Working with Interpreters:

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• Working with Interpreters
• the Dynamics of Communications

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Perhaps the most famous Interpreter?!
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The setting

• Social occasion
• Formal meetings
• conference deliberations
• diplomatic negotiations
• expert level working meetings
• business negotiations
• Training
• Interviews

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The setting

• community interpreting
• - the legal setting court room, working with
  police, refugees, human rights investigations
• - medical setting hospitals, doctor/patient
  interview
• - social work council centres, community
  advocacy campaigns

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Modes of interpretation

• Consecutive the turn-taking, the eye-
  contact, the first-person speech
• Whispering simultaneous/summary
• Simultaneous interpretation faithful in terms
  of meaning and manner of speech

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Consecutive Interpretation role of the
interlocutors and their interplay

• Speaker
• Source of information the message, the logic,
  the focus the tone, the register, the choice of
  words the body language.
• Vs. interpreter
• Expectation/understanding of the role of the
  interpreter relay your message in what manner?
  Explain your message? Asking questions on your
  part? Culture mediation? Conflict mediation?
• Vs. audience do you know whos listening?

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The interpreter

• Active listening
• - taking in linguistic signals
• - comprehend messages understanding the
  language-level messages, overcome problems
  posed by new words and expressions, omission,
  mis-utterances, stuttering, rambling,etc.
• - process messages to identify linkages and
  logic,
• - prioritize the messages key versus supporting
• - prediction logical course of development of
  ideas, of discourse
• Memorizing follow the logic or mental map and
  store information in working memory

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The interpreter

• Note-taking
• - logical layout indentation, separation bar,
  columns
• - logical linkages linkage words or signs as
  signposts for discourse
• - preparations for delivery a certain level of
  code-switch already there, mental mapping of the
  formulation into TL, marking of sequence of
  messages into TL
• - remind speaker when he gets beyond your
  critical point
• - making enquiries when necessary
• Delivery
• - delivery of messages into TL, following the
  logical framework as reflected in notes and in
  mental mapping/plan.
• - making corrections when necessary
• - mindful of response from speaker and audience

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The interpreter

• Interpreters own perception of their role
• - language brokerage/link
• - cultural mediation
• - conflict mediation (NO!)
• - advocator (NO!)

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The dynamics of a Conversationwithout
Interpretation
Monolingual 1st round A speaker, active
B listener, active,
comprehending, analysing, preparing for
response 2nd round A listener, active,
comprehending, analysing, preparing
for response B speaker, active
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The dynamics of a Conversationwith
Interpretation

• Bilingual
• 1st round A speaker, active
• Interpreter passively active
• B listener, inactive, but may
  read body language
• 2nd round A listener, inactive, but may read
  body language
• Interpreter speaker, active
• B listener, active, comprehending,
  analyzing, preparing for response
• 3rd round A - listener, inactive, comprehending
  analyzing, preparing for response

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• 3rd round A - listener, inactive, comprehending
  analyzing, preparing for response
• Interpreter passively active
• B- speaker, active
• 4th round A - listener, active, comprehending,
  analyzing, preparing for response
• Interpreter active
• B- listener, inactive, but may
  read body language
• 5th round A speaker, active
• Interpreter passively active
• B listener, inactive, but may read
  body language

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What do we see from those rounds?

• - Interpreter always active sustainability
• - A and B have two consecutive rounds of
  inactivity turn-taking tempo
• - These rounds can repeat themselves
  conversation can go in circles, without progress.

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Monolingual vs. Bilingual
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Potential causes of problems

• interpreters credentials did you check before
  mission ask for resume, particularly work
  experience interview etc.
• interpreter kept in the dark no ice-breaking, no
  briefing, no team building
• no mutually agreed/mutual understanding of the
  expected role of the interpreter
• not recognizing and understanding the role change
  and restoration
• using jargon
• use of improper register
• lack of cultural knowledge
• long turn-taking
• lack of rest time for interpreter

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What you can do to facilitate communications with
interpretation

• Team building ice-breaking, mutual knowledge of
  each others speech habits, if not more.
• Briefing the more one knows, the better one
  understands, and the better one analyses and
  reformulates interpreter can provide cultural
  tips
• Plan your communications take stock of your
  objective, your opposite party, time available,
  format, sequence, tone.
• Agree on rules of work turn-taking, your role
  expectations for the interpreter, negotiate it
  when necessary. (e.g. never expect me to give you
  minutes of talks).
• Recognize role change
• Check venue make sure interpreter is properly
  positions rehearse if necessary, e.g. training
• Be understanding and take responsibility
• Debriefing after mission

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• Thank You!
• (and easy questions, please)