Abstract
Business interpreting now demands more than language transfer alone. Industry knowledge, digital competence, and professional adaptability have become increasingly important, while many Business Interpreting courses still depend on relatively static learning resources, limited industry-based practice, and insufficient personalized support. This paper develops an AI-agent-supported, place-based curriculum model to respond to these challenges. The Business Interpreting Knowledge Agent (BIKA) is conceived as a shared knowledge infrastructure rather than simply a classroom assistant. It connects local industry knowledge with teaching through corpus construction, simulated practice, and the ongoing refinement of resources by teachers, students, industry practitioners, and alumni. Within this model, AI assists in organizing, managing, and reusing professional knowledge, while human participants remain responsible for contributing, reviewing, and verifying the resources. The framework therefore provides a practical way for local universities to connect interpreter training more closely with regional industries, strengthen access to relevant professional knowledge, and extend learning beyond the boundaries of a single course.
References
Cho, C. H., Derichs, D., McGuigan, N., Ballantine, J., Ghio, A., Gorman, L., ... de Araujo Wanderley, C. (2025). When ‘places’ educate: Hacking accounting education through spaces. Accounting Forum, 49(1), 1-19.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01559982.2024.2440968
Kwon, S.-M. (2024). Changes in requirements for interpreters: Evidence from online job advertisements. Interpretation and Translation, 26(1), 1-21.
https://doi.org/10.20305/it202401001021
Roshid, M. M., & Kankaanranta, A. (2025). English communication skills in international business: Industry expectations versus university preparation. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 88(1), 100-125.
https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906231184814
Su, L., Zhang, Y. Y., & Dong, L. (2023). Research on interpretation practice teaching in local application-oriented universities based on authentic interpreting project. Creative Education, 14, 569-577.
https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2023.143039
Sun, C. (2025). Research on the innovation and practice of English interpretation course model co-constructed by school and enterprise. Journal of Higher Education Research, 6(1), 71-73.
https://doi.org/10.32629/jher.v6i1.3644
Sun, L. (2025). Transforming business interpretation education with AI: Perspectives from instructors and learners. Education and Information Technologies, 30(9), 11827-11861.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-13270-1
Wong, C. H., Annamalah, S., Ahmed, S., Sentosa, I., Aravindan, K. L., & Dass, R. (2026). Examining cultural and linguistic mediation: The role of in-house interpreters in mitigating communication friction in Sino-Malaysian corporations. Cogent Social Sciences, 12(1), Article 2632988.
https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2026.2632988
Xiang, P., & Ye, Y. (2019). Woguo shangwu kouyi jiaocheng chuban yanjiu: Xianzhuang, wenti ji jianyi [Research on the publication of business interpreting textbooks in China: Current situation, problems, and suggestions]. Keji yu Chuban [Science-Technology & Publication], (2), 126-130.
https://doi.org/10.16510/j.cnki.kjycb.2019.02.023
Yemini, M., Engel, L., & Ben Simon, A. (2025). Place-based education: A systematic review of literature. Educational Review, 77(2), 640-660.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2023.2177260
Zheng, S., & Deng, C. (2022). A study of blended teaching practice of business interpreting based on objective problem orientation. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 13(5), 1038-1047.
https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1305.17
Zheng, S., Zhou, L., & Lei, H. (2026). Mixed-methods study of enhancing business interpreting competence: The role of a knowledge graph-integrated BOPS instructional model mediated by learning engagement and affective commitment. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 17(1), 150-162.
https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1701.15
Zhu, Y., & Ge, S. (2020). Application of the interpretive theory of translation to business interpretation. Journal of Educational Issues, 6(1), 127-139.
https://doi.org/10.5296/jei.v6i1.16709