Proposal of an Interpreting Competence Model for Interpreter Training in Mexico

Abstract

This article presents a model of interpreting competence within the context of interpreter training in Mexico. Based on a documentary analysis of specialized literature, the study reviews both classic and contemporary models (including those developed by Seleskovitch & Lederer, Pöchhacker, Gile, Kalina, and Albl-Mikasa) and identifies their main contributions as well as their limitations regarding the linguistic, cognitive, and professional skills required of interpreters. Emphasis is placed on the need to draw a clear conceptual distinction between translation and interpreting, underscoring the immediate, time-bound, and psycholinguistic nature of the interpreting process. The article acknowledges that, in Mexico, translator training has received greater institutional and academic attention, whereas interpreter training lacks a systematic framework capable of guiding the development of discipline-specific competencies. In response to this gap, the article proposes a model of interpreting competence adapted to the Mexican context. The model integrates a set of interrelated subcompetences—linguistic, cultural, thematic, textual, strategic, and professional—that can be fostered and assessed in the classroom through controlled practice activities designed to address each subcompetence. The proposed model is conceived as a dynamic point of reference —open to revision— which seeks to strengthen professional interpreter training in Mexico while simultaneously promoting the consolidation of interpreting studies in the country.