CAI Tools in Interpreter Training: Where Are We Now and Where Do We Go from Here?

After a slow start, Computer-Assisted Interpreting (CAI) is receiving growing attention from practitioners and researchers alike. While research on CAI tools is still somewhat limited, a few studies have tried to shed some light on aspects such as the tools’ usability and their impact on interpreting quality in terms of terminological performance, mainly focusing on their use in the booth. The fact that many of these studies were conducted as part of BA or MA theses shows a certain interest among trainee interpreters. The new generation of interpreters is certainly more technology-savvy than their older colleagues; personal computers, tablets or other kinds of technological tools have become a staple in the interpreting booth. The prerequisites for the introduction of CAI tools in the curriculum of trainee interpreters are there, but how have training programmes reacted to these new terminology management solutions for interpreters? To answer this question, in this paper we present the results of a survey conducted among 25 interpreter-training institutions. The survey shows that, while technology applied to interpreting is present in all programmes object of the survey, only some universities have integrated CAI tools in their curriculum. Overall, despite the growing interest in this emerging field, there is still some confusion and lack of information among trainers. With the aim of providing an example of how to introduce CAI tools to students, this paper briefly describes how some universities have included these solutions in their training and presents a pilot study conducted at the University of Mainz/Germersheim (Germany), which involved trainee interpreters as test subjects.