How do trainee interpreters manage cognitive problem triggers in simultaneous interpreting with text? Insights from eye-tracking and retrospective interviews

This study investigates how trainee interpreters use scripts in simultaneous interpreting with text (SIMTXT) when encountering cognitive problem triggers such as numbers, fast speech rates, proper names, and deviations from the script. Fifteen trainees performed English-to-Chinese SIMTXT under one baseline and four ‘problem-triggering’ conditions, each involving one of the aforementioned triggers. Analysis of eye-tracking data and retrospective interviews revealed that: (1) Cognitive effort and visual attention allocation during SIMTXT were influenced by the cognitive demands associated with each type of problem trigger. Frequent numbers prompted the most intensive script use, with more fixations within the script and fewer fixation shifts between script and video than in the baseline. In contrast, deviations reduced script reliance, with less dwell time and more fixation shifts relative to the baseline. (2) Most participants reported being disrupted by deviations. Their perceptions of script utility varied, but the majority regarded scripts as a valuable visual aid, particularly for managing numbers and proper names.