Evaluating emotional stability as a predictor of interpreter competence and aptitude for interpreting

Interpreting as a stressful activity: physiological measures of stress in simultaneous interpreting

“…It appears that more attention has been devoted to the role of psycho-affective factors, such as motivation, anxiety or stress resistance in interpreting practice (e.g. Timarová and Ungoed-Thomas 2008;Rosiers et al 2011;Bontempo and Napier 2011). This new trend will be referred to here as the psycho-affective turn in Interpreting Studies.…”

“…However, in recent years, more and more attention from interpreting scholars has been devoted to psycho-affective factors, such as motivation, anxiety or stress resistance (e.g. Timarová and Ungoed-Thomas 2008; Rosiers et al 2011;Bontempo and Napier 2011). This paper presents the results of a pilot study, the main objective of which was to examine whether the speed of speaker's delivery influences the level of stress experienced by interpreting trainees during a simultaneous interpreting task.…”

Emotional Intelligence and Translation Studies: A New Bridge

“…These aspects are clearly relevant for the practice of translation and interpreting and it is felt that emotional intelligence research can provide an additional framework for our investigations into the reasons why translators and interpreters act and behave the way they do. Bontempo and Napier (2011), literature in the field of foreign language learning also corroborates the link between anxiety and a negative impact on language learning and success in second language acquisition, and the impact of different language learning tasks on a students' self-belief and self-confidence, e.g. …”

“…Petrides, Frederickson et al (2004: 287) observe that "trait EI may influence scholastic attainment by conferring a selective advantage for certain academic subjects that require consideration of affectrelated issues (English literature, arts, design, etc.)." Translation and interpreting have been considered as affect-related subjects by many (Jääskeläinen 1999;Hansen 2005;Bontempo and Napier 2011), which suggests the potential for trait EI to be a factor in T&I performance.…”

“…Results of Bontempo's 2009 study are noteworthy in the sense that they "provide support for the emerging picture of a relationship between personality and work performance of signed language interpreters" and they indicate the presence of a link between emotional factors and interpreter competence, even suggesting that "if selecting for success, select individuals who are conscientious and emotionally adjusted" (Bontempo 2009). In a subsequent publication, Bontempo and Napier (2011) report in more detail on their efforts to gauge both sociological and psychological variables amongst 110 accredited signed language interpreters in Australia. The researchers compared personal parameters (e.g.…”