Top Ten Rules For Working With A Professional Interpreter

1. Provide your interpreter with background material
Even the most qualified professional interpreter who is a subject matter expert improves his performance with reference material specific to the subject matter to be discussed.

2. Allow the interpreter to perform a pre-session
A pre-session allows the interpreter and all parties to introduce themselves and discuss the flow of the meeting. It specifically allows the interpreter to introduce himself as an unbiased party to the proceeding.

3. Announce that all communication will be interpreted
Announcing that all communication will be interpreted reduces the margin for error in the interpreted session and allows all parties to know that whatever is said will be heard by the other party.

4. Eliminate cross talk and side bar conversations
Multiple conversations during an interpreted session lead to confusion and are difficult to follow. Side conversations in a language not understood by the other party are often considered rude.

5. Speak as if all parties understand your language
It is not uncommon for participants in a multilingual meeting to understand the languages being spoken, but to prefer the use of an interpreter to ensure proper understanding.

6. Allow the interpreter to take notes
Note taking is an important interpreter skill set that improves retention and ensures an accurate rendering in the target language.

7. Speak directly to the other party and not the interpreter
The interpreter is present to facilitate communication between all parties. The interpreter should not be a distraction to a normal flow of communication between parties.

8. Speak clearly and at a normal pace and tone, pausing during normal breaks in speech
Most interpretation is done consecutively. This means that the interpreter interprets after normal pauses and during breaks in speech. Pausing during normal breaks in speech allows the interpreter to process information and provides the most accurate rendering in the target language. Simultaneous interpretation is done as the speaker is speaking and requires a simultaneous conversion between languages. It is important to note that simultaneous interpreting is both physically and mentally exhausting for the interpreter and requires either a team of interpreters or frequent breaks in communication. Even with frequent breaks, use of one interpreter performing simultaneous interpreting can result in a significant loss of communication and is not recommended.

9. Eliminate the use of Idioms and slang
Idioms and slang are language specific expressions that have a figurative meaning and cannot be accurately interpreted or translated into a target language. For example ‘He kicked the bucket’ figuratively means that the individual in question passed away, literally it can be interpreted as the individual physically kicked a bucket. Eliminating idioms and slang reduces the margin for error.

10. Allow the interpreter to perform a post session
A post session is a client focused review of the interpreted session and allows for parties to discuss lessons learned and how best to adjust processes to ensure effective communication in future interpreted sessions.

A Quick Primer for Going Global

When doing business internationally it is incredibly imperative to localize your operations and marketing. It is not enough to assume that both your employees and clients will be tolerant of materials that are not communicated in their local language. Localized operational and marketing materials result in increased adoption rates, a homogenous corporate culture, better customer service skills, and increased sales.

Localization is a broad term and its meaning is dependent upon how it is utilized.

Localizing your marketing
Obviously, any marketing campaign needs to focus on its target market. If you are marketing to a particular country, its businesses, and people then you need to be sure that you have ‘localized’ all of your marketing collateral intended for that target market. This includes websites, brochures, and all other sales related material. Please note that this not only includes translating, but also includes ensuring that your marketing message, graphics and images are also culturally appropriate. Forester research has done studies which suggest that you are three times more effective when marketing to a person in their native tongue. It is also imperative that your proposals and contracts reflect the locally accepted format.

Localizing your sales and marketing materials will increase sales and revenue and can be accomplished at a fraction of the cost of generating those materials in their native language.

Localizing operational material and staff
My personal experience has been that it is also important to utilize a local staff that intuitively know the target market culture and can handle local protocol efficiently and fluidly. These key staff become bridges between your company and your target market. As such, it is important that the target market staff be trained and acclimated to the corporate culture. This will generally require an expatriated employee(s) who can help facilitate this knowledge transfer. This knowledge transfer will help to create a homogenous corporate culture between all locations and ensure that key corporate values and customer service expectations are understood.

In many instances, an international presence occurs based upon the need of an existing client(s) currently working with the home office. In this instance it is beneficial to have consistent personnel to manage the relationships between all client offices at a higher level relying on local staff in each location to handle the day to day operations.

HR and professional development
All HR related documents that are utilized for staff in the home country need to be localized for international staff. This includes not only translating, but also modifying to incorporate local legal and regulatory compliance, while also ensuring cultural acceptance. This will, obviously, vary by country. Examples of key target market areas to be aware of are health and safety requirements, regulated work hours and pay rates as well as mandatory legal holidays. Professional development plans for local staff should also reflect local culture and language. Localizing professional development plans will ensure increased adoption rates as staff begin to assimilate corporate culture.

Operational protocol
All operational documents that affect the target market will also need to be localized. This is to be determined by accurately reflecting whatever protocol is normally utilized in the home country for the target market product or service to be utilized and modifying for local legal and regulatory compliance as well as cultural assimilation.

If you have any questions or would like more information on taking your company global please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Doug Green doug.green@translation-source.com.”