Konsekutiivitulkit ja tekstin muistaminen – kokeellinen tutkimus

The experiments described in this paper were conducted some years ago with consecutive interpreters and foreign language teachers. The tests included memory span tests (word span) and prose recall tests with concrete and abstract materials. No differences between consecutive interpreters and foreign language teachers were detected in word span tests, either with concrete or with abstract words. Instead, statistically significant differences were found in prose recall, especially in the recall of long speech sequences of abstract prose. The results are discussed in the light of expert memory studies and concreteness effect studies. Further, some qualitative details of the better prose recall by interpreters, as well as of memory errors are discussed.