UNC8003 - Consecutive Interpreting & International Negotiation

• Offered for Year: 2026/27

• Module Leader(s): Mrs Phoebe Wu and Dr Myriem El Maizi
• Owning School: School of Modern Languages
• Teaching Location: Mixed Location

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

This module aims to provide students with advanced professional skills and knowledge in consecutive interpreting and negotiation in multilateral settings. Students will develop skills and strategies in the context of conference interpreting and remote interpreting, and increase their awareness of the current developments, trends and research in the profession. Through immersive training at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) headquarters in Geneva, students will engage with the dynamics of real-world diplomacy, learning how to navigate formal settings and mediate international challenges.

The teaching team for this module includes experienced UN professionals and practitioners.

Outline Of Syllabus

• Core Skills in Consecutive Interpreting

The module is designed to develop the foundational competencies required for effective consecutive interpreting. Students will engage in intensive training to enhance their active listening, structured note-taking, memory retention, and aural delivery skills. Emphasis is placed on the ability to analyse spoken content, reformulate messages accurately, and deliver interpretations with clarity and confidence. Public speaking and presentation techniques are also integrated to support professional delivery. Speech materials span a wide range of subject areas, including international politics, global trade, science and technology, environmental issues, and current affairs. Students will also learn how to prepare for interpreting assignments through terminology research, speaker profiling, and briefing analysis, ensuring they are equipped to handle diverse and complex interpreting scenarios.

• Interpreting in Professional Contexts

Students are introduced to the practical and technological dimensions of interpreting in contemporary professional settings. It explores the use of remote interpreting platforms along with digital resources for note-taking and glossary management. Students will learn to navigate the technical challenges of remote interpreting, including managing audio quality, speaker lag, and maintaining a professional virtual presence. Through simulated assignments and real-world case studies, students will gain experience interpreting in diplomatic, business and technical contexts.

• Techniques for Effective Persuasion and Influence

Students acquire practical skills in persuasive communication, learning to construct compelling arguments and build alliances. Case studies from international negotiations — such as climate agreements and trade deals — illustrate how states and actors achieve diplomatic breakthroughs and maintain influence in complex negotiations.

• Conflict Resolution and Mediation Strategies

This component introduces conflict theory and applies it to international disputes, both historical and ongoing. Students learn to identify sources of conflict, employ de-escalation techniques, and facilitate dialogue using mediation frameworks. Interactive simulations challenge them to apply these skills under time-sensitive and politically sensitive conditions.

• Cross-Cultural Aspects in International Negotiations

Global diplomacy often involves navigating vastly different cultural norms and communication styles. This topic provides tools for developing intercultural competence and managing misunderstandings that can arise in high-stakes diplomatic contexts. Students analyse cultural case studies and practice adjusting their negotiation style to suit varied diplomatic settings.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures will enable students to advance their knowledge of interpreting strategies required to undertake in-person and remote interpreting assignments, and the role of technology in remote interpreting and its impact on interpreting strategies. Students will enhance their awareness of the current developments, trends and research in the profession. The seminars will enable students to prepare, practise, perform and discuss interpreting tasks assigned to them, and receive lecturer and peer feedback on their performance. The student-led mock conference offers a unique opportunity for experiential learning in a simulated real-life environment. The in-person 4-day practicum at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) headquarters in Geneva combines case-study analysis with role-based simulations, enabling students to develop practical and transferable negotiation skills and intercultural competences to mediate international challenges.

The 4-day practicum is part of a 10-day residential at the United Nations Office in Geneva, which offers students a unique opportunity to observe and participate in the UN system in action. Students will have the opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the multilateral ecosystem; to meet and engage with diplomats, interpreters, and international civil servants; and to participate in official briefings and live conferences.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams

Component	Length (mins)	Semester	When Set	Percentage	Comment
Oral Examination 1	30	2	A	70	Interpreting exam

Other Assessment

The end-of-year interpreting examination allows students to demonstrate their consecutive interpreting skills in a simulated real-life setting, after building up their interpreting experience to cope with different professional scenarios throughout the module. The mid-semester-2 mock consecutive interpreting examination enables students to familiarise themselves with the procedures of the final summative assessment, receive formative feedback and reflect on their performance conducted in a simulated real-life environment.
The negotiation simulation will test the students' mediation strategies and intercultural skills developed via case-study analysis, practical exercises and role-based simulations during the immersive training in Geneva.

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/