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Interpreting Studies emerged as a distinct subfield within Translation Studies during the late 20th century, focusing on the oral and immediate mediation of spoken language across cultures. Initially treated as a practical adjunct to translation, it gradually developed its own theoretical and methodological identity, driven by the unique cognitive, social, and professional demands of interpreting work.
The foundational paradigm that shaped early Interpreting Studies was the Interpretive Theory of Translation, also known as the Paris School. This framework rejected literal linguistic transfer, positing instead that successful interpreting requires deverbalizing the source speech to capture its sense before re-expressing it in the target language. It provided a cognitive model that dominated interpreter training and research for decades, emphasizing comprehension and production processes.
From the 1980s onward, the field expanded with the adoption of Cognitive Translation Studies, which applied models from cognitive psychology to analyze mental processes like memory, attention, and problem-solving in interpreting. This empirical turn was paralleled by the rise of Sociological Translation Studies, which shifted focus to the interpreter's role, agency, and ethical positioning in institutional settings such as courts, healthcare, and international conferences.
In recent years, Interpreting Studies has further diversified with data-driven and critical approaches. Corpus-Based Interpreting Studies enabled large-scale analysis of interpreted discourse, while ongoing sociological and ethical inquiries address power dynamics and professionalization. The subfield continues to evolve through technological integration and interdisciplinary research, reflecting the complexities of global mediated communication.