As a consequence of the migration and movement of cultures between different countries, the art of interpretation has become almost a necessity. And even more so with virtuality, which has led us to work, study and communicate simultaneously with people from all over the world. Although the language barrier can be a problem in these cases, for every problem there is always a solution. Find out how professional interpreters are trained to help us in this process
What does it take to be a professional interpreter?
In general, all the skills that an interpreter must have can be worked with exercises and practice. However, it is a profession that can be easier for people with certain qualities, such as:
- Adaptability
- Patience
- Thoroughness
In addition, any professional interpreters must have excellent grammatical skills, fluency in at least two languages, and knowledge of technical terminology (such as legal or medical terminology).
What is the training of an interpreter?
In addition to mastering different languages, an interpreter should do some exercises to improve the efficiency and accuracy of their interpretation. And while there is no single teaching method for this, some common exercises include:
Narrative condensation exercises
In it, the interpreter listens to a story in a language “X”, and must summarize or explain it in as few words as possible in a language “Y”. Of course, without leaving any important details out!
Something very similar to translation, but always immediately, and with the challenge of summarizing.
Memory exercises
Professional interpreters work with two types of memory: visual and auditory. For this reason, they must practice several exercises to sharpen these skills. In this practice, there are several useful exercises. The best known are:
- List of items
- Repeating chain
- Translation of the synopsis
- Symbols association exercises
Improvisation exercises
The best exercise to practice improvisation is known as the \”false debate.\” Here, a mediator gives two or more interpreters a current and relevant topic, and each of them must quickly (in about two or three minutes) build a solid argument to win the debate. This tool allows interpreters to develop their intuition, interpretation, coherence, and to increase their vocabulary.
Exercise of \”Mental Gymnastics\”
The main goal of this exercise is to enrich the interpreter\’s vocabulary through synonymy and word replacement. In this exercise, the trainer gives the interpreter a text with underlined nouns and adjectives, and the interpreter must read it while simultaneously replacing each of these terms.
That\’s why a professional interpreter is almost like a human dictionary!
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