Beyond the process: managing anxiety, motivation and self-confidence in interpreting

About the webinar

Interpreters regularly work in settings that are both cognitively and emotionally demanding. Whether you interpret face to face, remotely or by telephone, you are expected to stay accurate and professional while also dealing with internal affective factors such as stress, pressure, uncertainty or self-doubt.

In this webinar, you explore how these emotional responses show up in interpreting practice and how you can regulate them more consciously. You reflect on your own experiences and learn practical strategies that help you stay grounded before, during and after interpreting tasks.

Content

This webinar introduces affective strategies that support interpreters at different stages of their career. The focus is on three closely connected themes: anxiety, motivation and self-confidence.

You will look at how emotions influence interpreting performance, how they interact with the demands of the task and how you can build habits that support long-term emotional balance and professional resilience. The webinar combines conceptual framing with practical examples, real-world scenarios and interactive reflection.

Programme

Part 1 - Why emotions matter in interpreting
In the first part, you explore why emotions matter in interpreting and how emotional intelligence, awareness and fidelity play a role in different interpreting scenarios.

Part 2 - The emotional core of interpreting
Next, you look more closely at anxiety, motivation and self-confidence and how these affective factors show up and interact in the interpreting process. This part includes a short introduction to the affective filter hypothesis and the demand-control schema, with a focus on how interpreters experience and regulate emotions.

Part 3 - Navigating emotions in real time
In this part, the focus shifts to practical strategies you can use before and during interpreting tasks. You work with tools such as breathing and relaxation techniques, self-talk and humour, and explore how these can help you stay in control in high-pressure or high-stakes moments.

Part 4 - Developing long-term professional wellbeing
The fourth part looks beyond the interpreting moment itself and focuses on long-term professional wellbeing. You explore strategies such as body awareness and reflective practices, including interpreting diaries and support networks. The aim is to help you build routines that support life-long resilience and emotional balance.

Wrap-up - Personal affective action plan
At the end of the webinar, you reflect on your own emotional responses to interpreting and develop a personalised set of strategies to support sustainable practice and long-term professional wellbeing.

Relevantie

This webinar is highly relevant for interpreters who want to strengthen an often overlooked part of professional competence: the emotional side of interpreting. Accuracy and technique remain essential, but the way you deal with anxiety, motivation and self-confidence also has a major impact on your work.

Voertaal

English

Instapniveau

This webinar is aimed at both novice and experienced interpreters. Participants should have some interpreting experience, whether formal or informal, but no prior knowledge of affective strategies or emotional regulation is required.

Dr. Kanja van der Merwe is a junior lecturer in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch at Stellenbosch University and a freelance interpreter with experience in conference and public service settings. She teaches interpreting, translation and Afrikaans language learning.

In her PhD in Translation in 2025, she developed an interpreting-learning strategy model, in which affective strategies formed part of a broader framework. She has designed and developed curriculum components in interpreting theory and practice, with a strong focus on process-oriented interpreter training and strategy development.

Her research has been published in international and local journals, including the International Journal of Applied Linguistics and Translation, and she has presented at conferences such as Teaching Translation and Interpreting (TTI) and Non-professional Interpreting and Translation (NPIT). Her work brings together theory, pedagogy and practice and is informed by ongoing engagement with interpreter training in different contexts.

Aan deze activiteit zijn de volgende punten en kenmerken toegewezen

 

Accreditatie

 

Competenties

Integriteit en beroepsattitude, Tolkcompetentie

Contacturen

2,00

Voorbereiding

 

Totaal

2,00

Meer informatie over bijscholingspunten vind je hier.

Logging in

No later than 24 hours before the start of the webinar, you will receive an instruction email explaining how to register and log in so that you can attend the webinar. Webinars are interactive live presentations supported by a PowerPoint presentation on your screen.

During a live webinar, you can submit written questions to the speaker. Participants who are unable to attend live and still have questions after watching the recording may send them by email. These questions will be answered by the lecturer afterwards.

Recording

You will receive the webinar recording no later than 24 hours after the live webinar has taken place. You can watch the recording for 7 days in the “Recordings” folder in My KTV. Please note that you cannot ask the speaker questions while watching the recording.

Mandatory evaluation

To receive a KTV certificate, you are required to:

• attend the live webinar in full or watch the full recording within 7 days; and
• complete the evaluation form.

The evaluation form can be found in Mijn KTV > Cursussen.

What do I need to participate in a webinar or view a recording?

To watch or listen to a webinar or recording, you only need a laptop, computer or tablet with a stable internet connection and sound (speakers) or a headset.