How to Consider the Quality of the Interpreter
By: Ayesha Zaheer Posted on Mon, 30-08-2021
In this globalized world, we need to communicate with people speaking multiple languages. Therefore, interpreters play a significant role in communicating with foreign people. According to a recent report, the demand for interpreters and translators is immensely increasing and it is expected that it will grow up to 19% by 2028. Thus it is obvious that the demand for these jobs will be higher in the future. Are you in need of interpretation services, for this, you must consider the quality of the interpreter? You cannot hire an interpreter based on linguistic skills only. There are some other things that you must consider during the selection of a competent interpreter.
You must analyze their knowledge, skills, and attitudes because interpreters have to represent your business. Additionally, they must build a long-lasting relationship with the stakeholders, partners, and other companies. Therefore, it is very important to hire a competent interpreter that can fulfill all your business requirements.
Qualities of the Interpreter
Considering the quality of interpreters is not only required in different fields like education, legal firms, insurance companies, and health care but also for a language service provider. Global translation companies hire the best interpreters after tough assessments because they are responsible for representing their company globally.Â
Let’s dive into the qualities that an interpreter must-have.
Enthusiasm
A good interpreter does not only focus on completing the task in the designated time but focuses on improving the rational understanding of the language. The competent interpreter is committed to helping the people not only by word-to-word interpretation but they focus on understanding the service. They consider cultural intricacies in view. Moreover, they establish a human connection between two or more people that want to understand each other.
Industry Knowledge Â
If you are bilingual or multilingual then it does not mean you are a professional interpreter. To become a professional interpreter, you must complete higher education and get training to polish your skills. Apart from language knowledge, the interpreter should also possess the knowledge of industry-specific terminologies and different dialects that are spoken in the target market. It will add value to the interpreter’s skill set. There are some fields like medical and legal that include complex terminologies. Because of this reason, some countries require certification for court and health situations. Here one thing to note is that certified interpreters charge higher because of their knowledge and advanced training. For example, courts depend upon legal interpreters to give justice because of linguistic barriers or because of hearing impairment. The same is the case with medical interpreters. They utilize their skills to serve the patients.
Confidentiality
To your surprise, the interpreters are not part of the conversation. Although they are physically present and their objective is to allow communication between two or more people that speak different languages. They provide the services by keeping confidentiality in mind. Privacy and confidentiality are considered in medical, legal, and financial services. A good interpreter keeps all the information confidential during and after the interpretation process.
American Sign Language ASL follows the rule of registry of interpreters which is the code of ethics for the deaf. Moreover, healthcare service providers and interpreters must follow the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Health Information Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA, and other regulatory regulations. Professional interpreters know how to follow these rules in every field.
Social Skills
The interpreter should be intuitive to become a good communicator. They should remain neutral in all kinds of emotional appointments. To assess and interpret every situation word-to-word and to convey the feelings of the people is one of the best skills of interpreters. You may be given the assignment of a corporate meeting or to cover a business conference. Therefore, it is important for the interpreter to understand both kinds of circumstances and communicate effectively so matter what type of context it is.
Ability to Handle Pressure
You cannot specify the specific trait of a good interpreter. However, the best interpreter is a person that adapts to the environment and works collaboratively. As all the circumstances and environments are different so they keep themself calm and wait for the next conversation
Cultural Diversity
Apart from communication skills, a good interpreter should know about cultural nuance. If they are aware of regional and cultural intricacies then they can communicate effectively. Although we cannot interpret body language through spoken words. However, they can interpret the body language as per the cultural differences. The professional translation service providers have a team of proficient interpreters that can interpret the spoken and unspoken words.
Attitude
While choosing the interpreter, do look at its appearance and attitude. A good interpreter must be proficient in linguistics along with interpersonal skills and a friendly and cooperative attitude no matter what the situation is.
Interpretation is a very tedious and exhaustive task. Therefore, if the interpreter has an easy-going personality, then it can handle any complex situation. Moreover, the interpreter should also be an active listener. Most of the time, they are in the background but if they are to come upfront then they can’t be rude and snub analyze anyone.
Attire
One of the other qualities of an interpreter is that they should be well-groomed and dressed up professionally. They should not show up in jeans and a t-shirt. Indeed, their attire should be according to the business acumen. Although interpreters don’t work directly with your business they do represent it. Moreover, their dress will impress you positively or negatively.
Punctuality
Punctuality is another quality to look for in an interpreter. It will give a bad image of your company if you delay the meeting because the interpreter is late. It will create an embarrassing situation for you if you keep on delaying meetings because of this reason. Moreover, it will damage your reputation and other companies will not take you seriously.
While selecting the interpreter, do check how professional the interpreter is. This is because their appearance will depict your company. Moreover, if they perform badly in any area, it will damage the repute of your company. A good interpreter should show professionalism.
Certification
A good interpreter should possess a relevant university degree. Moreover, they must go through rigorous training so that they can keep pace with the development that is taking place in your industry. While looking for the interpreter, do check their certifications that can tell you about their competencies. Proper education and relevant pieces of training can make a good interpreter. Educated and trained interpreters make fewer mistakes and they don’t get stressed out in big conferences and meetings.
Multi-Tasking
An interpreter should be a multitasker because he must listen to what others are saying and he must translate it and communicate the translated version. For all these tasks, he should be a multi-tasker. Moreover, he should have quick analytical skills that help to handle multiple projects simultaneously. Thus, it will not hamper the flow of communication through misinterpretation.
Wrapping Up:
Communication is the tool of success in this globalized world. So to mitigate the communication barriers, you should hire a professional interpreter while considering all the above-mentioned qualities. The services of the competent interpreter will help you to communicate well at the international level and build a long-lasting relationship that will pave your way to success.
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