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Budding Interpreter FAQ

Everything you always wanted to know about conference interpreters but did not knowwhom to ask!

ByAIIC-New Interpreters Networ !V"#A$

%: &hat 'o conference interpreters 'o(

%: &hat 'oes it tae to )ecome a conference interpreter(

%: &hat are the main 'ifferences )etween interpreters an' trans*ators(%: +o interpreters parrot(

%: Are interpreters ma'e or )orn(

%: ,ow isi)*e are interpreters(

%: Are interpreters priy to secrets )efore they mae it into the me'ia(

%: &hat *angages sho*' I *earn an' where sho*' I train(%: &hat a)ot genera* e'cation(

%: &i** the profession srieAll-English(

%: &i** machines rep*ace interpreters(

Q: hat do conference interpreters do

Pt sccinct*y conference interpreters mae m*ti*inga* commnication possi)*e.

0hey mst *earn how to listen activelyto what is )eing sai' in the sorce *angage ie:

**y n'erstan' the message

In the appropriate conte2t

3n any specific s)4ect

0heir si** *ies in transposingwhat is )eing sai' into their own !target$ *angage whi*st eeping

to the origina* meaning 5 tone intention an' sty*e 5 of the speaer.

Q: hat does it take to become a conference interpreter

"ersonality# training and a professional attitude$

Any)o'y inten'ing to train as an interpreter nee's a c*ear aptitude an in%uiring mindan'steady nerves. It goes withot saying that goo' *angage si**s an' wi'e-ranging genera*

now*e'ge are fn'amenta* reirements.

&o*'-)e interpreters mst )e a)*e to n'erstan' an' process information ic*y hae great

powers of concentration the a)i*ity to react prompt*y an' ca*m*y to a changing sitation physica*

stamina an' strong neres a p*easant oice an' e2ce**ent p)*ic-speaing si**s. 0hey mst a*so

com)ine inte**ecta* criosity with tact an' 'ip*omacy.

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0hose with the reisite si**s nee' to n'ergo specia*ise' trainingin the metho's an' technies

of interpretation.

ina**y interpreters mst )e intellectually rigorous. 0hey nee' a c*ear sense of what constittes

goo' professiona* )ehaior as enshrine' in the fn'amenta* r*es goerning the profession

!confi'entia*ityprofessiona* stan'ar'setc.$

0he reasons for this are:

0o ensre %ualityof performance

0o protect healthan' e2ten' woring *ife

0o )e recognised by their peers

An' *timate*y to inspire trustin c*ients.

Q: hat are the main differences between interpreters and translators

&ranslators work with the written word. 0hey genera**y hae *itt*e contact with athors an'

their a'ience )t hae more time to pro'ce a written trans*ation. 0o the trans*ators7 cre'it theirotpt is there to stay. It may )e p)*ishe' rea' again oer time se' an' re-se' an'

occasiona**y may )ecome a stan'ar' reference.

Interpreters work with speechan' hae to fin' the )est wor'ing prompt*y as they are part of a

commnication process 'irecte' at a live audience.

Q: 'o interpreters parrot

Interpretation is a** a)ot understanding what the speaker meansin the conte2t of a partic*ar

meeting and communicating it to a live audiencewhi*st taing into accont *angage an'

c*tra* 'ifferences. &or'-for-wor' trans*ation of any type pro'ces poor res*ts. 0his ispartic*ar*y tre for interpretation where rea* professiona*s wi** constant*y )e *ooing for the

meaning that *ies )eneath the wor's. &he interpreter(s ma)im is think before you speak$

Q: Are interpreters made or born

It taes training practice a professiona* attit'e an' enogh 'etermination to stay the corse for

a career as a professiona* interpreter. Ac%uaintance with many foreign languages and cultures

is simply not enough. Before yo can )egin to wor as a professiona* yo mst masterinterpretation metho's an' technies )y atten'ing an appropriate niersity-*ee* corse. 8o

'o not necessari*y hae to )e )roght p speaing many *angages to )ecome an interpreter.

Nowa'ays most of those who )ecome interpreters hae acire' their foreign *angages )t to a

ery high *ee* of proficiency.

Q: *ow visible are interpreters

Professiona* interpreters accomp*ish their e2acting tas with discretion. I'ea**y 'e*egates sho*'

commnicate so effectie*y that they 'ont notice the *angage )arrier.

Q: Are interpreters privy to secrets before they make it into the media

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0his can happen )t professiona* interpreters a*ways eep what they hae *earne' to themse*es.

"rofessional secrecy is at the very heart of the AII+ code of professional ethics.

Q: hat languages should I learn# and where should I train

In theory internationa* conferences an' meetings co*' )e he*' in any *angage)t some are ingreater se than others. A*thogh it is 'iffic*t to pre'ict which *angages are - or wi** )e - sef*

to a conference interpreter in a gien maret 'eman' wi** a*ways )e higher for some of the more

widely spoken languages. or instance anyone hoping to wor as a conference interpreter

c*ear*y nee's to hae !actie or passie$ "ng*ish in their *angage com)ination. ,oweer gien

the 'epth an' )rea'th of *angage proficiency reire' to wor in this profession there are clearlimits on the number of languages any conference interpreter can master. It is therefore

a'isa)*e to concentrate on ones mother tonge as we** as on the *angages for which one fee*san inc*ination proi'e' that there is a maret for them.

ork opportunities vary from country to country. ome contries host ma4or internationa*

instittions whi*st others 'epen' on *oca* )sinesses or goernment agencies to proi'e wor.

A*thogh there is no a)so*te answer to the estion of which *angages to *earn *angages se'in conferences wi** in'icate those in 'eman'. AIIC )e*iees that interpreter training has to

concentrate on *angage com)inations for which there is or wi** )e a 'eman'.

8o sho*' )e aware that:

&horough mastery of the mother tongue is crucialto the a*ity of the interpreters

wor; this can sometimes )e forgotten in the 'rie to *earn foreign *angages.

0he professiona*s 'eep an' thorogh now*e'ge of *angages reireslifelong

commitment and study.

Interpreters genera**y nee' a university degree and a subse%uent post,graduate %ualification

in conference interpreting techni%ues. 0he first 'egree nee' not necessari*y )e in *angages)t anyone consi'ering a career in interpreting c*ear*y nee's to hae attaine' a high *ee* of*angage now*e'ge. or most that means a first 'egree in mo'ern *angages.

C*ear*y a 'egree in a comp*ete*y 'ifferent s)4ect fo**owe' )y a post-gra'ate corse in

conference interpreting may proe an e2ce**ent com)ination proi'e' the can'i'ate has the

reire' *angage si**s. "ery fie*' of now*e'ge can come in sef* in the conference wor*'.

Q: hat about general education

Conference interpreters wor for a wi'e ariety of c*ients an' a'iences at many meetings on

s)4ects ranging from economics an' finance to *aw po*itics science I0 theo*ogy sports an'

me'icine 4st to name a few.

A*thogh e2perts in interc*tra* commnication interpreters cannot )e e2perts on eery s)4ect.

An interpreter7s main asset is an eniring min' an' the enthsiasm an' wi**ingness to *earn

eery 'ay.

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"reparationis the ey to processing any type of speech an' 'ea*ing with a** in's of speaers.

Not on*y mst interpreters n'erstan' what the speaer is saying )t they mst a*so )e a)*e to

transpose the meaning into the target *angage.

Interpreters nee' to eep a)reast of internationa* eents an' enhance their genera* now*e'ge

continos*y. Professiona*s wi** )ecome the proer)ia* nion a*so nee's interpreters for Cech innish or Po*ish.

Chinese is se' more an' more wi'e*y. An' internationa* )o'ies *ie the Internationa* Crimina*

Cort reire interpreters in the *angages of the cases they 'ea* with. It is therefore e2treme*y

har' to pre'ict whether there wi** )e high 'eman' for a specific *angage com)ination.

Q: ill machines replace interpreters

?achine trans*ation has )een the ,o*y #rai* of the *angage professions since the 196s.

Improements to e2isting systems hae come incrementa**y rather than in the form of a ma4or)reathrogh. ?achine trans*ation *en's itse*f to high o*me traffic of the same in' of te2t for

e2amp*e the trans*ation of ten'er 'ocments or weather reports. poen *angage is far more

comp*e2 than written te2t. ignificant progress has )een ma'e on oice recognition )t crrenttechno*ogy is sti** ery a *ong way from )eing a)*e to rep*ace a hman interpreter.

At the same time interpreters hae *arge*y )enefite' from recent 'ee*opments in techno*ogy.

0ermino*ogy an' meeting 'ocments are now aai*a)*e on e*ectronic me'ia an' can )e carrie' on

*aptops. A*so i'eoconferencing is increasing*y se' these 'ays. A*thogh it may change the

way interpreters wor the profession has em)race' techno*ogica* innoation.

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.essage Board

/ackie

'ate:1 No D 11:E0ub/ect:Interpreter7s si**s

I am won'ering if an e2ce**ent interpreter can )e traine' 4st )ecase of the strong

'eterminationan' 'efinite*y with the har' wor.

1eply

vanilla

'ate: No D 1F:6

I thin those are the most a*a)*e a*ities an interpreter sho*' possess for the si** reire'is )ase' on a genine craftsmanship. ,oweer *angage ta*ents which in most cases gien to

*angage masters wi** )e of great he*p.

1eply

&hat 'o yo thin( - hare yor iews a)ot this artic*

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