5 Steps to Success When Using Conference Interpreting

Conference interpreting is important for any kind of organization that holds events or seminars and needs to be understood by people of all different cultures. However, if you do not properly plan your conference interpreting services, you may run into some trouble during your event. These five steps outline how to get the best results when using a conference interpreter. These actions will help you avoid issues and provide effective communication for everyone in attendance.

1. Pick the Right Interpreters

Conference interpreting is much different than simply being able to speak another language. An interpreter needs to fully understand a source language and have the ability to accurately interpret it into the target language, taking into account differences in sentence structure, dialects, word forms, and so on. For this reason, it is critical to have the best possible interpreters for simultaneous interpreting, so that you know your event will go off without a hitch.

2. Prepare Your Interpreters Adequately

While the capabilities of the interpreter are very important, you also must be sure you prepare them sufficiently. It is imperative to provide them with information about the event and the people who will be in attendance. That way the interpreters will understand where the target audience is coming from. If there is an event agenda, it is a good idea to make sure that your interpreters are familiar with the schedule of the program. Additionally, be certain that you give them any kind of presentation materials or collateral that will be used in your conference, so your interpreters know what their audience members will have for a visual reference.

3. Position Your Interpreters in the Right Position

The physical orientation of your interpreters is another key component of conference interpreting. Your interpreters need to be in an area where they will not serve as a distraction for those who are attending the conference, but they also still need to be able to see the speakers so that they can pick up their nonverbal cues. When it comes to positioning, you may want to look into soundproofing certain areas of the conference room so that the interpreters have a clear audio feed.

4. Maintain Communication With Interpreters

It is critical that your interpreters have a way to get in touch with you or others who are responsible for helping to run the event. Make sure that there is some kind of signal or communication method that the interpreters can use to indicate that there is an issue. Successful communication can be the difference between a problem causing only a minor hiccup or severely impacting the conference.

5. Create a Contingency Plan

What will you do if there is an issue with your interpreters or some of your technology fails? The answer to this question could have a big impact on how successful you will be with conference interpreting. It is important that the people running the event, as well as the interpreters, understand what they should do in the event that there is a technical error, unexpected delay in the conference, or physical problem that interferes with their work.

Look for a good interpreter who understands how to listen and adapt their work to your conference. Conference interpreting can seem like a challenge. However, if you approach it the right way, conference interpreting can be a breeze and be the factor that keeps your audience members engaged and returning every year.

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