ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses interpreting as a unique and highly specialized practice that is more cognitively demanding than most language activities. Multilingualism has been said to enhance cognitive flexibility and executive functions, such as attention switching and inhibition. Interpreters, a specialized subset of multilinguals, engage in simultaneous or consecutive interpreting, requiring rapid language processing, memory, and task coordination. Studies reveal that interpreters may possess heightened cognitive abilities in working memory and sustained attention compared to typical bilinguals. For instance, research on interpreters’ neural activity indicates increased activation in brain regions associated with working memory and attention, reflecting adaptation to the cognitive demands of interpreting. However, several recent reviews and meta-analyses reveal significant inconsistencies in the bilingual and interpreter advantage debates. Ongoing research examining these issues will help advance our understanding of whether the professional practice of interpreting affects cognitive functions, and how it does so.
