Chapter 14

Make it different! Teaching interpreting with theatre techniques

Dialogue Interpreting (DI) involves the human being as a whole, with both her/his body and mind as well as social and communicative needs. It is a combination of intellect and feeling, which requires the rational mind to operate in an emotional setting. This concept is illustrated in detail in the present paper using methods taken from theatre pedagogy and applied to interpreter education. The method of performing scenes focuses on the way language, action and awareness influence each other. The goal of this didactic approach is to identify habitual behaviours, analyse and deconstruct societal structures of power, and promote independent interpreting work – trying out new possibilities helps adjust and alter discourses and demonstrates that for every decision there is an alternative.