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PracticalGuideforProfessionalConferenceInterpreters
Generaladviceonprofessionalpracticeinconferenceinterpreting,withtheaimofcontributingtohigh
standardsofprofessionalismandqualityinterpretation.
Published:16yearsago
Lastupdated:3yearsago

Introduction
Atatimewhenmultilingualconferencesarebecomingevermorespecialisedandtechnicallycomplex,
whenanimpersonalmachineassignsaninterpretertoameetingontininthemorningandoneondairy
productsintheafternoon,whenthenumberofworkinglanguagesisincreasingasrapidlyastheuseof
consecutiveisdeclining,andwhennewlyfledged(andsometimesdecidedlyunderfledged)colleagues
arebeinghastilydraftedintofillevermorebooths,thereisapressingneedtomaintainqualityand
standardsintheprofessionofconferenceinterpreting,tomotivatenewcomerstodosoandshowthem
how,andgenerallytorecognisethattheprofessionsreputationforqualityandintegrityrestsonthesum
ofourindividualeffortstosecureit.
Thisguidehasthereforebeenputtogethertosharepracticaladviceonprofessionalpracticein
conferenceinterpreting,withtheaimofcontributingtohighstandardsofprofessionalismandquality
interpretation,andtherebytothedignityandintegrityofourprofession.Thepresentversionofthis
guideisanupdatedandexpandededition,basedononepublishedin1990.
Thecontentsofthisvademecumreflectthestandardsofquality,integrity,andprofessionalismespoused
bytheInternationalAssociationofConferenceInterpreters(AIIC),aprofessionalassociationthat
representsconferenceinterpretersworldwideandsetsstandardsfortheprofessionthatare
internationallyrecognised,inparticulartheAIICCodeofProfessionalEthicsandProfessionalStandards.
Manypracticalsuggestionshavealsobeendistilledfrombouquetsandbrickbatssharedbydelegates,
clients,andcolleagues.
Themajortargetaudienceofthisguideisofcoursebeginners,newcolleagueswhohavecompleted
theirprofessionaltraininginconferenceinterpreting,passedtheirqualificationexams,andarenow
venturingoutontothemarketandintothebooth.Buttheguidemayalsobeusefulformoreexperienced
colleagues,asanaidemmoirecoveringbestpractices.Naturally,experiencedinterpreterswillfind
manystatementsoftheobvious,whilenewcomerstotheprofessionmaynotunderstandallthereasons
behindsomeofthesuggestions.Ifthislookslikeadauntingamountofadvicetotakeonboard,dont
worry:thingsquicklyfallintoplace,andalotofthisadviceisreallyjustcommonsense.
Inorganisingthisguide,anattempthasbeenmadetoproceedinalogicalorder.Webeginby
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movingchronologicallythroughaconferencecycle,frombeforetheconferencetoduringandafter,and
thenproceedtodiscussanumberofotherthemes.Ifyouprefer,youcanclickonanysectioninthe
followingtableofcontentstojumpdirectlytoyourselection:
Contents
Acoupleofcaveatsbeforewebegin:Thisbriefguideisaddressedtoprofessionalconference
interpretersandisnotintendedasasubstituteforprofessionaltraininginconferenceinterpreting.The
suggestionscontainedinthisdocumentarenotmeantasanofficialinterpretationofanypolicyortextof
theInternationalAssociationofConferenceInterpreters(AIIC),andnostatementcontainedhereinis
offeredaslegaladviceorasareplacementforcompetentlegalcounsel.

1.Beforetheconference:Fromcontacttocontract
1.1Inquiries,options,andfirmoffers
Whenyouarecontactedregardingyouravailabilityforanupcomingassignment,youmaybepresented
withaninquiry,anoption,orafirmoffer.
Aninquiryissimplyarequestforinformationaboutyourpotentialavailability.Thisisapreliminarystage
ofcontact,andnoobligationsareundertakenbyeithertherecruiterortheinterpreter.
Anoptionisanofferofworkthatissubjecttoconfirmation.Inacceptinganoption,youaregivingthe
recruiterarightoffirstrefusalforthedatesconcerned.Thisconceptissometimesconfusingfor
beginners.Whenyouacceptanoption,itmeansthat(a)oncetheassignmentisconfirmed,therecruiter
willletyouknowimmediatelyandwillengageyourservicesforthedatesspecifiedundertheagreed
terms(b)iftheassignmentiscancelled,therecruiterwillletyouknowimmediatelyandreleaseyou
fromtheoptionand(c)beforetheoptioniseitherconfirmedorcancelled,ifyoureceiveafirmofferfor
another,conflictingassignment,youwill,beforeaccepting,firstcontacttheholderoftheoptionandgive
themtherightoffirstrefusal,atwhichpointtheoptionholdermusteitherconfirmtheoptionorrelease
you.
Afirmofferisonewhich,whenaccepted,createsabindingcommitmentbetweentheinterpreterand
therecruiter.Afirmoffercanbemadeandacceptedorallyorinwriting,includingbyemail.Acceptance
ofafirmofferisusuallyfollowedupbysigningawrittencontract,whichisaformalwrittenagreement
settingforththeagreedarrangements,workingconditions,andtherightsandobligationsofeachparty.
1.2Askingtherightquestions
Inordertoavoidanyunpleasantsurprises,beforeyouacceptanassignment,makesurethatyouask
therecruiterforallthepertinentinformation,including:
natureofthemeetingandsubjectmatter
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datesandvenue
workinghours
technicalconditions(booths,visibility,equipment)
languageregimeandthelanguagesyouwillworkfromandinto
availabilityofdocumentsandtexts
teammembers,boothmates,teamleader
whethertheinterpretationwillberecordedand/orbroadcast
modeofinterpreting:simultaneousonly?consecutive?whispering?
socialfunctions:areanydinners,fieldtrips,etc.tobecoveredbytheinterpreters?
professionalfees,travelexpenses,accommodation,DSA
whenconfirmationisexpected(inthecaseofanoption)
termsofpayment
1.3Conflictingoffersandavailabilitymanagement
Itisquitecommonforconferenceinterpreterstoreceiveoffersfordifferentassignmentsthatoverlap.
Managingconflictingoffersprofessionallyandethicallyisthereforeanimportantpartofourpracticeof
theprofession.
First,whenyouarediscussingapotentialassignmentwitharecruiter,seekexplicitclarityabout
whetheryouarebeingpresentedwithanoptionorafirmoffer/contract.Keepyourengagements
calendaruptodate,andclearlymarkthestatusofeachmeetingaseitheroptionorfirm.Often(butnot
always),acontactdevelopsintoacontractsequentially,frominquirytooptionandthentofirmoffer,
followedbyawrittencontract.Itisimportanttobeclearaboutwhatstageoftheprocessapotential
assignmenthasreached,andwhatobligationsyouandtheclienthaverespectivelyundertakenateach
stageintheprocess.
Second,afteracceptingafirmoffer,protectyourselfbysigningawrittencontractwithanexplicit
cancellationclause,stipulatingthefeesthatwillbepaidtoyouifyourassignmentiscancelled(or
curtailed).Bewareofrecruiterswhoarehappytogiveyouafirmofferbutwhorefusetobackitupwith
awrittencontractcontainingacancellationclause.Withoutsuchawrittencontract,youareatrisk,
becauseifyourassignmentiscancelled,itcanbeverydifficultifnotimpossibletogetpaid.Itis
especiallyimportanttomakesurethatyousignsuchacontractbeforeyouturndownotherworkfor
thesameperiod.Ifyouhaveacceptedafirmofferfromarecruiterwhothenrefusestosignawritten
contractwithacancellationclauseandyousubsequentlyreceiveaconflictingfirmoffer,givethefirst
recruiteronelastchancetoputitinwritingiftheystillrefuse,coveryourselfbywritingthemformally,
removingyourselffromthefirmofferandstatingthereason.
NB:AllcontractsenteredintowithorganisationswithwhichAIIChasconcludedacollectiveagreement
(knownjointlyastheAgreementSector)aregovernedbythecorrespondingagreements,allofwhich
containcancellationprovisions.Ifyouhaveanydoubtsaboutparticulars,getintouchwiththe
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professionaldelegationoftheorganisationinquestionforclarification.
Third,ifyouhavecommittedtoanassignment,donottrytogetoutofitbecausesomeoneelse
hasofferedyousomethingmoreattractive.ThisNoReplacementRuleisafundamentalpartofour
professionalethics.Acceptinganassignmentisapersonalcommitment,andonceyouhavecommitted
yourself,itisunethicaltoacceptanotherassignmentforallorpartofthesameperiodoftime,anditis
unethicaltoattempttohaveyourselfreplacedforfrivolousreasons.
If,afteracceptingacontract,youneedtobereplacedforseriousandvalidreasons,firstfindoutifa
suitablecolleagueisfreeonthedate(s)concerned,withoutprovidingfurtherdetails.Next,approachthe
personwhorecruitedyoutoseeifthecolleagueyouproposeisacceptableasyourreplacement.
Remember,however,thatthepersonwhorecruitedtheteamwillhavetakencaretoensurethatitis
balancedlinguisticallyandotherwiseandwillnotbepleasedifyoudisturbthatbalance.Beawarethat
yourreputationforreliabilitywillsufferifyouasktobereplaced.
1.4Recruitersandworkingconditions
Offersofworkmaycomefromanintergovernmentalorganisation,aconsultantinterpreter,an
intermediary,oradirectclient.Differentrecruitershavedifferentdegreesofawarenessabouthow
conferenceinterpretingworksandtheworkingconditionswerequiretodeliverhighquality
interpretation.
Whenyouarerecruitedbyanintergovernmentalorganisation,bothworkingconditionsand
remunerationwillalmostcertainlybeinconformitywithexistingagreementoracceptedpractice.Many
internationalbodies,includingtheUnitedNationsandtheEuropeanUnion,havesignedagreements
withAIIC,layingdownconditionsofemploymentandremuneration.Theseagreementsapplytoall
interpreterswhoworkintheseorganisations,includingmembersandnonmembersofAIICalike.The
textsoftheseAIICbrokeredagreements,whichshouldberequiredreadingforanyoneworkinginthe
AgreementSector,arepublishedontheAIICwebsite,togetherwiththecurrentratespaid.
MembersofAIICwhoworkasconsultantinterpretersarepracticingprofessionalconference
interpreterswhoprovideavalueaddedservicetotheorganiserofamultilingualconferencebybeinga
singlepointofcontactandprofessionallycoordinatingtheprovisionofallinterpretationservices.They
havethetaskofensuringahighqualityserviceadaptedtotheclient'sneedswhileobtainingoptimum
workingconditionsfortheinterpretersateachconference.Inparticular,theyhaveaspecial
responsibilitytoensurethattheAIICCodeofProfessionalEthicsandProfessionalStandardsare
observed.AIIChasdevelopedGuidelinesforConsultantInterpretersasanannextotheProfessional
Standards.AnyAIICmembermayandcanrecruit.
Intermediariesincludeprofessionalconferenceorganisers(PCOs),publicrelationsfirms,translation
companies,andadhocorganisers.Suchintermediaries,togetherwithdirectclients,likegovernment
agencies,companies,lawfirms,andNGOs,mayormaynothaveexperienceworkingwithteamsof
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professionalconferenceinterpreters.Somemaynotbefamiliarwithprofessionalrequirementsand
workingconditionsinprofessionalconferenceinterpreting,andwillrequiretactfulguidance.Thiskindof
clienteducationisbesthandledbytheteamleaderhowever,theremaynotbeateamleaderifeachof
theinterpretersisrecruitedindividually.AIIChasdevelopedusefulcommunicationsmaterialsintheform
oftipsthatcanbeusedtohelpcommunicaterequirementsclearlyandeffectivelyseetheAppendix
foraselection.Fromtimetotime,youmayencountersomerecruiterswhorefusetodeliverproper
workingconditions,despitebesteffortstocommunicatetheirnecessityforqualityinterpretation.Ifso,it
isinyourowninteresttodeclinetheassignment.
Wherevertheoffercomesfrom,itisyourresponsibilitytobeawareofprofessionalrequirementsand
necessaryworkingconditionsandtoensurethattheyareobserved.Nointerpretercanprovidea
professionalstandardofinterpretationunlessworkingconditionsareuptominimumprofessional
standards,andthereisnothingmorefrustratingtoagoodinterpreterthanbeingpreventedfrom
deliveringqualityinterpretationduetothenonprovisionoftexts,badsound,poorvisibility,orother
inadequateworkingconditionsthatcouldhavebeenavoided.Ensuringprofessionalworkingconditions
isthereforethefirstpillarofqualityinprofessionalconferenceinterpreting.
1.5Signingawrittencontract
Thebestwaytoensureproperworkingconditionsandavoidunpleasantsurprisesistoalwayssigna
writtencontract.Itisinyourowninteresttosignawrittencontractthat(a)explicitlysetsoutallthe
termsandconditionsofservice,(b)definesandguaranteesprofessionalworkingconditions,and(c)
containsacancellationclause.
AIIChaspreparedtwostandardcontractforms,whichareavailableontheAIICextranetfortheuseof
membersandcandidatesoftheassociation.TheMasterContractistobeconcludedbetweenthe
conferenceorganiserandtheconsultantinterpreter,whowillrecruitinterpretersunderthetermsofthe
MasterContractandprepareIndividualContractsforeachinterpreter.TheIndividualContractistobe
signedbetweentheinterpreterandtheconferenceorganiserdirectly.
Ifanintermediaryordirectclientpresentsyouwithadifferentcontractform,itmaynotstipulatethe
workingconditionsthatarenecessarytoensurehighqualityinterpretation.Inthiscase,youhave
variousoptions:(a)suggestusingtheAIICcontractforminsteador(b)requestthatthesecondpage
oftheAIICIndividualContract,titledGeneralconditionsofwork,beattachedtothecontract,
andinsertaclauseintothebodyofthecontractstatingthattheseconditionsformanintegralpartofthe
contractandthatbothpartiesarefamiliarwiththemandagreetoabidebythemor(c)addallthe
clausesthatyoufeelyourcontractshouldcontain.
Whenyouarerecruitedbyanintermediary,youmaywanttosignyourcontractwiththeconference
organiserdirectly,oratleastmakesurethatyouridentity,remuneration,andworkingconditionsare
knowntotheconferenceorganiser,toavoidanyconfusion.Itisalsoagoodideatofindoutwhothe
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othermembersoftheteamwillbe,iftheyhavebeenrecruitedindividuallysomeintermediarieshave
beenknowntorecruitmixedteamsofprofessionalsandaspiringamateurs,anditcanbevery
unpleasanttodiscoveronthedayoftheconferencethatyourboothmatecanonlyhandleeasy
speeches(whateverthosemightbe).Also,bewareofsigningacontractwithanintermediarywhohas
beenhiredbyanotherintermediarywhohasbeenhiredbytheorganiserchainsofintermediaries
betweenyouandtheactualconferenceorganisercanmakecommunicationverydifficultandcause
problemsintermsofworkingconditionsandaccesstodocuments.
Ifanyrecruiterrefusestosignawrittencontractthatguaranteesproperworkingconditions,itisbestto
turndowntheassignment.

2.Preparingfortheconference
Ifensuringproperworkingconditionsisthefirstpillarofqualityinconferenceinterpreting,diligent
preparationisthesecond.Alwayspreparethoroughlyforyourmeetings.
Themoreyouknowaboutthecontext,subjectmatter,andterminologyofthemeeting,thebetteryour
performanceintheboothwillbe.Aconferenceinterpreterneedstohaveasgoodaknowledgeofthe
terrainasanytrekkerheadingintotheHimalayas.Intodaysmarket,manymeetingsarebecoming
increasinglyspecialisedandtechnical,andatthesametime,withmoreandmorequalifiedinterpreters
enteringtheprofession,competitionisbecomingmoreandmoreintense.Colleagueswhoareknownto
preparetheirassignmentsscrupulouslyarealwaysatthetopofrecruiterslists.
Thoroughpreparationtakestimeandeffort.Makesurethatyouschedulesufficienttimetodothe
necessaryresearchbeforetheconference.
2.1Informationsources
Therearethreemainsourcesofinformationthatinterpretersusetoprepareforanupcomingmeeting:
conferencedocuments,theWorldWideWeb(WWW)andotherbackgroundinformationand
terminologyresources,andthepreconferencebriefing.
Themostusefulconferencedocumentsare:
programoragenda
backgroundpapersonthesubjectsandorganisationsinvolved
documentstobediscussed
textsofspeechestobedelivered
PowerPointpresentationsandthespeakersnotes
multilingualglossariesoftherelevantterminology
summariesorminutesofpreviousmeetings
listofspeakersanddelegates
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speakersbios
AlthoughthestandardAIICcontractdoesrequiretheconferenceorganisertoprovidedocumentstothe
interpretersinsufficienttimetoprepare,onewouldberatherluckytoreceivealloftheaboveinall
relevantlanguagesingoodtimebeforetheconference.Itisofcoursetheresponsibilityofthechief
interpreterorteamleadertodeliverpolitereminderstotheconferenceorganiser.Often,though,some
documentswillnotbefinalizeduntiltheweehoursofthemorningbeforetheconferencestarts.Itcan
helptoaskfordraftsinwhateverstatetheyarein,remindingtheorganiserthatalldocumentsprovided
willbetreatedasstrictlyconfidentialandwillbedestroyedorreturnedattheorganisersrequest.
Increasingly,documentsarebeingplacedontheInternetforthedelegatesandinterpreterstodownload
themselves.Also,moreandmoredocumentsarebeingsentoutbyemail.Itisaverygoodideatoask
theorganisertoconverthugeandunwieldyPowerPointandPDFfilesintosmallerfileformats(like.rtf)
beforesending.Makesurethatyourinboxislargeenoughtoreceiveinboundfileattachments.(All
membersofAIICgeta50MBAIIC.MAILmailbox,soifyouareamember,dontforgettosetupyour
AIIC.MAILservice.)Saveemailedconferencedocumentsinadedicateddirectorycreatedforeach
conference.
InthecaseofPowerPointdocuments,besuretorequestacopythatincludesthespeakersnotesunder
eachslidetheseareoftensuppressedintheversiondistributedtodelegates.
Whenafullsetofconferencedocumentsisnotavailableinalltherelevantlanguages(andevenwhenit
is),theWorldWideWeb(WWW)isanextremelypowerfultoolforpreparationofbothsubjectmatter
andmultilingualterminology.Itiswellworthinvestingtimeinlearninghowtosearchexpertlyfor
informationontheweb.TwoCommunicate!articlesonthissubjectareavailablehereandherethese
arenowslightlydated,butthebasicprinciplesremainmorethanrelevant.Encyclopedias,basic
textbooksforbeginners,preexistingtopicalglossariesintherelevantlanguages,andotherintroductory
materialsarealsoveryhelpfulsourcesofbackgroundinformationandterminology.
Thefirsttimeyouworkforanorganisation,besuretogetholdofitsbasictexts(CharterorConstitution,
Statutes,RulesofProcedure,StandingOrders,etc.)inthelanguagesyoucover.Studytheseindetail
thebetteryourmasteryoftheorganisationsstructure,procedures,andjargon,themorelikelyyouare
toberecruitedagain.Interpretersmustidentifywithandfitintothe"corporateculture"ofthe
organisation.(Averygoodorientationforinterpreterspreparingfortheirfirstfreelancecontractatthe
UnitedNationsinNewYorkisavailablehere:Premiercontratfreelance:NationsUniesNewYork.)
2.2Glossarypreparation
Onthebasisoftheconferencedocumentsandyourownresearch,prepareyourownmultilingual
glossaryforthemeeting.Neverbeaterminologyfreeloader,relyingonotherstodothework.Glossary
preparationisanimportantlearningprocess,themainpointofwhichistohelpyouunderstandand
memorizetheterminology.Ontheflyglossarylookupswhileinterpretingaredistractinganddifficult
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especiallywhenusingsomebodyelsesglossary.
Inyourglossary,includenotonlyunfamiliartechnicalterms,butalsorecurringtopicalitemsofamore
generalnature,inordertocontextualizeyourselfandtoincreasetheiravailability,sothattheyareon
thetipofyourtonguewhenyouneedthem.Payattentiontousagethatisspecifictotheparticularbody
ortopicathandaManagementCommitteeinonecontextmaybeSteeringGroupinanother.Itcanbe
helpfultomakeaseparatelistforacronyms,titlesofofficials,andthenamesofcommittees.
Makesurethatyouknowhowtopronouncenamesandotherpropernouns,and,ifnecessary,include
anindicationoftheirpronunciationinyourglossary.Similarly,makesurethatyouknowthenamesofall
therelevantcountriesinallyourworkinglanguagespayattentiontoanythatmayhavechangedasa
resultofpoliticaldevelopments.
Incompilingyourglossary,whetheronacomputeroronpaper,makesurethatyouhavealogical
systemforsortingterms(e.g.bysubject,organisation,committee,etc.)inalphabeticorderforeach
languagesoyouwillbeabletofindthetermyouarelookingforquickly.
Bepreparedtoshareyourglossarywiththeothermembersoftheteam.Itcanbeveryhelpfultocross
referenceyourglossaryagainstthosepreparedbyothercolleagues,includingcolleaguesworkingin
otherbooths.Youmaydiscoversomegapsinyourpreparation,andyoumayfindthatthereareother
translationsfortermsthatyouhavealreadycaptured.
2.3Coordinationwiththeorganiser
Anotherimportantaspectofpreparationisonethatistheresponsibilityoftheconsultantinterpreteror
teamleader.Thisiscoordinatingcloselywiththeconferenceorganiserintherunuptothe
conference,toensurethattechnicalandotherarrangementsareinplace.Interalia,itisagoodideato
havedistributedtoallthespeakers,throughtheconferenceorganiserorsecretariat,acopyofAIICs
GuidelinesforSpeakers.Itisalsogoodpracticetovisittheconferencehallthenightbeforethe
conference,tomakesurethatthetechnicalsetupissatisfactory,and,whenmobileboothsarebeing
used,thattheyarepositionedproperlyinthemeetingroomwithadirectviewofthespeakerandofthe
projectionscreen.AIIChaspreparedachecklistforconferenceorganisersthatmaybeusefulinthepre
conferencecoordinationprocess.
2.4Thepreconferencebriefing
Finally,apreconferencebriefing,evenaveryshortoneimmediatelybeforeasession,canbea
valuableadditiontotheinterpreterspreparationforadifficulttechnicalmeeting.Itcanalsoenhancethe
professionalimageoftheinterpreters.Awellorganisedbriefing,i.e.oneattendedbyexperts,preferably
coveringtheworkinglanguagesoftheconference,andbytheinterpreters,whohavestudiedthe
conferencedocumentsanddonebackgroundresearchinadvance,cangreatlyimproveinterpretation
performance.Expertsusuallyappreciateinformedquestions,andinthecourseofdiscussingthe
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significanceofatermoraprocess,theydevelopamuchbetterunderstandingoftheinterpreterswork
andmuchgreaterconfidenceintheinterpretersabilitytodealwithtechnicalsubjectmatter.
Thepreconferencebriefingmayalsobeagoodopportunitytoremindspeakersoftheneedtoprovide
totheinterpretersacopyofanytextthatistobereadoutduringtheconference,andtodemonstrate
theappropriatereadingspeedforhighqualityinterpretationofarecitedwrittentext.Thisisbesthandled
bythechiefinterpreterorteamleader.

3.Theconference
3.1Gettingthereandsettingup
Theonlypeoplewhomustbeontimeforameetingaretheinterpreters.Onthefirstdayofa
conference,itisadvisabletoarriveatleast30minutesearly,tomakesurethatyoucanfindyourbooth,
togetsetupproperly,andtoreassuretheorganiserthattheinterpretersarepresentandreadytogo.
Onanymeetingday,interpretersshouldbeinpositionatleast15minutesbeforethescheduledstarting
time,toallowtimetogetready,andtocheckwhetheranynewdocumentshavebeencirculatedorad
hocworkinggroupsconvened.Agroupofdelegatesmayhabituallyarrivelate,butthedayyoudo,you
mayfindthattheyarrivedontimeandarewaitingforyou.Taketrafficintoaccount,andmakesureyou
leaveinplentyoftimetobeearly.
Dressappropriatelytofitinatthemeetingyoumayfindyourselfhavingtointerpretinconsecutiveata
luncheonorintheeventofaproblemwiththesimultaneousequipment.Useperfumeoraftershave
sparinglytooheadyascentcanbeaprobleminanenclosedinterpretationbooth.Avoidbanglesand
otherjewelrythatcanmakenoiseinthebooth.Ifyouneedeyeglassesforreadingdocumentsor
viewingslides,dontleavehomewithoutthem.Also,makesuretobringnotepadsandpens,your
documentsandglossary,andanyothergearyoumayfindhelpful:operaglasses,highlighters,paper
clips,Tylenol,eyedrops,anelectronicdictionary,yourspecialheadset,etc.
Whenyouarrive,introduceyourselftoanycolleaguesyouhaventmet,andalsotothetechnicians,
whoareimportantallieswerelyontomakesurethingsgosmoothly.
Next,familiarizeyourselfwiththeequipmentanddoasoundcheck.Makesureyouknowhowto
operatetheconsoleand,inparticular,howtoswitchtheinputchannelfromthefloortotheappropriate
relaychannel(s)andback.Ifyouwillbedoingretour,makesureyouknowhowtoswitchtheoutput
channeltothatofyourretourlanguageandbackagainaswell.Doasoundcheck,toensurethat
everythingisworkingproperly,andmakesuretotestthecoughbutton.Ifthereisanyproblemcontact
thesoundengineer.Makesurethatyouknowhowtotellwhenthemicrophoneisonandwhenitisoff.
Whenyouaredone,ensurethatallmicrophonesareturnedoff.
Discussanddetermineworkingarrangements.Itisimportanttohaveaclearunderstandingofwho
doeswhatwhen.Arrangementsmusttakeaccountoftheneedsofallthebooths,overalllanguage
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cover,workingconditions,difficultyofthesubjectmatter,andanyspecialexpertisethatexistswithinthe
team.Slavishadherencetotheclockortodividingtheworkrigidlyonthebasisofthenumberofpapers
tobepresentedmayserveneitheryourinterestsnorthoseofthedelegates.Forexample,itisrarely
advisabletochangeinterpretersinthemiddleofaspeech,unlessitisverylong.Also,inateamwhere
alltheworkinglanguagesarecoveredineachbooth,therecanbenoexcuseforsystematicrelayorthe
suddenabsenceofagivenlanguagecombination.Thiscanhappeniftherehasbeeninsufficient
consultationbetweenbooths.Thechiefinterpreterorteamleaderisresponsibleforcoordinatinginter
bootharrangements,andmustthereforebekeptinformedofwhatisproposed.
Setupyourworkingspace.Theagenda,yourglossary,thelistofparticipants,andotherkey
documentsthatyouwillneedtorefertofrequentlyshouldbeplacedinaconvenientpositionforeasy
accesssomecolleagueswillstandthemupagainsttheglassoftheboothwindow,behindtheconsole.
Textsofspeechesshouldbesortedchronologically.Keepyourworkingspacetidyandwellorganised.
Readthroughthemostrecentlistofparticipantsandfamiliarizeyourselfwithnamesthatmaybe
difficulttopronounceortorecognisewhenspokenbyanonnativespeaker.Youmightalsowanttotake
afewminutestoreviewyourglossaryandactivatetherelevanttermsinyourmind.
Beforethemeetingbegins,makesurethatyourmobilephoneisturnedoff.Silentmodeisnot
advisable,becausemosthandphoneswillinterferewiththeaudiosystemiftheyaretooclosetothe
consoleandbecauseaflashingorbuzzingphoneisanunwanteddistractiontobothyourselfandyour
boothmate.Soswitchitoffcompletelyandcheckformessageslater.
3.2Volumeandmicrophoneprotocol
Keepyourvolumedown.Setyourheadsetvolumetothelowestlevelatwhichyoucancomfortably
listentothespeaker.Then,deliveryourinterpretationatacomfortablelowspeakingvolume.Inorderto
achievebetteracousticseparationbetweentheirinputandoutput,manycolleaguesweartheir
headsetwithonesideononeearandtheothersideeitherpartlyorcompletelyofftheotherear.Itisa
goodideatokeeponehandonthevolumecontrol,inordertomakenecessaryadjustmentsinrealtime.
Rememberthatyoucanalsoadjustthetonecontrol(bass/treblebalance),andthatthiscansometimes
bemoreeffectivethanincreasingthevolumelevel.
Somebeginnerstendtocranktheirheadsetvolumeuptoaveryhighlevel,outoffearthattheywillfail
tohearsomething.Asaresult,theywindupyellingatthemicrophoneinordertobeabletohear
themselves.Thisviciouscyclemustbeavoided.Settingyourheadsetvolumetoohighmightdamage
yourhearingovertime,andraisingyourvoiceisentirelyunnecessary,asinterpretationmicrophonesare
verysensitive.Itisannoyingforthedelegateswhohavetoputupwithshoutingintheirreceivers,and
agonizingforboothmateswhoaretrappedinasmall,enclosed,acousticallyinsulatedspace.Moreover,
speakinginaveryloudvoicewillcreateasenseofagitationandnervousenergyandwilltireyouout
quickly.Conversely,keepingyourvolumeleveldowncanhelpyoutofeelcalmandcentered,especially
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wheninterpretingafastordifficultspeaker.
Ifthereisaconsiderabledifferenceinvolumebetweenyourvoiceandthatofyourcolleague,askthe
soundengineertoadjusttheoutputvolumewheneveryouswitch.Tryalwaystospeakataconstant
distancefromthemicrophoneanddonotturnawayfromitwhileinterpreting.
Microphoneprotocoldictatesthattheonlysoundthatshouldbetransmittedthroughtheinterpreters
microphoneisthatoftheinterpretersvoiceclearlyandprofessionallyinterpretingthespeechthatis
beingdeliveredonthefloor.Thismeansthatyoumustnotrustlepapers,pouroutglassesofwater,
drumyourfingersontheworksurface,orotherwisemakenoiseinfrontofalivemike.Learntohandle
documentsandturnpagessilently.Ifyouhavetoswitchoffyourmicrophonemomentarilyinthe
middleofinterpreting,inordertocough,sneeze,saysomethingtoyourboothmate,etc.,besuretouse
thecoughbuttondontusethemainon/offswitch,becausethatwillreturnyourlistenerstothefloor,
floodingtheirearphoneswiththevoiceofthespeaker.
Microphoneprotocolalsomeansthatwhennospeechisbeinginterpreted,microphonesshouldbe
turnedoff.Duringbreaksandrecesses,makeabsolutelysurethatallmicrophonesareswitchedoff.
Neverletanyinboothconversationbetransmittedoveralivemicrophone.Whenmicrophonesareleft
oninadvertently,veryembarrassingthingscanhappen.Evenwhenyouthinkthatallmicrophonesare
off,itisbesttoavoidsayinganythinginthebooththatisnotsuitableforbroadcastoverthepublicsound
system,justincase.
3.3Qualityinterpreting
Asconferenceinterpretingisaprofessionalcommunicationservice,qualityininterpretingisa
functionofcommunication.Itisyourjobtocommunicatethespeakersintendedmessagesas
accurately,faithfully,andcompletelyaspossible.Atthesametime,makeityourownspeech,andbe
clearandlivelyinyourdelivery.Aconferenceinterpreterisacommunicationprofessionalwhoneeds
tobeagoodpublicspeaker,somakeyourinterpretationfluent,expressive,andcommunicative.
Inanumberofrespects,goodinterpretingislikeacting.Asthespeakersalterego,youmuststriveto
conveyboththesubstanceandtheemphasis,tone,andnuanceofwhatissaid,soastoallowyour
delegatestocomprehendthespeakersmessagesjustasclearlyandeffectivelyasthosewhoare
listeningtotheoriginal.Watchthedelegateslisteningtoyoufortheirreactionsandholdtheirattention
bybeingnotonlyaccuratebutconvincing.Makethemforgettheyarehearingthespeakerthrough
aninterpreter.
Qualityismorethanamerelylinguisticconcept.Letmestartwiththemostobvious.Manyan
interpreterknowshislanguagesinsideandout,missesnothing,makesnoseriousmistakes,andyet
doesnotquitesucceedininterpretingaltogethersatisfactorily.Themainproblemistoomuchofan
obsessionwithwordsandnotenoughattentiontosense.Icanalwaystellwhenaninterpreteristoo
muchinthralltowords:heistheonetalkingtoomuch,toofast,andmoremonotonouslytheone
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whosespeechreekssomuchoftranslationesethatIcanguessinnotimewhatlanguageheis
interpretingfrom.Ipreferprofessionalswhoarepronetotalklessandsaywhatreallycounts,
idiomatically,withelegance,precision,naturalintonationandpoise.Ifinditdifficulttoputupwith
practitionerswhosoundboredandboring,orhaveahaltingdelivery,orscarcelypausetotakebreath
andthenatthewrongplaces.Inthat,Iamirritatedbythesamethingsthatirkanylistenerinany
speaker.Iwantmyinterpreterstobetopnotchcommunicators.
Professionalconferenceinterpretersspeakinthefirstpersononbehalfofthespeaker,and,assuch,
theirprimaryloyaltyisalwaysowedtothespeakerandtothecommunicativeintentthatthespeaker
wishestorealize,whateverthespeakerspositionorpointofview.Theinterpreterismorallyresponsible
fortheintegrityofhisorherworkandmustnotbowtoanypressureinperformingit.Theinterpreter
mustneverchangeoraddtothespeakersmessage.Furthermore,theinterpretermustneverbetray
anypersonalreactiontothespeech,beitskepticism,disagreement,orjustboredom.
Besuretomatchyourregistertothatofthespeakerandtheaudience.Ifthespeakerisusingsimple,
plainwords,donotdistorttheoriginalbyusingabstrusetermsorparticularlyarcaneexpressions.
Conversely,donotlapseintoafamiliarorjoculartoneonformaloccasions.Aimtocomeacrosstheway
thespeakerwouldifs/hewerespeakingthetargetlanguage.
Rememberthatthedelegateslifeisnotalwayseasy.Somehavetowearheadphonesmostofthe
timeandtheyarelesswellprotectedfromextraneousnoisethaninterpreters.Itistiringenoughtohave
tofollowseveraldaysofdiscussions,andwhenthishastobedoneviainterpretationthrough
headphones,itbecomesverydemanding.Behelpful,bybeingclearandmakingyourinterpretationas
easyandpleasanttofollowaspossible.Donotspeakinsharpburstsfollowedbylongpauses,norin
adeadpanmonotone,norinasingsong.Makesenseineverysentence,andfinisheverysentence.
Alwaysquotedocumentreferencesparticularlyclearly.
3.4Whenyouarenotinterpreting
Whenitisnotyourturnatthemicrophone,youarestillverymuchonthejob.Yourresponsibilityisto
assistyourpartner,tocontinuetofollowthemeeting,andtoprepareforyournextturn.Ifyoumustgo
out,therefore,donotleaveforlongerthannecessary.Constantpresence(bothphysicalandmental)
isavirtue.Befirm,butcourteous,withpeoplewhodropbyforachat,anddontleaveyourpartneralone
intheboothforextendedperiods.Whenspeakingwithcolleaguesoutsidethebooth,keepyourvoices
down.
Youcanassistyourpartnerbywritingdownnumbers,names,terms,andotherhelpfulinformation.
MakesurethatwhateveryouwriteforyourpartnerisBIGandLEGIBLE.Youcanalsohelpyourpartner
byproactivelylocatingdocumentsastheyareneeded,andbypointingtoinformationinadocumentor
glossarywhenitisneeded.Youshouldalsohelpmonitorthestatusoftheequipment,andmakesure
thatyourpartnersmicrophoneisonandistransmittingonthecorrectlanguagechannel.
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Beinghelpful,however,requiresbeingsensitivetoyourpartnerspreferences.Ifyouareworkingwitha
newpartner,itisagoodideatoaskwhatkindsofhelpareexpectedandappreciated.Ifyouresenthelp,
sayso.Unwantedhelpthatisperceivedasaggressiveandintrusivecanbeasmuchofaproblemas
assistancethatisnotforthcomingwhenrequired.Inteamsthatworkwelltogether,interpretersdevelop
anawarenessofwhattheirpartnersprefer,andprovidetherightkindsofhelpattherighttime.
Itisimportanttofollowthemeeting.Thismeansgenerallypayingattentiontowhatisgoingon,and
keepingtrackofideas,terminology,pointsofcontention,jokes,andmetaphorsthatmaycropupagain.
Notedownnewterms,andaddthemtoyourglossary.Takeanactiveinterestintheproceedingsthe
moreimmersedyouareinthecontextofthemeeting,thebetteryourinterpretationwillbe.If
appropriate,listentootherinterpretationchannels,toseewhattermsarebeingusedinyourpassive
languages,soyouwillbepreparedtohandlethemwhentheycomeup.
Ifyouhavethetextsofupcomingspeechesthatyouwilllikelybeinterpretingduringyournextturnor
laterintheday,preparethematerialsyouhavebyreadingthem,markingthemupforinterpretation,
andupdatingyourglossarywithanynewterms.Asnewdocumentsaredeliveredtothebooth,sortthem
outandfilethemintheappropriateplace.
Giventheimportanceoftheiroffmikeduties,interpreterswhoroutinelydisappearattheendoftheir
turnandthenrematerializejustintimefortheirnextturnarewantingasprofessionalsandas
colleagues.
Ifyourcolleaguehasunavoidablytoleavetheboothduringhisorherturn,donotabruptlyhandover
themikethemoments/hereturns.Ittakesalittlewhiletopickupthethreadofthediscussionagain.If
possible,quicklybriefyourcolleagueonhowfarthediscussionhasprogressedandonanynewor
unusualterms.Likewise,ifanewteamistakingoverafteryou,leavethemanoteintheboothtelling
themhowfarthemeetinghasprogressedandanythingelsethatmightbeofhelp.
3.5Relayinterpreting
Inrelayinterpreting[1],thepivot,i.e.theinterpretertheotherboothsarelisteningtoandtakingrelay
from,hasaveryspecialresponsibility.Apartfromthosedelegateswhoarelisteningtotheoriginal,
everybodyelseatthemeetingisrelyingonthepivottodeliverthespeakersmessage.Whenyouare
pivot,alltheprinciplesofqualityinterpretingapply,ofcourse,andagoodpivotis,firstandforemost,a
goodinterpreter.However,thepivotmustalsomakeaspecialefforttointerpretwiththeneedsof
colleaguesinmind,andtobemaximallyclearandhelpful.
Thosetakingrelaycannotheartheprosodyofthespeakersdiscourse,andthereforecannotrelyonits
intonation,rhythm,andstresstohelpthemfollowthethread.Also,becausetheydonotknowthe
languageofthespeaker,theymaynotpickuponculturalreferents,allusions,andnuances.Moreover,
theymaylackfamiliaritywiththelocalcircumstances,political,geographical,andother,ofthecountry
thatthespeakerrepresents.Theymayalsofinditdifficulttorepeatnamesofpersonsandplacesina
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languagetheydonotknow.Addedtoallthisistheextradifficultyoffeelingcutofforonestepremoved
fromthespeakerandtheconferenceroom.
Theseinherentdifficultiesofrelayinterpretingcallforthepivottoadoptaspecialapproach,tailoredto
theneedsofcolleaguestakingrelay,tohelpthemdeliveraclearmessagetotheirdelegates.
Herearesomeusefulguidelinesforwhenyouarethepivot:
Ifyouhavereceivedanadvancecopyofthespeakerstextinalanguagethatisunderstoodby
colleaguesinotherbooths,makesurethattheyreceiveit.Ifyouhaveacopyinyourlanguageonly,
butthereisanopportunitytodosoinadvance,briefcolleagueswhowillbetakingrelayfromyouon
names,numbers,andtermsofspecialsignificanceinthetext.
Makeapointofstatingthenameandidentityofeachnewspeaker,andthelanguageinwhichthe
speakeristakingthefloor.
Beginspeakingimmediately.Fillinthefirstfewsecondsoflagtimewithsomethingneutral,if
necessary,soastoreassuretheotherboothsthattheyaretunedintothecorrectrelaychanneland
thattherelaysystemisworking.
Makeaspecialefforttoarticulateclearly.Inparticular,
Pronouncenumbersclearly,ifpossibletwice.
Quotedocumentreferencesclearly,ifpossibletwice.
Pronouncenamesclearlyandslowly,especiallyonesthattheotherboothsmayhavedifficultywith.
Makeyourselfeasytofollow.Trytoconstructsimplecompletesentences,andavoidusingobscure
words.
Donotreproducethespeakersfalsestartsorobviousslipsofthetongue.
Ifyourealizethatyouhavenotbeenclear,restatetheideaclearlyandsuccinctly.If,afterinterpreting
anidea,inthelightoffurthercontextyourealizethataclarificationorrevisionisrequired,makethe
necessarycorrectionclearlyandsuccinctly.
Avoidlongpausesinyourinterpretation.
Ifthespeakermakesasidesabouthis/herownspeechforexample,aftermakingamistake,
correctingitandsayingsorry,ormentioningthats/hecantseemtofindtherightplaceina
document,etc.youmayaddthewordssaysthespeaker,toavoidanyconfusion.
Donotgettoofarbehindthespeaker,andtrytofinishwiththespeakerorassoonafterthespeaker
aspossible.Remember,thereisadoublelaginrelay.Ifyoutaketoolongtofinishafterthespeaker
hasconcluded,bythetimethecolleaguestakingrelayhavewounduptheirinterpretationofyour
interpretation,thenextspeakermayalreadybeafewsentencesintohisorherintervention.
Whenspeakerschange,besuretoindicateso.
Whenyourboothmateisthepivot,yoursupportingroleisespeciallyimportant.Helpyourpartnerby
writingdownnumbers,names,terms,andotherusefulinformationinLARGEandLEGIBLEletters.Help
finddocumentsastheyareneeded,andofferthemproactivelytoyourpartner.Helpyourpartnerfind
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theplaceinadocumentthatthespeakerisreadingfromorreferringto.Checkthatyourpartners
microphoneistransmittingonthecorrectlanguagechannel,especiallybeforeandafterretour.Never
leaveyourpartneraloneintheboothwhens/heisgivingrelay.
Ifyoutakerelayfromacolleagueands/hedoesagoodjob,makeapointofsayingsoafterwards.Itis
anespeciallydemandingrole,andexpressionsofappreciationaregratifying.Ifyoufoundtherelay
difficulttofollow,thinktwicebeforeyourushintothepivotsboothtocomplain.Trytobeconstructive
insteadunderstandthedifficultiesandrealizethatyouareaddingtothembyhavingtotakerelay.
3.6Crisismanagement
Conferenceinterpretinghasbeendescribedascrisismanagement.Manyminicrisescanbeaverted
throughsolidpreparation,goodtechnique,andeffectiveteamworkinthebooth.However,therewillbe
timeswhenitisnecessarytocallattentiontoaproblem,andtheinterpretershouldnothesitatetodo
soifitisinthebestinterestsofthemeeting.
Ifyouhavenotunderstoodsomethingessential,saysooverthemicrophone.Yourdelegatescanthen
decidewhethertheywanttoaskthespeakertorepeatit.Likewise,ifaspeakerisreadingatbreakneck
speedfromawrittentextthatyouhaventreceivedacopyof,makingitimpossibletoprovideacomplete
andaccurateinterpretation,saysooverthemicrophone.Youmayinformyourdelegatesoftheproblem
andindicatethatyouwilltrytoprovideasummary.Ifnecessary,youmaystatethatyouregretthatyou
willhavetostopinterpretinguntilreliableinterpretationbecomespossibleagain.Turningoffyour
microphoneisofcourseanextremetactic,butwhennointerpretationisbetterthanthebest
interpretationpossibleunderthecircumstances,itisundoubtedlytheethicalthingtodo.
Whencallingattentiontoaproblem,beprofessional,calm,andtothepoint.
3.7Contactwithdelegates
Duringyourcontactwithdelegates,trytobeanambassadorfortheprofessionandforthecolleague
whorecruitedyou.Goodcommunicationwithdelegates,aswiththeorganiser,makesforgood
interpretation.
Socialoccasions,suchascoffeebreaks,luncheons,dinners,andreceptions,canpresentgood
opportunitiestodosomepublicrelationsfortheprofession.Donot,however,monopolizeyour
delegatesattention,associaloccasionsgiveparticipantsachancetomakecontactsanddealwith
businessorprofessionalmatters.Iftheinterpreterstakeuptoomuchtime,itmaywellberesented.
Avoidbecomingthecenterofattention.
Ifadelegatecomplimentsyou,beloyaltoyourcolleaguesandincludetheminthetribute.Nevercriticize
acolleaguetoothers.
Donotdiscussthemeetingoraparticularspeechinpublic,evenwithcolleagues.Youmayfindyourself
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quotedinthenextdaysnewspaperordiscover,whenyouturnaround,thatthespeakerisjustbehind
you.
Neverhandovercopiesofdocumentstoinquiringjournalistsorothers.Youhaveadutyof
confidentiality,andevenwhenthedocumentsrequestedarepubliclyavailable,itisstillinappropriateto
doso,asyoushouldavoidanyappearanceofindiscretion.Alwaysrefersuchrequeststothe
conferenceorganisers.
Wheninsidethebooth,rememberthatyouareacousticallybutnotvisuallyinsulatedfromthemeeting
room.Itisnotadvisabletoknitortomanicureonesnailsinthebooth,nortobeseentobereadinga
newspaperinfullviewofthedelegatesortobesnatchingalatebreakfast.Suchbehaviorisunlikelyto
impressthedelegatesortheorganiserswithyourprofessionalism.
3.8Mediainterpreting
Wheninterpretingfortelevisionorradio,anincreasinglycommonoccurrence,aninterpreterfacesanew
setofchallengesandissubjecttoadditionalconstraints.
Firstofall,thepropertechnicalsetupisabsolutelycritical.Whilethesoundengineersareexpertsintheir
field,theymayhavelittleornoexperienceoftheneedsofsimultaneousinterpreters.Contactthe
broadcastingorganisationwellinadvance,lettingthemhavealistofbasictechnicalrequirements,
perhapsintheformofamemoforthechiefsoundengineer.AIIChasdevelopedsomeusefulguidelines
forinterpretingforthemedia.
Nevermakethemistakeofassumingthattelevisionstudiosunderstandthetechnicalconditionsrequired
forlivetoairsimultaneousinterpreting.Otherwise,whenyouturnupatthestudio,youmayfindthatyou
areexpectedtoworkfromalittleoutofthewaycubbyhole,suppliedwithheavystereoheadsets,no
volumecontrol,andnocoughbutton.Youmayevendiscoverthatyouareexpectedtoworkliveonset,
infullviewofthetelevisionaudience,usingananchorshiddenearpiece(IFB),withoutabooth,volume
control,coughbutton,oraccesstohelpfromyourpartner.
Second,whenworkingforTVorradio,aninterpretersstyleanddeliveryneedtobeparticularly
smoothandclear,regardlessoftheoriginal.ThisissobecauseTVandradioaudiencesareaccustomed
tothewelltrainedvoicesofnewsreadersandcommentatorsanddonotunderstandorappreciatethe
verydifferentdemandsmadeofinterpreters.
Furthermore,themediainterpretermustworkwithaveryshortearvoicespan(EVS),attackingan
utterancewithouttheusuallag(whichisunsettlingtolisteners),andwithaslittleoverhangaspossible
oncethespeakerhasfinished.Inatypicalinterview,theinterviewercomesinallthetimewithfast,
snappyquestions,andtheinterpreterhastomatchtheinterviewerstimingsoasnottolessentheeffect
andtakethepunchoutofthequestionsandanswers.Itisadvisabletohaveasmanyinterpretersas
therearespeakers,nomatterhowshortthebroadcast,toavoidproblemsofspeakeridentificationfor
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listenersorviewersandtoensurethattheinterpretercancutinassoonasthespeakerstarts.
Neverattempttointerpretascriptedpresentationorexchangewithoutacopyofthescript,andmake
surethatyouaregiventhetextsufficientlyinadvancetobeabletoprepareit.
Mediainterpretingcanbeveryrewarding,butitrequirescoolnerves,verygoodtechnique,and
considerableskill.Itislikelytobemoreindemandinthefuture,andmaydoalottoenhanceour
professionalimageifdonewell.
3.9Consecutiveinterpreting
Consecutivehasbeendescribedasthenoblestmodeofinterpreting,andthereisforceintheargument
thatonewhoclaimstobeafullyfledgedconferenceinterpretermustmasterbothsimultaneousand
consecutive.
Beforeworkinginconsecutive,makesurethatyouwillbeinterpretingfromapositionfromwhichyou
canclearlyhearthespeakers,andthatyouhaveaworkingsurfacetosupportyournotepad,
documents,andmicrophone,whichshouldbefixedinpositionwithadesktopmicrophonestand.
Inameetingroom,sitatthetablewiththespeakers.Inalecturehallsituation,iftheorganisershave
arrangedforapodiumforthespeaker,makesurethatthereisasecondpodiumoratableandchairset
upforyouruse.Itcanbearatherharrowingexperiencetryingtosupportonesnotepadwithonehand
whiletakingnoteswiththeotherwhileatthesametimejugglingahandheldmicrophoneonstagein
frontofhundredsofpeople,especiallywhendoinglongconsecutiveonadifficultspeech.
Inconsecutive,itisallthemoreimportanttobeagoodpublicspeaker.Dontforgettomakeeye
contactwiththeaudience,andmakesuretoprojectpoiseandconfidencewithyourbodylanguage.
Alltheprinciplesofqualityinterpretingapply,withtheadditionalrequirementsofthevisualdimension
andnonverbalperformancefactors.
3.10Recordings
Ifarecordedspeechorvideoisplayed,donotattempttointerpretitunlessyouhaveadirectfeedto
yourheadsetandyouhavehadachancetostudythescriptinadvance.
Ifyourinterpretationisbeingrecorded,askforwhatpurpose.Checkthatsuchrecordingispermitted
underthetermsofyourcontract.(ThestandardAIICcontractstipulatesthattheinterpretationis
providedsolelyfordirectandimmediateusebythelistenersnorecordingmaybemade,eitherby
thelistenersoranyoneelse,withoutthepriorconsentoftheinterpretersconcerned.)
Ifsuchrecordingisinviolationofyourcontract,requestthattherecordingstop.Ifsuchrecordingis
permittedunderyourcontract,makesurethatallrelatedconditionsprovidedforinyourcontractare
met.
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3.11Aftertheassignment
Beforeyouleave,besuretoreturndocumentsthatareconfidentialorthattheorganiserhasasked
youtohandback.Don'tdepartwithoutsayingthanksandgoodbyetoyourcolleagues,theteam
leaderorchiefinterpreter,thesoundtechnician,andtheorganiser,asappropriate.
Makesuretoinvoicepromptly.Remembertokeepcarefulaccountsofincomeandprofessional
expendituresothatyoucaneasilyprepareyourincometaxand,ifapplicable,VATreturns.
Updateyourglossaryonyourcomputer,addinginallthosehandwrittenentriesthatyoumadeduring
theconference.Fileyourglossary,togetherwithusefuldocuments,forreferencenexttimeyouworkat
thesameorasimilarmeeting.Documentsthatyoudonotintendtofileshouldbeshredded.

4.Othertopics
4.1Professionalethics
Asprofessionalswithimportantresponsibilitiestotheirspeakers,listeners,colleagues,andclients,and
tosociety,conferenceinterpretersmustholdthemselvestothehigheststandardsofprofessional
ethics.Inparticular,theymustconscientiouslyobservetheirobligationsofintegrity,professionalism,
andconfidentiality,soastoupholdandadvancethehonoranddignityoftheprofessionandto
preserveandenhancethetrustofthosewhorelyonthem.
Adoptedatthefoundingofourassociation,theAIICCodeofProfessionalEthicsenshrinesthe
fundamentalprinciplesofethicalconductforprofessionalconferenceinterpreters,andhasremained
basicallyunchangedforfivedecades.Itisconcise,essential,andifanythingevenmorerelevanttoday
thanitwaswhendevelopedbyourfoundersastwopastpresidentsofAIIChaveunderscored,the21st
centurywillbethecenturyofethics.
Asaframeworkoffundamentalprinciples,thecodeisnotintendedtoprovidespecificguidanceforall
situations,norwouldthatbepossible.Yourownbestjudgmentanddiscretionwillalwaysberequired
inapplyingtheprinciplestospecificcircumstances.
Afulldiscussionofprofessionalethicsandtheirsignificanceisbeyondthescopeofthispracticalguide,
buttorecapthemostimportantpointsinpractice:
Donotacceptanassignmentforwhichyouarenotqualified.Donothesitatetoturndownanofferif
youthinkyouarenotsufficientlyexperiencedtohandleit,ifitistoodifficulttechnicallyforyoutodoit
well,orifyoudonthavetimetopreparefully.
Workingconditions:Alwaysstrivetosecuresatisfactoryworkingconditions,soastoensurethe
highestqualityofinterpretation.Ifyouareactingasconsultantinterpreterorteamleader,thisapplies
afortioriasanobligationyouhavetoyourcolleagues.
Noreplacement:Ifyouhaveacceptedacontract,donotattempttogetoutofitwhenyouarelater
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offeredamoreattractiveassignment.Conferenceinterpretersmustnotacceptmorethanonejobfor
thesameperiodoftime.
Preparethoroughly.Acceptanceofanassignmentimpliesamoralundertakingtoworkwithalldue
professionalismandtoahighprofessionalstandard.
Fidelity:Theinterpretersprimaryloyaltyisalwaysowedtothespeakers/heisinterpreting.Itisthe
interpretersdutytocommunicatethespeakersmeaningasaccurately,faithfully,andcompletelyas
possible,whateverthespeakerspositionorpointofview.Theinterpreterismorallyresponsiblefor
theintegrityofhisorherworkandmustnotbowtoanypressureinperformingit.
Professionalsecrecy:Theinterpreterisboundbythestrictestsecrecy,whichmustbeobserved
towardsallpersonsandwithregardtoallinformationdisclosedinthecourseofthepracticeofthe
professionatanygatheringnotopentothepublic.
Nopersonalgain:Interpretersmustrefrainfromderivinganypersonalgainwhatsoeverfrom
confidentialinformationacquiredintheexerciseoftheirduties.
Integrity:Donotacceptanyjoborsituationthatmightdetractfromthedignityoftheprofession,and
refrainfromanyactthatmightbringtheprofessionintodisrepute.
Collegiality:Conferenceinterpretingisteamwork.Beahelpfulandloyalcolleague.Rememberthat
youarepartofateamand,moregenerally,amemberofacommunity,andactaccordinglyatall
times.
Infact,muchofthepracticaladvicegiveninthisguideisbasedontheAIICCodeofProfessionalEthics,
togetherwiththecloselyrelatedProfessionalStandards.
4.2Stressandhealthissues
Oursisastressfuloccupation.
Justhowstressfulbecameclearerwhenalargescaleempiricalstudyoninterpreterstressand
burnoutcommissionedbyAIICwascompletedinDecember2001.TheresultsofthisInterpreter
WorkloadStudy(alsoreportedinthisexecutivesummary)placedsimultaneousinterpretingclearlyin
thecategoryofhighstressprofessionswithhighburnoutlevels.Themainstressorsidentifiedinthe
studywere,inorder:speakersreadingfromtexts,fastspeakers,lackofbackgroundmaterial,difficult
accents,boothdiscomfort,lackofpreparationtime,andundisciplinedspeakers.
Thesefindingsunderscoretheneedforustostrengthenourcollectiveeffortstodealwiththese
stressorsdirectly,throughenhancedcommunicationwithclientsandspeakers.Weneedtodomore
toraiseawarenessofandrespectforourworkingconditions.Inparticular,weneedtodomoretomake
surethatdocumentsandespeciallytextstobereadoutareprovidedtousinterpretersinadvance,in
sufficienttimetoprepare,andthatthereadingspeedofsuchtextsiscontrolled.
Thehighstressnatureofthejobalsomeansthatconferenceinterpretersshouldlearntotakecareof
themselves:eatright,exerciseregularly,sleepwell,andgenerallyleadahealthyandactivelifestyle.
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Interpretersarealsoadvisedtolearnandpracticestressmanagementtechniques,suchas
meditation,deepbreathing,yoga,progressivemusclerelaxation,andtheAlexandertechnique.
Furthermore,interpretersneedtotakespecialcareoftheirhearingandtheirvoice,whichare,quite
literally,thetoolsoftheirtrade.Itisworthwhiletohaveabaselineaudiometrictestperformedearlyin
yourcareer,inordertohaveproofofworkrelatedinjuryintheeventofaccidentalhearingdamage.
4.3Keepimproving
Ifanyprofessionrequiresacommitmenttolifelonglearning,itisconferenceinterpreting.
Constantlyworktoimproveallyourworkinglanguages,notleastyourAlanguage.Inallofyour
languages,andespeciallythosespokenoutsideyourcountryofdomicile,makeeveryefforttokeep
abreastoflinguistic,cultural,andsocialdevelopments,throughthemediaandtheInternet.Listen
carefullytohowlanguageisusedbynativespeakersfromdifferentcountriesandnotetheiruseof
wordsandexpressions.Languageisconstantlychangingandusagevariesovertimeandoverdistance,
sowecanneverrelaxourlinguisticvigilance.
Takeanactiveinterestintheworld,andreadwidelytobuildupyourgeneralknowledge.Follow
currenteventsclosely.
Listencarefullytotheworkofyourcolleagues,especiallymoreexperiencedcolleagueswithyour
languages.Seehowtheytackleparticulardifficulties,andlearnfromthem.
Afteraconference,keepdifficulttextsforfurtherstudy,providedofcoursethattheyarepublic
documents.Gooverthemoffline,analyzethedifficulties,andfindgoodsolutions.Sighttranslation
canbeawonderfulpracticediscipline.
Learnmoreabouteconomics,law,andtechnology,anddelvedeeperintothedifferentspecialised
topicsthatyouinterpret.Readuponthetheoriesunderlyingthesubjectsconcerned,andlearnabout
importantideas,controversies,anddevelopmentsinthefield.Nobodycanbeexpectedtoownevery
dictionaryorglossarypublishedbuttheyaretoolsofourtradeandmoneyinvestedinthelatestversions
ofappropriatetechnicaldictionariesisasoundinvestment.Askmoreexperiencedcolleaguesfor
adviceonwhattobuyandbereadytoletothersmakeuseofyourreferencebooks.Dictionarieswith
explanations,definitions,anddiagramstendtobemorehelpfulthanonesthatmerelylisttermsin
differentlanguages.
Fromtimetotime,recordyourinterpretationsoastoevaluateyourownperformanceafterwards.Of
course,dothisonlyatpublicmeetingsorwiththeconsentoftheorganiser.Listentoyourownoutput
critically.Ifyoudonotlikethesoundofwhatyouhear,dosomethingaboutit.Ifyouidentifylinguistic
weaknesses,addressthemsystematically.Trytospendmoretimeinacountryofthatlanguageand
considergoingononeoftheincreasingnumberoflanguageenhancementcoursesbeingrunbyAIIC
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members.Iftheproblemisoneofcontent,makeasustainedefforttofillinyourknowledgeoftheareas
inwhichyouareweak.Ifyoudetectirritatingspeechmannerisms,ummingandawwing,poordiction,
choppydelivery,orotherdefects,fixthem.
Sincevoiceisasessentialtoaninterpreterasitistoanactor,itiswellworthworkingonyourvoiceand
deliverywiththehelpofaprofessionalvoicecoach.Timeandtimeagain,anotherwisegood
interpreterhasbeenpoorlyrankedbydelegatesbecauseofanunpleasantvoiceorpoordelivery.
Youcanalwaysaskacolleaguetolistentoyouduringameetingandtocommentafterwardsonboth
contentanddelivery.Ifsomebodyasksyoutodothesame,seektobeconstructiveinyourcomments.It
canbeatwowayprocess.
Language,media,technology,and,indeed,theworldareconstantlyevolving,andunlessinterpreters
developwiththem,theywillnotbeabletokeepupwiththedemandsoftheprofession.
4.4Training
Asyougainmoreexperience,youmaybecomeinvolvedininterpretertraining.Helpingotherslearnto
interpretwellisarewardingexperience,andcanteachyoumanynewthingsaboutinterpreting,no
matterhowlongyouhavebeendoingit,orhowwell.
Infact,oneimportantwaythatAIICpromotestheprofessionofconferenceinterpretingisbyadvocating
soundtrainingpracticesandqualitystandardsfortrainingcenters.Inparticular,theAIICTraining
Committeehasdevelopedatenpointstatementofbasicqualitycriteriaforprofessionalconference
interpretertrainingprograms.ThesequalitycriteriaaresubstantiallyreflectedintheEuropeanMasters
inConferenceInterpretingcurriculum.
Everyfewyears,theTrainingCommitteeevaluatesconferenceinterpretertrainingprogramsagainst
thesequalitycriteria,andupdatesitslistofconferenceinterpretertrainingprograms,whichincludesan
indicationoftheextenttowhicheachprogramcomplieswithAIICsqualitycriteria.
Ifyouareaskedbyprospectivetraineesaboutprofessionaltraininginconferenceinterpreting,apart
fromsharingyourownexperiencesandinsights,referthemtotheAIICpublicationAdvicetoStudents
WishingtoBecomeConferenceInterpreters,togetherwiththelistofconferenceinterpretertraining
programs.
Ifyouareinterestedinteaching,youshouldbeawarethatthereisagrowingbodyofliteratureon
interpretationpedagogyandteachingmethods.Youmightbeginwiththesethreetitles:
ASystematicApproachtoTeachingInterpretation(PdagogieRaisonnedeLinterprtation),by
DanicaSeleskovitchandMarianneLederer.Thistrainersmanualisnowaclassicandcontainsmuch
practicaladviceondidacticsandestablishingprogressivegoalsinbothconsecutiveand
simultaneous.
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BasicConceptsandModelsforInterpreterandTranslatorTraining,byDanielGile.Drawingon
researchinpsycholinguistics,cognitivepsychology,andtranslationstudies,thisbookarms
interpretationinstructorswitheasytograspexplanationsofdifficultiesandkeyissues,interalia
coveringcommunicationandquality,fidelity,comprehension,knowledgeacquisition,processing
capacitymanagement,processorientedteachingmethods,andinterpretationproblemsandcoping
tactics.
ConferenceInterpretingExplained,byRoderickJones.Althoughnotwrittenfortrainersperse,this
bookcontainsclearexplanationsofthebasicprinciplesandtechniquesofconsecutiveand
simultaneousinterpreting,andassuchisausefulreferenceforinstructors.
YoumaycontactAIICsTrainingCommitteeformoreinformationontrainingliteratureandmethodology.
Also,fromtimetotime,trainingofthetrainerscoursesareoffered,aimedathelpingprofessional
conferenceinterpretersdevelopteachingskills.
Ifyoudoworkasatrainer,helppromotebestpracticesintraininginlinewithAIICsqualitycriteriafor
professionalconferenceinterpretertrainingprograms.
4.5Research
IfyouwouldliketolearnaboutInterpretingStudiesasanacademicdiscipline,twonewbooksmay
provideausefulintroductoryorientation:IntroducingInterpretingStudies,byFranzPchhacker,and
TheInterpretingStudiesReader,editedbyFranzPchhackerandMiriamShlesinger.
Ifyouareinterestedindelvingfurtherintoresearchintoconferenceinterpreting,extensiveuptodate
information,includingbibliographicalreferencesandreviews,isavailableintheCIRINBulletin.Those
consideringdoingPhDresearchininterpretingwouldbewelladvisedtoconsultGettingStartedin
InterpretingResearch,editedbyDanielGile,HelleV.Dam,FriedelDubslaff,BodilRingeMartinsen,and
AnneSchjoldager.
Ifyouareaskedtoparticipateasasubjectinaresearchstudy,pleasedogiveitpositive
consideration.Muchresearchneedstobedoneintheareaofconferenceinterpreting.Itspotential
contributionisvaluable,buttoooftenresearchisfrustratedbylackofaccesstosubjectswhoare
qualifiedprofessionalconferenceinterpreters.Yourwillingnesstoparticipateandprovidedatafor
analysiswouldbeappreciated.Generallyacceptedguidelinesforresearchonhumansubjectsdictate
thattheidentityofparticipantsistobekeptstrictlyconfidentialanddatareportedonastrictly
anonymousbasis.Readtheinformedconsentform,anddonthesitatetoasktheresearcheraboutthe
precautionsthatwillbeappliedtosafeguardidentifiablerecords.
4.6AIICmembership
TheInternationalAssociationofConferenceInterpreters(AIIC)istheworldwideprofessionalassociation
forconferenceinterpreters.MembershipofAIICisabadgeofprofessionalismandqualitythatis
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recognisedinternationally.Whetheryouareafreelanceorstaffinterpreter,beingadmittedtoAIICisan
importantmilestoneinyourcareer.
AsthisguideisanAIICpublication,youwillnotbesurprisedtofindyourselfencouragedtoapplyfor
membershipofyourprofessionalassociation.Youwillfindadetailedexplanationoftheapplication
procedureinApplyingtoAIIC:APrimer .
Asamember,youwillhaveachancetoinfluencehowtheprofessiondevelops.Donotjustpayyour
dues,butbeanactivemember:Takeanactiveinterestintheaffairsoftheassociation,whichis
democraticallyrunandreliesonvolunteerstodomuchofitsmostimportantwork.ReadAIICs
publications,includingtheBulletinandCommunicate!,andcontributealetteroranarticle.Attend
regionalmeetings,gotoAIICassemblies,andjoinvoluntarygroupstacklingtheissuesthatmattermost
toyou.Ifyouwanttochangesomething,seeifyoucanfindlikemindedcolleaguesandputproposalsto
yourregionalmeetingandtotheAssemblyinaccordancewiththeprocedurelaiddownforthatpurpose.
Ifyouareaskedtosponsoranapplicationtojointheassociation,readtheRegulationsGoverning
AdmissionsandLanguageClassificationcarefully.Rememberthatwhenyousignasponsorshipform,
youarestatingthatyouwouldbepreparedtorecruitthatpersonforthelanguagecombinationin
question,andyouarevouchingforhisorherprofessionalismandethics.Onceyouhaveagreedtobea
sponsor,youmustbepreparedtodefendyourjudgmentifchallengedandtosupportthecandidate.If
yourefusetosponsoraprospectiveapplicant,giveyourreasonsopenlyandfairly.Lessdemanding
sponsorsmightbefoundelsewhere,butyouwillhaveremindedthatpersonofthestandardssetbythe
profession.

5.Conclusion
Wehopethatthisshortguidewillproveusefulintermsofprovidingpracticaladvicetobeginnersand
reminderstomoreexperiencedcolleagues.
Thisguideistheresultofacollectiveeffort,involvingmanypeople.Itssolepurposeistocontributeto
highstandardsofprofessionalismandqualityinterpretation,whichmustbetheaimofallconference
interpreters,newcomersandoldtimersalike.
Inevitably,manyimportantthingswillhavebeenomitted,andotherswillhavebeenexpressedless
clearlythentheymighthavebeen.Yourcommentsandsuggestionsaremostwelcome.Pleaseclickon
postyourcommentandsharethemwithusbelow.

Appendix
Usefultextsandtips
Basictexts:
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Tipsforconferenceorganisers:
Tipsontechnicalrequirements:
Mediainterpreting:

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