Prepare yourself emotionally for talking to an audience, either a larger of smaller one, trust me you are still going to be nervous. It is because you will be more responsible for transmitting the message. Do not worry, all the best interpreters have passed through similar experiences as you will, you are not the first and not the last. Nobody wakes up in the morning being a professional, so guess what you will need the experience too. So, I will encourage you to calm down and “man up.”
1. Transmit the message of the speaker and not just the emotions or vice versa. They need to go together as bread and butter do.
2. Do not look at the speaker while you are interpreting. Look to the audience, look in their eyes while you interpret, this will make them be attentive to the message they are listening.
3. If you think the message will be too complicated to interpret, ask the speaker to share with you his notes beforehand, so that you are sure you can handle the situation.
4. Ask the speaker if it’s possible for him not to use idioms while he speaks, or if he does so, ask him to share with you their meaning.
5. While you interpret there may be people in the audience that know English very well, this may make you nervous because you will always think there is someone better than you. Relax and do not get stressed, concentrate to the subject and enjoy your job.
6. Also, it may happen that in the audience there might be people who know English and while you interpret they will try to help you by saying different words out loud which they think are better to use. Try not to listen to this person and let him/her know you are in control of the situation. If you will not do that, the audience will lose their concentration and not get the message you are interpreting.
7. Have in mind you will be in front of an audience, be dressed properly, based on the event (you know what I mean).
8. If you are not sure you can handle the situation interpreting in front of an audience and not sure your vocabulary is good enough to transmit the message of the speaker, I would encourage you not to hurry and go on the stage. Try to interpret One to One first and get some more experience, other wise if you do bad the first time you interpret in front of an audience and do not do well, you may lose the courage to do that again.
9. After the session ends, do not go somewhere and do nothing. Help, serve with whatever is needed. This will show you are a part of the team and did not come just to interpret, but to help with whatever is needed.
Good luck and do not be afraid! The Lord is my shepherd and I lack nothing. (Psalm 23:1).
