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Article published In:
Translation, Cognition & Behavior
Vol. 2:2 (2019) ► pp.147–164

Metacognitive self-perception in interpreting

| Universidad Pontificia Comillas

The ability of interpreters to engage in metacognitive activity enabling them to self-assess the changing purpose of their task and subsequent strategies can play a pivotal role in their global attainment levels. This paper argues that developing a high degree of metacognition can be key, not only for the expert’s interpreting performance, but also for trainees’ learning processes, helping them develop a more accurate professional self-concept and better self-regulation techniques. The study, carried out with 199 interpreting trainees, tested a tool to assess self-perceived metacognition levels. The measurement tool was developed on the basis of previous relevant academic contributions to the overlapping fields of Education, Interpreting and Psychology. According to the results of a factor analysis, self-perceived metacognition in interpreting trainees can be defined as a construct made up of four dimensions: self-knowledge perception, consolidation of one’s own set of criteria, development of a macro-strategy, and task-focused flow.

Keywords: interpreting, interpreter training, introspection, metacognition, self-perception, self-regulation, monitoring
Article outline
  • 1.Relating metacognition to quality in interpreting
  • 2.Turning metacognition into a more tangible construct
  • 3.Methodology
  • 4.The four dimensions of self-perceived metacognition
    • 4.1Self-knowledge perception
    • 4.2Consolidation of their own set of criteria
    • 4.3Development of an interpreting macro-strategy
    • 4.4Task-focused flow
  • 5.Final remarks
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 6 September 2019
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tcb.00025.fer
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