This book carries the name of an institution in the field of conference interpreting pedagogy: Conference Interpreting Explained. When Roderick Jones published the title in 1998, it was the first modern textbook on interpreting aimed at students. The first edition was written with the aim to be a “basic and practical introduction to the fundamental techniques of conference interpreting” (1998: 1). Jones clearly states that he is a practitioner, and writes from a practitioner’s perspective, but as someone who is interested in what they are doing. Perhaps most importantly, Roderick Jones had extensive experience of teaching interpreting and an unmistakable pedagogical eye that informed the structure and content of the first edition. It is unsurprising that his book became a popular introduction to conference interpreting, with images – such as the salami technique – that remain unforgettable for teachers and students alike. As the field advanced, other textbooks on conference interpreting appeared, but Jones’ Conference Interpreting Explained remained one of the most prominent introductions to the field. Over the years, I have enjoyed discussions with students about the book, incorporating many activities into my teaching. When I was approached to take the title further, my goal was to maintain a light tone that made the material easily approachable and understandable. In short, my hope was to preserve the legacy of Roderick Jones and what he started in the first edition, conveying to new generations of interpreter students some of the origins of the field. However, rather than revising the content of the previous volume, I chose to write a completely new book that takes into account much of the research that has since been conducted in the field while reflecting on advances in the practice. The background of an author inevitably shines through the text; as a teacher and a researcher, I have written this book informed by my background working in the field as a professional conference interpreter and interpreting studies scholar. In this edition, my aim has been to write a volume that fits neatly between Andrew Gillies’ practical hands-on books on conference interpreting and note-taking filled to the brim with useful exercises, and Robin Setton’s and Andrew Dawrant’s all-encompassing volumes, which cover everything one needs to know about conference interpreting as a teacher, as a course and curriculum developer, and as a student. Both are referenced throughout this volume to help link the ideas here to further readings, possible activities, and practical suggestions. It is my hope that this book will be a companion, a vademecum, for you as a student during the first semester, or so, of your conference interpreting programme. I hope that I will be able to explain, in the same light tone as Roderick Jones did, why your teachers ask you to do different tasks, or what different concepts in conference interpreting are. Most importantly, my hope is that the volume gives you the tools and knowledge to open the door to an exciting career as a future conference interpreter. In the early 2010s, I was active on my blog Interpretings.net writing about interpreting. As I was also teaching interpreting, I often wrote posts to explain the conference interpreting profession and practice to my students. My blog buddy, Michelle Hof, of the Interpreter Diaries, was the first to tell me that I should write a book. “You have so much of a book in the blog”, she said. At the time, I just laughed but she had sown a seed. Many years later, when Louisa Semlyen at Routledge asked me whether I was interested in submitting a book proposal, the seed had sprouted, and I was ready. Thank you, Michelle, for planting the seed. Although the initial seed had germinated, there was not, in fact, everything in the blog to write a book. Rather, I looked to the teaching material that I had developed over the years together with my colleagues at the Institute for Interpreting and Translation Studies (TÖI) at Stockholm University. I am first of all indebted to my students, who have taught me so much about teaching and learning, and from whom I still learn every day. I am also grateful to my colleagues Elisabeth Poignant, Helena Bani Shoraka, Laura Babcock, Cecilia Wadensjö, and Magnus Dahnberg for the discussions we have had, the course development and pedagogical material we developed and that I have been able to explore in the book. A special thank you, Cecilia, for tirelessly helping me understand interpreting as interaction and for reading the chapter on the topic. And also, a special thank you, Elisabeth, for reading the whole book and giving me valuable feedback. I also cannot speak about the team at TÖI without mentioning my former supervisor, my mentor, and my research partner, Birgitta Englund Dimitrova. Birgitta and I have kept the discussion going since 2002, and I look forward to continued conversations. Early on, Birgitta encouraged me to explore interpreting as an object of study in addition to a skill to teach, and this volume reflects how these two are intertwined.
