The last special issue of Target focusing on cognitive aspects of translation was published in 2013 (25:1) and edited by Maureen Ehrensberger-Dow, Susanne Göpferich, and Sharon O’Brien. More than a decade later, we are pleased to revisit this field of research with a new special issue as it presents us with the possibility of observing and highlighting continuities within the field as well as taking stock of some theoretical and methodological developments.

Many of the topics and focuses in the current special issue were foreshadowed in 2013. For example, Hanna Risku and Florian Windhager’s (2013)   launch of the notion of ‘Extended Translation’, which puts a spotlight on the interdependence of action, social and material environment, interaction, and cognition, has gained momentum. In the current issue, the socio-cognitive theoretical perspective is reflected in Álvaro Marín Garcia’s approach to modelling cognition in Multilectal Mediated Communication (MMC). Further, Juliane House (2013)   called for a linguistic-cognitive orientation in Translation Studies which could be employed to examine the processes of comprehension and re-verbalization in the translator’s mind. Her call is echoed in Rhona Amos and Martin J. Pickering’s examination of language processing during simultaneous interpreting using insights from psycholinguistic studies. Finally, Inger M. Mees, Barbara Dragsted, Inge Gorm Hansen, and Arnt Lykke Jakobsen (2013)   presaged the professional importance of adopting new technological advances and learning hybrid practices, with an examination of oral translation with speech recognition. In the current issue, Elena Davitti and Anna-Stiina Wallinheimo follow in this vein by studying upskilling in interlingual respeaking and the cognitive and interpersonal factors that influence success.

This chapter focuses on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as a non-invasive method for investigating both brain structure and function. Structural and functional imaging are discussed separately due to their differing requirements and the distinct questions they can address. We begin by introducing the MRI method and relevant concepts. Following this, we provide a brief overview of current MRI studies, with a special emphasis on CTIS. Next, we explore conceptual and practical considerations, including methodological, ethical, and technical aspects, to guide those new to the field. Lastly, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of MRI. Our overall aim is to emphasize the need for standards that facilitate careful experimental design and meaningful data.

Bilingualism is a highly studied topic with a rich and interdisciplinary literature. Bilingualism is also an essential aspect of interpreting. Thus, many researchers within the field of interpreting studies have been influenced by and draw from the bilingualism literature in their investigations of interpreting. These researchers primarily rely on bilingualism research within cognitive neuroscience, in particular theories about bilingual language control and the purported bilingual advantage. The present chapter illuminates this influence within research in interpreting studies. An overview of the seminal theories of bilingual language control as well as the bilingual advantage hypothesis is provided followed by a presentation of research within interpreting that stems from these works. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the hypothesized interpreter advantage and other current issues within cognitive neuroscience research in interpreting studies.