How to Choose an Interpreter

A lot of international communication depends on interpreters, but even people who work with them regularly are often a little vague on what makes someone a good interpreter. You don't need to be bilingual to know how to choose an interpreter, though. Just learn something about how to assess an interpreter's skills and qualifications.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Job description for the interpreter

1. Decide what type of interpreter you need. In most situations, you'll need consecutive interpreting, in which the interpreter speaks only after each person has finished their sentence. Simultaneous interpreting, in which both people speak without leaving a pause for the interpreter, requires special equipment. You'll also need to tell the interpreter if they'll be escorting you to several places or if they'll need to do anything besides interpret, such as greet guests.

2. Ask for recommendations. Ask your friends and co-workers if they can help you choose an interpreter. Ask people who have actually used the interpreter's services, not just people with interpreters among their friends. If you can't find an interpreter this way, call a translation and interpretation agency. Explain your requirements and ask them to recommend several interpreters you can meet with.

3. Check the interpreters' qualifications. Most professional interpreters have an interpreter's certificate. Those who don't should at least have passed advanced level language exams and courses on interpreting. Don't rule out interpreters without all the paperwork, though. Some very good interpreters just grew up bilingual and gained interpreting experience by helping friends.

4. Learn about the interpreters' experience. Try to choose an interpreter with experience in the subject you'll be talking about. Experience in the situation you'll be in, such as a newspaper interview or court hearing, is another big plus. Make sure your interpreter has real-world, in-country experience with the cultures of the people whose languages they interpret. This is how an interpreter gains the cultural sensitivity that helps them be tactful and stay poised in awkward situations.

5. Talk with the interpreter. Make sure the interpreter speaks both languages fluently. If you don't know both languages, take a bilingual friend to the meeting. You could ask the interpreter to interpret for you and your friend or provide a text to translate orally. The interpreter should be able to do this with minimal hesitation and with an accent you can easily understand. Some hesitation is fine because it usually means the interpreter wants to be as accurate as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider the gender of your interpreter. While gender doesn't affect a person's ability to interpret, it can affect communication. For instance, if you'll be talking to women about personal matters, they may be more willing to open up to a female interpreter. This varies by culture. If you're unsure, explain your situation to an interpretation agency and they can give you advice.
• Just because someone is bilingual that doesn't mean they'd be a good interpreter. Understanding thoughts in one language and expressing them in another is a different skill from being able to express your own thoughts in different languages.
• Interpreting takes time. A conversation through a consecutive interpreter takes at least twice as long as a normal conversation because everything has to be said twice. Even through a highly skilled interpreter, at least a little confusion is bound to happen. Some people will ask for re-phrasing not because they didn't understand, but because they don't quite trust the interpreter.

Resources

• Learn how to choose an interpreter for a healthcare setting.
• This dating site suggests things to consider when choosing an interpreter.
• Get tips on working with an interpreter.
• More tips on how to work with an interpreter.
• Find an interpeter at ExpertPages.com

[pianistic]

on 8/24/2008 Great!