Tips for Speakers
Conference organisers use simultaneous interpreting services to ensure that delegations speaking different languages and coming from different cultures can understand each other. The interpreter is the indispensable intermediary between the speaker and the audience who do not speak the same language as the speaker, in other words, interpreters are your partners in getting your message across to the audience.
The success of the interpreter in translating the speech for the audience depends to a large extent on the speaker, because the conference interpreter is first and foremost the spokesperson of the speaker in another language. The more successful, fluent, smooth, and comprehensible the speech is, the higher the chances that the message will be conveyed intelligibly into other languages, i.e., the higher the chances of a successful interpretation.
If you are going to speak at a meeting where simultaneous interpreting services are provided, you can help the interpreters by being mindful of the following issues, and you will ensure that your message is conveyed to other languages clearly.
— If you have a written text or talking points of your speech, even if it is a draft, be sure to send it to the meeting secretariat in advance so that it can be given to the interpreters. Interpreters interpret the meaning of the speech, not individual words, so they need to be familiar with the whole topic, concepts, and subject-specific terminology. It is up to you how far you follow the written text from the rostrum during your speech; you may move away from the text or add to it during your speech; this is fine for the interpreter: If the conference interpreter has a written text in front of them, they will of course make use of it during simultaneous interpreting, but in any event they will only interpret what they hear and will follow you when you deviate from the text. It is important that the interpreter has an idea of what you are going to say in advance, and that they can familiarise themselves with the concepts and specific terminology you are using. You do not need to worry about the confidentiality of the content of your speech, as interpreters are professionally bound by the principle of confidentiality; the content of your text will be kept confidential under all circumstances, and if you wish, your text will be returned to you after the meeting.
— If your presentation topic is technical, provide the interpreters with a list of terminology or texts on the same topic in other languages. You can also ask the conference secretariat to contact the interpreters in advance and have a briefing. As professional interpreters, they have a broad general knowledge and vocabulary on a wide range of topics. However, they cannot be expected to be as familiar with the very specific terminology of each profession as specialists in that domain, especially if they have not worked in that domain before. Therefore, if interpreters are provided with a list of terminology on subjects that are beyond their general knowledge, or if they are able to meet the speaker beforehand, issues that are difficult to interpret can be clarified, the correct use of terms specific to that professional domain can be ensured, and the interpretation will be more successful.
— If you are going to use cultural nuances or puns in your speech, such as a humour, a joke, or a story, it is a good idea to share these with your interpreters in advance. This will give them time to interpret these punchy parts of your speech in the best possible way.
— If you are going to use visuals such as presentations, films, etc. during your speech, give them to your interpreters in advance. This can be a printout or electronic copies of documents. Since the interpretation booths may be far away from the screen, it is useful to have a copy for the interpreters to have in front of them. During simultaneous interpreting, it is more difficult to memorise the numbers, especially when they are listed one after the other, and to be able to reproduce them exactly in the other language (or even to repeat them in the same language). However, when you can see the numbers visually, you can more easily transfer them to the target language. If your visual materials contain such figures (prices, ratios, units of measurement, research findings, etc.), it is very important for interpreters to be able to follow them visually while interpreting.
— When you change slides during your presentation, remember that the interpreter is 1-2 seconds behind you. It is sufficient to wait a little while before changing the slide so that the participants who are following you through interpretation can match what is shown on the slide with what is being explained.
— If you are going to read a written text from the rostrum, you should be particularly mindful of some points. Compared to spoken language, written language lends itself to much longer, more complex sentences. While you have a few seconds to form your sentence in your head while speaking, it is possible to make a long preparation for the sentences you will form in writing, even to choose the words we will use. However, the interpreter, who will instantly convey your carefully constructed complex sentences and subtle emphases into another language, has only a few seconds to construct the same sentences in the target language. Unless an interpreter has seen the text beforehand or the text is right in front of them, it is almost impossible for him/her to convey a complex and long sentence of written language perfectly in an instant… especially if this text is being read at a fast pace and translated between languages with different syntaxes, such as Turkish and English (think of how far the predicates in a written text in Turkish are from the subject…). When reading a written text, one usually speeds up; the limited speaking time and the warnings of the session chairs about the time limit usually cause the speaker to increase this pace even more. However, when you read a written text quickly, you are not only making the interpreter’s job more difficult: Even those listening to the speech in your language may find it difficult to follow your words, so that part of the message may be lost. If you are going to read a written text, it is therefore useful to practise and adjust your speaking pace in advance: A page of 40 lines takes at least 3 minutes to read at a comprehensible and therefore interpretable speed.
— Make sure that the microphone is switched on before you start speaking. Tapping or blowing on the microphone to test the microphone not only creates unpleasant noises in the hall, but also damages the hearing of the interpreters, who usually hear it at a high volume directly through their headphones. It is better to test the microphone by saying a few words such as “Good afternoon” or “Thank you, Chair”.
— Speaking too close to the microphone will cause interference; also, to avoid ringing in the microphone, do not place your headphones close to the microphone while speaking. The technician can help you with these matters.
— If you need to move away from where you are speaking, for example to point to a slide, please use a lapel or handheld microphone. If you do not use a microphone, no matter how loudly you speak, the interpreters inside a soundproof booth will not be able to hear you, and if they cannot hear you, they will not be able to interpret… The same warning applies to the Q&A session: Remind participants that they should wait for the microphone to ask questions (no matter how loud they say they are).
— If you are speaking at a rostrum or podium and want to answer questions from the audience, remember to take headphones with you so that you can listen to the interpretation of the questions. If you are asked a question in a language you know, give the interpreter a few seconds to finish interpreting the question before jumping in and answering. Although simultaneous interpreting is delivered “simultaneously”, the interpretation may always be delayed by a few seconds, as it is necessary to hear first in order to interpret.