Teaching Dilemmas and Path Reconstruction of Interpreting Courses in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AIGC), represented by ChatGPT and DeepSeek, is reshaping the translation and interpreting industry in unprecedented depth and breadth, and at the same time profoundly impacting interpreter education in universities. Practical observation shows that current interpreting pedagogy has critical dilemmas: the weakening of students’ professional identity; cognitive load imbalance caused by the improper use of AI tools; and insufficient or even regressive training in core interpreting skills such as listening and analysis, note-taking, and immediate conversion. Simultaneously, AI translation possesses inherent limitations such as AI is not capable of recognizing or rendering the important nuances of human language, nor can it make the cultural adjustments necessary to convey meaning effectively; it struggles with even some of the most basic, normal parts of our language, like accents, dialects, slang, and idioms^[1]. In light of this, this study argues that it is an urgent need to shift the interpreting teaching paradigm from the traditional “language-skill-oriented” model to one that gives equal emphasis on “language skills, higher-order thinking, and interpreter agency.” This paper, by integrating Gile’s Effort Models, interpreter agency theory, and the framework of higher-order thinking, constructs a three-tier analytical model of “theoretical perspective—practical dilemmas—reconstruction path.” It proposes a phased cultivation pathway: at the foundational stage, the focus is on bilingual competencies, interpreting skills and establishing professional ethics; at the advanced stage, the emphasis should be placed on cultivating critical application of technology, problem-solving capabilities for ill-structured problems, and interpreter agency in complex situations. Ultimately, from the four dimensions, namely, teaching objectives, content, methodology, and assessment, this study constructs a novel pedagogical framework aimed at cultivating high-caliber interpreters possessing national sentiment, global vision, solid language proficiency, domain expertise, and outstanding digital literacy.