Sight interpreting/translation as a cross‑modal professional task

Abstract

In this article, sight interpreting/translation (SiT) refers to the cross-modal task that an interpreter performs to convert written information into oral or signed speech in a different language. Previous SiT studies can be roughly divided into two areas that focus on either conference or public service (PSI) settings. These setting-specific research trajectories have developed in silos, with limited cross-setting engagement, leading to drastically different research profiles, perspectives, and findings. Conference-oriented SiT studies adopt a primarily cognitive paradigm, drawing on eyetracking technologies and prioritizing experimental control to understand the cognitive mechanisms involved in SiT. For this research approach, SiT has been studied from a monologic perspective, assuming equivalence of meaning, and study participants are almost always asked to conduct SiT without a listener or a specified scenario. In contrast, PSI-oriented studies are largely exploratory and adopt a multimodal approach, emphasizing naturalistic task designs that favor direct observation of real-world encounters and their subsequent analysis over tightly controlled experiments. In doing so, these studies typically rely on much smaller sample sizes that limit the generalizability of their findings. To understand the nature and processes of SiT as a professional task required in the daily life of an interpreter, this article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of conference and PSI-oriented SiT studies and pinpoints areas for cross-fertilization. These points of intersection include such methodological considerations as ecological validity, data collection methods involving eyetracking, participant selection and reporting, and data triangulation. In addition, conceptual considerations must also address the multimodal nature of SiT and SiT quality. Informed research practices are suggested for future studies accordingly.