Being an interpreter can be a difficult job and requires practise whether you are doing a consecutive or simultaneous interpretation.
Interpreters have to be reactive so that every time there is a challenge, they can quickly overcome it.
Here are 5 challenging situations which only interpreters will understand.
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Speaking the wrong language
This can be a challenge for any language speaker, especially if it takes place during a live interpretation. Often when you have a knowledge of several languages you know the right word, but it comes out in the wrong language! This is why when interpreting, you have to have full concentration.
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Dealing with various accents and dialects
One of the hardest tasks for an interpreter can be understanding different accents and dialects. Speaking and being fluent in a language is one thing, but dealing with different cultural dialects and phrases is another. It is not unheard of for a speaker to be misunderstood, just because of their regional accent.
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Translating everything the client says
The point of being an interpreter is that they are a bridge between two languages. It is important that the translator is as invisible as possible. They need to translate exactly what is being said, even the uncomfortable discussions, and always remaining neutral. It can be quite a challenging task.
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Having a great memory capacity
An interpreter must be confident with a great memory capacity, especially if they are dealing with simultaneous interpreting. They have to understand and memorise the source message perfectly in order to translate it entirely in the target language.
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Watching a translated film
Watching films in a foreign language should be a source of enjoyment however for multilingual people, it can often be a nightmare with incorrect subtitles. This is not only an issue for translators but for anyone with a knowledge of both languages!
Being an interpreter can be a tough job and can cause a lot of challenges. What difficulties do you face as an interpreter? Check back on our blog next week for the second half of our list!