Lynn Lai, Interpretation Track

Presenting my thesis at the International Symposium on Translation and Interpreting Teaching was a significant milestone in my academic journey. The anticipation built as the day approached, and I found myself experiencing a mix of excitement and nervousness. Given the 12-minute time constraint for each presenter, I had to distill my research into a concise yet comprehensive format carefully. Despite my initial apprehension, once I began speaking, I found my rhythm and managed to articulate the key points of my study effectively. The subsequent panel discussion and Q&A session was very rewarding. One question, in particular, stood out: a professor inquired about the implications of my research on interpreting strategies for interpreting pedagogy. It was an angle I hadn’t fully explored, and it gave me ideas for improving my thesis.

My role at the symposium extended beyond presenting my own research. I was also tasked with interpreting other presentations, as well as a keynote speech. This dual responsibility provided a unique perspective and a practical application of what I had been studying. Interpreting academic presentations posed its own set of challenges. The speeches were often dense with specialized terminology and delivered at a rapid pace due to time constraints.

A highlight of my interpreting duties was the opportunity to interpret the keynote speech delivered by Dr. Te-Hsing Shan on literary translation. His talk was both inspiring and complex, with nuanced discussions of literature and poetry. Interpreting this speech required intense concentration, active listening, and the ability to process and convey intricate ideas across languages quickly. While challenging, this experience served as excellent practical training. It demanded that I not only understand the speaker’s intended meaning but also communicate it effectively to the audience. This real-time application of interpreting techniques provided valuable insights that complemented my theoretical research.

Participating in this symposium was an intense but incredibly rewarding experience. It combined the academic rigor of presenting original research with the practical demands of high-level interpreting. The event pushed me to apply my knowledge in tangible ways and offered new perspectives on my work. It also highlighted how academic research can inform practical skills, and conversely, how real-world experience can shape and refine theoretical understanding. This synergy between research and application is something I now appreciate more deeply and will continue to explore in my future work.