2. Interactional Management

This section introduces you to the topic and what you can expect from the presentations and activities here. We explore the different purpose of test preparation compared with training and look at how the standardised format of the test means that some aspects of interactional management are not relevant to the test situation.

In this section, we look at what interactional management is. We explore why it is a core skill for interpreters, who use it to ensure that they capture and comprehend all information. This then allows interpreters to transfer the meaning of that information accurately into another language. We also introduce some techniques and protocols that enable interpreters to manage the interaction as they need. 

In the second presentation, we consider how NAATI includes opportunities for interactional management in the test and what general principles and actions govern how candidates should respond to interactional management opportunities. We revisit the idea that not all techniques and protocols are relevant to the NAATI test and expand on that idea to consider how some relevant techniques and protocols may need to be adjusted a little, in order to maintain the standardised format.

In this section, we consider barriers that hinder the performance of interactional management and ways to overcome those barriers. We focus on candidates' reluctance to cut in, which was identified by training institutions as a common cause of unsuccessful interactional management. Three potential barriers are considered: a fear of undermining credibility, cultural factors such as politeness protocols and test tactics. We then explore how these barriers can be overcome, for example, by professionalism, by considering the situational nature of politeness and by an understanding of what examiners are looking for.

We also look at some general advice for candidates taking NAATI's CPI test, such as making specific requests to role-players, and at how interactional management varies in different settings. In an in-person setting, interpreters can use body language to support interactional management. In an online setting, body language becomes less useful, due to limitations on participants' fields of view, so verbal management becomes more important. In telephone settings, body language is impossible, as participants cannot see each other at all, so interpreters need very strong listening skills.

In this section, we look at how interactional management is assessed in the CPI test. We explore the rubric assessment system, identifying the six skills that are assessed and the Bands needed to pass each skill. We also explore the key elements in the Interactional Management skill: how candidates manage challenges and the impact of their management on the flow of the interaction.

We look at the rubric assessment system and consider what examiners look for when assessing interactional management. We revisit the relationship between interactional management and meaning transfer and then look at what may make an intervention warranted and well-handled. We explore how examiners consider specific things, like keeping everyone informed, cutting in, managing turn-taking and responding to asides. Finally, we summarise some dos and don'ts and look at things that are not assessed.