Multiword constructions in European Parliament conference English: a corpus-driven pedagogical list

The market demand for retour interpreting, especially into English as a B language, has driven training needs for B language enhancement. Interpreter trainers suggest memorising (semi-)fixed expressions in one's B language to enhance accuracy, fluency, and idiomaticity. These prefabricated multiword units ease processing effort in both language production and comprehension while signalling one's identity in a professional community. This study aims to create a pedagogical list of multiword constructions (MWCs) for conference interpreting purposes. A corpus-driven approach was adopted to identify four-word lexical bundles from a 664,732-word corpus comprising transcribed speeches interpreted into or delivered in English during European Parliament (EP) plenary sessions. The bundles were combined into MWCs more complete in structure and meaning. The MWCs were categorised based on their degree of specificity, meaning, and possible operations and functions in simultaneous interpreting (SI). Two major categories of MWCs were distinguished: Specific and Less Specific. Specific MWCs refer to EU-oriented or non-EU-oriented concrete concepts. Less Specific MWCs, being less substantial in meaning, may act as open grammar devices, padding, and sometimes tone-softener in SI. As part of a three-step pedagogical task, a complete annotated interpreted speech illustrates how an EP interpreter uses MWCs to frame ideas and develop discourse.