Abstract:

As a language skill prominent in its comprehensiveness, researches on interpreting and interpreting education bear various dimensions. Under the scope of applied linguistics, interpreting competence is one of the core issues in learning and teaching interpreting. The composition of interpreting competence is complex with challenges in unified and standard testing as well as interpreter training, which are caused by the multiple factors such as learners’ language background, educational backdrop, social and cultural life setting and market needs of language services at different levels. Scholars vary in their standpoints and perspectives in probing into interpreting competence, namely, its components, scales and assessment. Based on the concept that interpreting competence is characterized by diversity in dimensions, this paper devotes to the literature of interpreting competence and intends to enable interpreting candidates, trainers, and teachers to fully recognize that the sub-competencies of interpreting competence on demands are culturally, linguistically, cognitively, and individually manifested while nourished by interdisciplinary knowledge. A framework of diversity built on deep theoretical exploration is provided in reference as a clearer contour of learning interpreting as a major, guiding candidates to nourish self-awareness of interpreting and supporting the intensive development of interpreting education.

Key words: interpreting competence, diversity, framework, interpreting education