Optical Mapping of Brain Activity Underlying Directionality and Its Modulation by Expertise in Mandarin/English Interpreting

Functional Connectivity Signatures Underlying Simultaneous Language Translation in Interpreters and Non-Interpreters of Mandarin and English: An fNIRS Study

Recent neuroimaging research has suggested that interpreters and non-interpreters elicit different brain activation patterns during simultaneous language translation. However, whether these two groups have different functional connectivity during such a task, and how the neural coupling is among brain subregions, are still not well understood. In this study, we recruited Mandarin (L1)/English (L2) interpreters and non-interpreter bilinguals, whom we asked to perform simultaneous language translation and reading tasks. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to collect cortical brain data for participants during each task, using 68 channels that covered the prefrontal cortex and the bilateral perisylvian regions. Our findings revealed both interpreter and non-interpreter groups recruited the right dorsolateral prefrontal hub when completing the simultaneous language translation tasks. We also found different functional connectivity between the groups. The interpreter group was characterized by information exchange between the frontal cortex and Wernicke’s area. In comparison, the non-interpreter group revealed neural coupling between the frontal cortex and Broca’s area. These findings indicate expertise modulates functional connectivity, possibly because of more developed cognitive skills associated with executive functions in interpreters.

Effects of Directionality on Interpreting Performance: Evidence From Interpreting Between Chinese and English by Trainee Interpreters

Interpreters can either interpret from the first language (L1) to the second language (L), or in the other direction. Understanding translation and interpreting as a direction-dependent process contributes to a wider and more critical view regarding the role of both languages in the process, as well as the identity, perspectives, and preferences of translators. The effect of directionality primarily weighs on stimulus and individual factors. This study explores the impact of directionality on the performance of trainee interpreters by examining four critical aspects of quality in target speeches, namely: speech rate, information completeness, delivery, and quality of expression. We observed an advantage for L2-L1 over L1-L2 interpreting in the form of interpreting quality (i.e., delivery and quality of expression) but not in content (i.e., the level of information retained in the target language). These effects of interpreting directionality suggest an important role of L2 proficiency in interpreting. Moreover, L1-L2 interpreting is cognitively demanding compared to L2-L1 interpreting for trainee interpreters. This research sheds light on the cognitive mechanisms of interpreting in different directions and provides pedagogical recommendations for training interpreters.