Translation and Interpreting Research

Translation and Interpreting Research

The Effect of Awareness Training on Consecutive Interpreting of Numbers from English into Persian

Document Type : Interpreting Studies

Authors
Sajjad Zahedi Siyani 1
Mahmoud Afrouz 2
1 Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Isfahan, Isfahan
2 Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literature, University of Isfahan
10.22054/tir.2026.96004.1087
Abstract
Numbers pose a challenge for interpreters because they are difficult to predict, offer limited contextual redundancy, and impose substantial processing demands. Research has focused mainly on number processing in simultaneous interpreting, leaving awareness training in consecutive interpreting underexplored. This mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study investigated the effects of awareness training on Iranian undergraduate students’ consecutive interpreting of numbers from English into Persian. Sixteen students were assigned to experimental and control groups of eight. The intervention used a presentation addressing numerical processing demands, English–Persian differences in number systems and pronunciation, common interpreting errors, note-taking strategies, and practical exercises. Participants completed pretests and posttests using excerpts from the 2020 US presidential debates. Paired-samples t-tests showed significant improvements in the experimental group’s performance when interpreting numbers in context (p = .043) and numbers with numerical modifiers (p < .001). The control group showed no significant pretest-to-posttest changes. Retrospective interviews suggested improvements in number pronunciation, note-taking, interpreting performance, and confidence, although difficulties with complex numbers and rapid numerical sequences persisted. These findings suggest that targeted awareness training may support numerical interpreting skills. However, the small sample, non-random group assignment, and baseline differences warrant caution. Larger studies using direct between-group comparisons are needed to establish the intervention’s effectiveness.
Keywords
Awareness training, consecutive interpreting, interpreter training, numerical accuracy, English&ndash
Persian interpreting