How to get the best out of your interpreters.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

A

Acronyms

Let your interpreter know of any acronyms or abbreviations or technical terminology. Remember that some things or terms may exist in one language but not in another and therefore they may not translate easily.

B

Briefing

Brief your interpreter on the background to the case and let the interpreter see any relevant papers before the interpreting session.

C

Culture

Knowing cultural differences can be a major asset of a professional interpreter; cultural differences can produce unexpected events or offence if you are not aware of them!

D

Dialogue

Remember, an interpreter is expected to pick up a dialogue, completely from cold, and communicate it accurately in another language. It is not an easy task!

E

Everybody

Make sure everyone involved in the session is aware of the interpreter’s role and needs before it starts.

F

First Person

A trained interpreter will always speak in the first person. You should speak directly to the person you are speaking to, not the interpreter.

G

Guidance

Remember that your interpreter can be the best source of advice and guidance!

H

Hearing

Make sure that the interpreter can hear what’s going on!

I

Impartial

Interpreters will remain impartial at all times in line with code of practice for the profession.

J

Jokes

Be careful of jokes. They do not translate well and are often culturally inappropriate or even offensive.

K

Knowledge

Good interpreters have worked very hard to build up their vocabularies and knowledge of grammar and specialist terms in both languages. Many study for their career as hard, and as long, as lawyers or doctors.

L

Language

Languages differ in their grammatical structure; you should always complete your sentences and then allow time for the interpreter to interpret.

M

Meetings

Whenever possible, ensure the interpreter is seated where they can see peoples faces and screens for presentations etc.

N

Non Stop

The interpreter can’t keep going indefinitely! Be prepared to give the interpreter regular breaks.

O

Obligations

Interpreters treat all work entrusted to them with complete confidentiality and will not disclose any privileged knowledge they acquire to any third party.

P

Planning

Plan ahead! Interpreters have irregular work patterns. At times they can be very busy and at others have little work. Early booking, and briefing them in advance, helps very much.

Q

Qualifications

Qualifications are crucial. Although sometimes people wish, or think, that they can rely on family or friends to help them, problems occur through confidentiality issues, conflicts of interest, or even simply a lack of depth of knowledge of the languages or cultures involved.

R

Role

The interpreter’s role is helping to overcome language barriers. They will not clarify anything — the responsibility to clarify anything will be yours. The interpreter will interpret everything as it is said and must not add anything or distort it. They are not there to give advice, judge or give opinion.

S

Speaking

You should always try to speak slowly, clearly and concisely.

T

Techniques

The are various techniques of interpreting:

Liaison interpreting between two or three people in conversation.
Consecutive interpreting of a speech or formal address.
Whispered interpreting where only one or two people in the audience speak a different language.
Simultaneous interpreting often using radio microphones and headsets.
Telephone interpreting where the interpreter will liaise between two people using the telephone system and interpret between the two parties.

V

Videos

If a video is to be used during the session and you wish this to be interpreted, the video should be given to the interpreter well in advance of the assignment.

W

Working Conditions

It is important that the working conditions of the interpreter are considered; from normal health and safety requirements to seating positions to ensure the interpreter is able to do their job.

X

X-rated

Words that are offensive, defamatory, obscene, etc are still words for the interpreter to accurately transfer the meaning from one language to another and it is up to you to deal with the issue not the interpreter.

Y

You

You can help the interpreter provide you with a quality service by following the guidance on this page. Ask the interpreter to run through the key points with you before the interview. It saves time and makes the whole process much easier for everyone.

A Quick A-Z Guide of Interpreting