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Considering each of these types we come to the conclusion that Practice of Translation/Interpreting is a
part of the second course type, which is exercise class; but we may also claim that some activities performed
during the seminar can be reasonably applied at the Practice of Translation/Interpreting classes.

When talking about the kinds of activities performed at the Practice of Translation/Interpreting classes I
must admit that there is a huge variety of them. I would like to specify on video classes. Every teacher should
realise that watching and listening to video in not an activity just for the sake of leisure; it is tough and enormous
work, which demands special attention to it, but in the long run the results are incredible.
Scholar I.S. Alekseyeva states that it is vitally necessary for the translator/interpreter to be skillful in
perceiving the individual peculiarities of pronunciation, voice, defect of speech, temperament, and a number of
other things. And out of these things you come across the most unexpected things, which complicate the process
of perceiving the text, for instance specifics of male vs. female speech. A lot of interpreters noticed that women
are more difficult to be interpreted, because their emotionality is higher than that in men and that makes them
swallow the words and phrases endings, or more often there comes the logical change in the construction of a
phrase.
J. Harmer also states the importance of teaching listening. One of the main reasons for getting students to
listen to spoken English is to let them hear different varieties and accents – rather than the voice of their own
teacher with its own idiosyncrasies. In today’s world they need to be exposed not only to one variety but to
different varieties of the English language.

The major reason for teaching listening is that it helps students to acquire language subconsciously even
if teachers do not draw attention to its special features. As it has already been said, exposure to language is a
fundamental requirement for anyone wanting to learn it. Listening to appropriate audio and video tapes provides
such exposure and students get vital information not only about grammar and vocabulary, but also about
pronunciation, rhythm, intonation, peach and stress.
Lastly, just as with reading, students get better at listening the more they do it. Listening is a skill and any
help students can be given in performing this skill will help them to be better listeners.
There are numbers of ways in which listening activities differ from other classroom exercises. First, tapes
go at the same speed for everybody. Unlike language study or speaking practice – or even reading where
individual students can read (to some extent) at their own pace – the tape continues even if individual students
are lost. Unlike reading, listeners to a tape cannot flick back to a previous paragraph, re-read headline, stop to
look at the picture and think a bit before continuing. On the contrary, they have to go with the speed of the
voice(s) they are listening to. Of course, they can stop tapes and rewind them, but, essentially, the speed of the
speaker(s) dominates the interaction, not that of the listener.
It is perhaps this relentlessness of taped material, which accounts for the feeling of panic, which many
students experience during listening activities. If they fail to recognize a word or phrase they haven’t understood
– and if, therefore, they stop to think about it – they often miss the next part of the tape and are soon falling
behind in terms of comprehension. It is especially for this reason that students have to be encouraged to listen for
general understanding first rather than to pick out details immediately. They must get into the habit of letting the
whole tape ‘wash over them’ on first hearing, thus achieving general comprehension before returning to listen
for specific detail.
M. McKinnon also supports classes with video materials. Video is a valuable and possibly underused
classroom tool. There is always the temptation to simply put a video on and let students watch a film without
even challenging them to be actively involved.

Video as a listening tool can enhance the listening experience for students. We very rarely hear a
disembodied voice in real life, but students are often asked to work with recorded conversations of people they

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