Send the agenda and speaker list
Names, roles, timings and session titles help interpreters anticipate terminology and handovers.
INTERPRETING PREPARATION
Brief interpreters for the conversation that will actually happen
The most useful briefing is not a company brochure. It tells interpreters who will speak, what decisions are expected, which terms and names will recur, what format will be used and where communication could break down.
What interpreters need before the assignment
The most useful briefing is not a company brochure. It tells interpreters who will speak, what decisions are expected, which terms and names will recur, what format will be used and where communication could break down.
Explain the interaction pattern
A negotiation, interview, training session, keynote and panel require different interpreting modes and preparation.
Share terminology and reference material early
Presentations, previous meeting notes, product names, acronyms and approved terms are more useful before the assignment than after a problem occurs live.
Describe the technical environment
For onsite work, include room, microphones, booth/channel setup and movement. For remote work, include platform, access, audio route and technical rehearsal.
Plan for duration and breaks
Long simultaneous assignments may require team rotation; consecutive assignments need realistic time for interpreted exchanges.
Name a live contact
Someone should be able to resolve schedule changes, missing materials, access issues or last-minute speaker substitutions during the assignment.
Planning an interpreting assignment?
Send the date, format, languages, schedule, audience, subject and available speaker material.