How to Improve Interpreting Skills

Improving certain aspects makes interpreting easier.

Interpreting is a form of translation in which a one-time presentation of a text is presented in a source language and rendered in another language. There are several types of interpreting, including community interpreting, such as that in social services and health care settings, court interpreting, media interpreting and conference interpreting. A few things can be done to help improve interpreting skills.

Instructions

1. Study the background of the subject you specialize in and make sure you understand the choice of vocabulary. For example, if you are interpreting in community settings, you should have a thorough knowledge of the subject as a whole, and the same goes for business knowledge and interpreting in conference settings.

2. Take notes efficiently. Write them vertically instead of horizontally; leave out vowels, and use acronyms, symbols and signs where appropriate. This makes note-taking quicker and easier to understand once you are used to your system.

3. Improve your proficiency in the languages you specialize in. You should have a high level of proficiency in the source language and in the target language.

4. Practice interpreting from online podcasts, record your work and compare your notes with the correct interpretation to double check your accuracy.

References

• Hawaii: Basic Interpreting Skills