L2 Acquisition from Perspectives of Professional Translation and Interpreting

Abstract

Natural output data of professional translating and interpreting are sampled, and the data patterns are examined with reference to the interlingual-systems theory of bilingual reformation. Asymmetrical performances were found in favor of forward direction (L1 → L2) across three modes (written translation, consecutive and simultaneous interpreting), particularly when the source input contained conceptual content alien to the target output. This finding complements previous studies where asymmetrical performances were found in favor of backward word translation (L2 → L1) by beginner bilinguals. In either case, the asymmetrical performances suggest that there are interlingual routes between L2 and L1 that are an integral part of neurolinguistic organization of a bilingual’s two languages, and those routes play a crucial role in the reduction of the processing load during translation, albeit in opposite directions and at different stages of L2 maturation.