How to secure effective interpretation at your trials that doesn’t put your client’s interests at stake: The role of formal training
Maria Xanthopoulou
Conference Interpreter & Certified Translator- I help businesses and professionals efficiently connect and communicate with clients overseas through translation and interpreting services in EN/DE/FR/TR from/into Greek
Are you a lawyer working with international clients? Do you need interpreting services to handle your clients’ affairs but you feel insecure about the ability of the interpreters to manage complicated topics and deliver utmost quality, as required by critical legal matters?
It’s a common phenomenon for legal practitioners to doubt about the efficacy of our services, but don’t worry. We know how to dispel your doubts and make you feel secure. The reason why our team is usually preferred by legal experts is because we like going the extra mile to consult them about how things should be done and what steps need to be taken on their end in order to ensure accurate interpreting services of premium quality with confidence in every case.
In this newsletter, we’ll share some of our tips to help you make the right choices next time you work with an interpreter.
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The impact of formal training on service quality
Usually people commission interpreters solely based on the latter’s knowledge of the source and target language. My ability to speak a foreign language alone, though, cannot guarantee a successful accomplishment of my duty. Legal interpreting requires a lot more skills.
First of all, as an interpreter, I need to be familiar with the codes of conduct. What is the proper way to indicate that part of what is being said is not understood and ask for clarifications without compromising the stability of the procedure and the feeling of security of those involved in it? What characteristics should I comply with in my job to ensure an unbiased trial? What are the limits of my role and how do I handle situations that fall outside my role’s scope? How do I stay alert about elements contravening the rules of ethics that could interfere in the proceedings and remain unnoticed? These questions and a lot more things are addressed by codes of conduct that form an integral part of an interpreter’s formal training.
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Another essential part? of the formal training is about the techniques used in the interpreting practice. Depending on the circumstances, we may choose among several modes to transmit the messages from one language to another. Courts demand usually consecutive interpreting for the examination of witnesses, often combined with note taking to allow for longer statements to be done and whispering interpreting for the closing arguments of the prosecution and the defense. Remote simultaneous interpreting is often performed in lawyers’ meetings when they connect with overseas clients online, while the dominant mode in notaries public offices is sight translation. Although practical experience may lead to some empirical knowledge over the years, the only way to have perfect command of all interpreting techniques and the respective equipment is obviously to have completed a formal studies course.
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Last but not least, a formal course trains you in legal jargon as well. Language fluency per se does not necessarily guarantee a sufficient understanding of legal notions. Even in your mother tongue you have probably wondered about the meaning of various scientific terms quite a lot of times. Trained and qualified interpreters, instead, systematically research legal terminology not only in the context of their studies course but throughout their professional career.
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So, next time you worry about an interpreter’s efficiency, take some time to check their educational background first.
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About the author:
Maria Xanthopoulou is a trained translator and interpreter with an academic background in law as well. She is the manager of Translation Embassy, an agency specialising in supporting legal professionals with linguistic services. Her team consists of top-notch, experienced translators and interpreters who specialize in the legal domain.
We can support you and your clients by offering:
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Sounds interesting? Then let’s get in touch and discuss how we can work together.
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