HOW TO USE THE SPEECH REPOSITORY LEVELS
Do you know which level is most suited to your current stage in the learning process? Please have a look at these level descriptions to get some guidance and tips for picking the right speech level for yourself.
CONSECUTIVE SPEECH LEVELS
BASIC consecutive
Recommended: for the very beginning of training, memory exercises BEFORE you start taking notes in consecutive interpretation or try simultaneous interpretation.
The speeches are: short and well-structured with very visible links.
The focus lies on: concentration and analytical memory, active listening and being able to render a structure, without taking notes.
BEGINNER consecutive
Recommended: for the transitional phase between memory exercises and consecutive with notes
The speeches are: tailored to help you reconcile your memory effort with a new operation which is taking notes. They are slightly longer and denser than on the previous level; names and figures may start appearing.
The focus lies on: being able to render the main ideas and links and as many details as you can with the help of your incipient note-taking system. Focus your notes on catching the structure of the speech.
INTERMEDIATE consecutive
Recommended: when the basics of the note-taking technique are well understood and you are often able to apply them in practice
The speeches are: longer and might not be linear. Language and vocabulary may be more challenging with more factual information, including names, figures and enumerations.
The focus lies on: rendering not only main ideas and links but also most details, and other features as humour or irony.
ADVANCED/TEST-TYPE consecutive
Recommended: for the last phases of the learning process possibly as part of the preparation for final exams.
The speeches are: complex, often with implicit features or treating less familiar subjects and have a challenging vocabulary, names, complex figures or enumerations.
⇒ Test–type speeches (consecutive speeches at official accreditation tests at the institutions) last about 6 minutes. They are delivered by native speakers and they are NOT read out.
However, in the Speech Repository advanced consecutive speeches might be slightly shorter or longer, and real-life speeches (i.e. not pedagogical material) might be read-out or with a foreign accent.
The focus lies on: rendering a complete message in a professional, communicative and convincing way. Occasional imperceptible omissions are admissible but should not be noticeable.
VERY ADVANCED consecutive
Recommended: at the end of the learning process as part of the preparation for professional life.
The speeches are: long and cover a wide variety of subjects often requiring preparation. Language may be specialised and challenging. The speech may be dense and fast and include complex information and structure.
The focus lies on: delivering a professional interpretation and learning how to deal with real-life “difficult situations”.
SIMULTANEOUS SPEECH LEVELS
BEGINNER simultaneous
Recommended: for the transition phase between consecutive and simultaneous interpretation. Some speeches can be interpreted in consecutive mode first and then used for simultaneous exercises during this phase.
The speeches are: linear, often descriptive and easy to visualise. There should not be any particular vocabulary problems and not too much factual information.
The focus lies on: keeping a steady flow while conveying the main ideas and links and avoiding a mechanical word-for-word translation.
INTERMEDIATE simultaneous
Recommended: when you have understood the basics of simultaneous technique and are in general able to apply them in practice.
The speeches have: a general approach and may present some switches in reasoning, digressions and factual information, figures, names and enumerations. The language may be relatively challenging and requires automatisms and a good vocabulary in the active language.
In general the speeches are approximately 8-9 minutes long, but there are also longer ones. The latter are suitable to build up stamina; you can either interpret them in several parts or practise turn-taking in the booth with a partner.
The focus lies on: keeping a steady speech flow while transmitting most of the information as well as other features like irony or humour.
ADVANCED/TEST-TYPE simultaneous
Recommended: in the final stages of the training and as part of the preparation for final exams.
The speeches are: complex, and may contain multiple actors, viewpoints and changes in reasoning. The speech may have a challenging pace, with dense, factual information, long enumerations or quotations, and will require quick reactions and good automatisms and in the active language. Advanced simultaneous speeches cover a variety of subjects that may require preparation.
⇒ Test-type speeches (simultaneous speeches at official accreditation tests at the institutions) last about 10 minutes. They are delivered by native speakers and they are NOT read out.
However, in the Speech Repository advanced simultaneous speeches might be shorter or longer, read-out or with a foreign accent. The latter are adequate to build up stamina; you can also either interpret them in several parts or practise turn-taking in the booth with a partner.
The focus lies on: delivering a professional, complete, structured and fluid interpretation. Occasional omissions should not be noticeable.
VERY ADVANCED simultaneous
Recommended: at the end of the learning process once you start to prepare for long and fast real-life speeches.
The speeches have: a specialised approach that often requires preparation. They may include implicit features and a complex structure with different viewpoints and changes in reasoning.
The speech may be dense and fast, formal or written and read-out, requiring quick reactions, quick elocution and good automatisms in the active language.
The focus lies on: delivering a professional interpretation and learning how to deal with real-life “difficult situations”.