Translation is perceived as an intellectual information processing activity rather than a linguistic transcoding activity, and it is believed by many that training should consist not only of drills, but also of indications on the nature of the mechanisms and procedures underlying the intellectual processing of the source text into a target text. This led teachers of translation and interpretation to advocate the introduction of theoretical training in training programmes. The problem is, however, that the acquisition of theoretical elements require much time and effort on the part of students while not being close enough to their daily endeavours to suggest applications in practical translation and interpretation strategies and tactics. For this reason theoretical concepts and models have been developped, addressing difficulties encountered by students and professionals in the field. The "Effort models" of conference interpreting are one such example. The present paper attempts the show the potential usefulness of these models in the classroom.