Are Interpreters Bred or Born?
o Is it
really possible to train an interpreter?
o So, are
interpreters bred or born?
o How
to choose and interpreter for your conference?
Is it really possible to train an interpreter?
So, interpreters are bred or born? What a tricky question!
At first sight, it would be tempting to say
that interpreters are definitely born.Simultaneous and consecutive interpretations are very difficult tasks that tend to leave audiences in awe.
How do you manage to do it? Is a very common question from attendants to a conference with the benefit of simultaneous or consecutive interpretation.
We also hear often, How did you learn to speak English so well (or Spanish or any other language)?
How can you listen to a person speaking in one language and repeat into another at the same time? I can hardly process for my own use!
In the particular case of consecutive interpretation, the most common question is, how can you listen to a person, remember everything that he/she said and then produce a perfect summary of the message?
We have come accross these and many more questions in all our years interpreting conferences, meetings, workshops, seminars, etc.
So, Are Interpreters Bred or Born?
The real answer to the question: Are Interpreters Bred or Born is: Both!Yes, some people are born with a special ability that allows them to connect two, three or more languages and deal with them as if they were one and the same.
As
in any other field, it is impossible to deny
that a certain degree of
natural skill is a must in order to become a
good interpreter.Any bilingual person can help others communicate in different languages, even if the message changes a little and the speaker has to repeat a few times what he/she is trying to say.
However, to perform a professional interpretation, clean, direct, concise, correct, prompt, contextually appropriate, well, you need a professional.
A professional interpreter will be the result of a percentage of natural skill (10 percent... 50 percent... hard to tell) and another percentage of study, interest and experience.
Ability without method and training will probably produce just as average results as method and training without ability.
How to choose an interpreter for your conference?
If you are looking for interpreters for your conference, meeting or event, of course you want to find skilled, trained and experienced professionals.The best way to determine if the company you have found will be up to your expectations (and those of your audience) is to check their references.
Another good way of knowing if you are dealing with a professional interpreter, is to determine if he/she is capable of giving you useful advice for the organization of your conference and the optimization of your communication needs.
Good interpreters will have customers to back up their services and will gladly put you in contact with some of them. Professional interpreters are easy to spot, their experience simply shines through.
So, don't keep any question to yourself, keep on asking until you feel satisfied with the company you have selected.
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Interpreters Bred or Born" en Espaņol
