Catherine; Hunziker Heeb, Andrea,

2023.

Cognitive load and cognitive effort : probing the psychological reality of a conceptual difference.

Translation, Cognition & Behavior.

6(1), pp. 3-28.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1075/tcb.00073.gie
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela,

2023.

Do interpreters improve (English non-native) speakers’ source speeches in an effort to maximize relevance for the target audience?.

In:

The Application of Relevance Theory to Translation and Interpreting, Rome, Italy, 9-10 February 2023.
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela,

2023.

ELF und Dolmetschen.

In:

Gastvorlesung am Zentrum für Translationswissenschaft, Universität Wien, Österreich, 14. November 2023.
Gieshoff, Anne Catherine; Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Hunziker Heeb, Andrea,

2023.

Processing spoken and written ELF material in natural translation and interpreting : what handling tactics do non-T&I multilinguals apply?.

In:

NPIT6 Book of Abstracts.

6th International Conference on Non-Professional Interpreting and Translation, Nicosia, Cyprus, 25-27 May 2023.

Available from: https://www.ucy.ac.cy/npit6/wp-content/uploads/sites/292/2024/03/Book-of-Abstracts-NEW-WEBSITE.pdf
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Gieshoff, Anne Catherine; Hunziker Heeb, Andrea,

2023.

Strategies we live by : coping with English as a lingua franca source input.

In:

ICTIC 4 Abstract book.

Fourth International Conference on Translation, Interpreting, and Cognition (ICTIC 4), Santiago de Chile, Chile, 5-9 September 2023.

Available from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vmbhZB_OtKFM2GLkSUUcNpygPJnpW0Gr/view
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Gieshoff, Anne Catherine,

2022.

ELF density : extending ELF research to monological texts and speeches.

In:

13th International Conference of English as a Lingua Franca, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (online), 18-20 November 2022.
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Gieshoff, Anne Catherine,

2022.

ELF density : extending English as a lingua franca research to monological ELF texts and speeches.

Applied Linguistics.

44(3), pp. 505-526.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/amac058
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela,

2022.

The imaginary invalid : interpreters in times of English as a lingua franca.

In:

Invited Talk at the Translation Seminar Series, Centre for Translation, Hongkong Baptist University (online), 20 October 2022.

Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N-WQybq8rY
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen,

2022.

Fundamental concepts in translation and interpreting reconsidered in light of ELF

.

In:

Dionísio da Silva, Gisele; Radicioni, Maura, eds.,

Recharting Territories: Interdisciplinarity in Translation Studies.

Leuven:

Leuven University Press.

pp. 75-96.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.11116/9789461664716
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela,

2022.

From speaker fidelity to agency in interpreting : a relevance theory account of interpreters renditions of English as a lingua franca input [paper].

In:

10th Congress of the European Society for Translation Studies (EST22), Oslo, Norway, 22-25 June 2022.
Gieshoff, Anne Catherine; Hunziker Heeb, Andrea,

2022.

Cognitive load and mental effort : is there a difference and does this difference matter for task performance in T&I?.

In:

1st BTS Symposium on Cognitive Research in Translation and Interpreting. A Marcus Wallenberg Symposium, Stockholm, Sweden, 15-17 June 2022.
Gieshoff, Anne Catherine; Albl-Mikasa, Michaela,

2022.

Interpreting accuracy revisited : a refined approach to interpreting performance analysis.

Perspectives.

32(2), pp. 210-228.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/0907676X.2022.2088296
Hunziker Heeb, Andrea; Gieshoff, Anne Catherine,

2022.

Non-native source texts : a stress factor for students of translation and interpreting?.

In:

10th Congress of the European Society for Translation Studies (EST22), Oslo, Norway, 22-25 June 2022.
Hunziker Heeb, Andrea; Gieshoff, Anne Catherine,

2021.

Processing ELF : how do language professionals reflect on it?.

In:

3rd ICTIC, Forlì, Italy, 2 - 5 November 2021.

Università di Bologna.

pp. 72.
Gieshoff, Anne Catherine; Andermatt, Katrin,

2021.

Meaning-making in interpreting ELF input – the amplified role of context.

In:

The Łódź-ZHAW Duo Colloquium on Translation and Meaning : Book of Abstracts.

The Łódź-ZHAW Duo Colloquium on Translation and Meaning, Winterthur (online), 2-3 September 2021.

Winterthur:

ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.

pp. 17.

Available from: https://www.zhaw.ch/storage/linguistik/institute-zentren/iued/upload/forschung/duo-colloquium-book-of-abstracts.pdf
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen,

2021.

Basic principles of interlingual mediation : relevance in ELF contexts [paper].

In:

17th International Pragmatics Conference (IPrA), Winterthur (online), 27 June - 2 July 2021.
Andermatt, Katrin,

2021.

A relevance-theoretic approach to interpreting ELF input.

In:

YLMP 2021 : Book of Abstracts.

7th Young Linguists’ Meeting in Poznań : Rethinking language and identity in the multilingual world, Poznań, Poland, 23-25 April 2021.

Poznań:

Adam Mickiewicz University.

pp. 22-23.

Available from: http://ylmp2021.amu.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/BoA_YLMP2021.pdf
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Gieshoff, Anne Catherine,

2021.

English as a lingua franca-induced effects on cognitive load and interpreting quality.

In:

Programme Handbook of the 2nd Hong Kong Baptist University International Conference on Interpreting.

2nd HKBU International Conference on Interpreting : Cognitive Approaches, online, 8-9 April 2021.

pp. 41-42.
Bühler, Jonas,

2021.

Im Flow beim Übersetzen : prozessbasierte Indikatoren zur Untersuchung von Flow-Zuständen im Übersetzungsprozess.

Winterthur:

ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-2806
Gieshoff, Anne Catherine,

2021.

Interpreting quality and effort in expert and novice interpreters.

In:

YLMP 2021 : Book of Abstracts.

7th Young Linguists’ Meeting in Poznań : Rethinking language and identity in the multilingual world, Poznań, Poland, 23-25 April 2021.

Poznań:

Adam Mickiewicz University.

pp. 47-48.

Available from: http://ylmp2021.amu.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/BoA_YLMP2021.pdf
Hunziker Heeb, Andrea; Lehr, Caroline; Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen,

2021.

Situated translators : cognitive load and the role of emotions

.

In:

Muñoz Martin, Ricardo; Sun, Sanjun; Li, Defeng, eds.,

Advances in Cognitive Translation Studies.

Singapore:

Springer.

pp. 47-65.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2070-6_3
Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen; Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Andermatt, Katrin; Hunziker Heeb, Andrea; Lehr, Caroline,

2020.

Cognitive load in processing ELF : translators, interpreters, and other multilinguals.

Journal of English as a Lingua Franca.

9(2), pp. 217-238.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1515/jelf-2020-2039
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen; Hunziker Heeb, Andrea; Lehr, Caroline; Boos, Michael; Kobi, Matthias; Jäncke, Lutz; Elmer, Stefan,

2020.

Cognitive load in relation to non-standard language input.

Translation, Cognition & Behavior.

3(2), pp. 263-286.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1075/tcb.00044.alb
Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen; Albl-Mikasa, Michaela,

2019.

Challenges of non-standard input for translation and interpreting.

In:

Book of abstracts : EST congress 2019.

9th Congress of the European Society for Translation Studies (EST 2019), Stellenbosch, South Africa, 9 - 13 September 2019.

Stellenbosch University.

pp. 171.
Hunziker Heeb, Andrea; Lehr, Caroline; Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen,

2019.

Cognitive load in translation : the role of emotions.

In:

Translation Process Research: Workshop 6, Murcia, Spain, 21-23 January 2019.
Albl-Mikasa, Michaela; Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen,

2019.

ITELF – (E)merging interests in interpreting and translation studies

.

In:

Dal Fovo, Eugenia; Gentile, Paola, eds.,

Convergence, contact, interactions in translation and interpreting studies.

Frankfurt am Main:

Peter Lang.

pp. 45-62.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-13492

Download

CLINT poster(PDF 316,4 KB)

Team

Former team members

Prof. Dr. Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow, Katrin Andermatt, Natalie Dietrich, Maura Calzado, Laura Keller, Caroline Lehr, Laura Schäfer, Oleksandra Valtchuk