Finding a qualified interpreter for any assignment may require a great deal of time, effort, and sometimes frustration before you find the ideal professional. Given that the process of finding an interpreter can often be stressful and extremely time-consuming for an individual, hiring an interpreter through a translation agency is usually the best way to ensure the interpreter is qualified for the assignment.
The following are guidelines used by professional translation agencies across the United States as they match the most qualified interpreter with each project awarded to their agency.
- Language Skills – This may seem obvious, but is probably the most crucial component to success in finding the best interpreter for the job. Obviously, for potential clients looking for an interpreter, chances are they won’t be able to judge an interpreter’s linguistic skills simply by listening to them speak a non-English language. To get a clearer understanding of the interpreter’s skills, then, the questions below will paint a more accurate picture:
- What is the interpreter’s native language?
- How well do they speak and understand English?
- What is their education level?
- What industry related degrees or certifications do they have?
- How long have they been speaking their non-native language, and where did they learn it?
- Experience – The amount of time an interpreter has been providing the specific form of interpretation needed is very important. Simultaneous interpreters should normally have more experience since this type of interpretation is much more demanding.
- Industry-Specific Background Information – As an interpreter, having the specific background knowledge necessary to understand everything going on in a technical or medical conversation is paramount to successful interpretation. This is essential because there is always specialized vocabulary which isn’t commonly heard in everyday conversation.
- People-Skills and Cultural Values – It has been observed many times by communication specialists that over 90% of communication between people comes from non-verbal cues and mannerisms that are culture specific and learned at a very young age. Everything from the tone of voice, the amount of eye contact, and much more can have an effect on the success of accurately relaying messages between two languages and two cultures. The interpreter must be aware of these subtle cues on both sides in order to accurately relay the message.
There are many things to consider as you search for the interpreter best suited to your project. Typically, an interpreter who is highly qualified for one assignment would often not do well in a different assignment, even if the same two languages are used, hence the advantage of using a translation agency; project managers at each agency typically have several different interpreters for each language, depending on the specifics of each assignment.
In your opinion, what are the most important skills an interpreter should have in order to be qualified to perform his or her work? Let us know in the comments below!
