The Complete Interpreter

The worst mistakes made by interpreter trainers

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100

I've tried to think about which approaches I think are successful in the classroom, and which are likely to yield less good results:

- telling rather than showing

- never moving on from the 'what' to the 'why' and 'how' when giving feedback

- taking too long over feedback

- making each class a test

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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My website and blog: https://theinterpretingcoach.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/interpretingcoach/
Twitter: @terpcoach
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-interpreting-coach/

Or email me at info@theinterpretingcoach.com

Retourists, don't make these mistakes!

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0100

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Based on my experience of coaching retourists, I've drawn up a list of approaches that I think don't necessary yield the best results:

- not using intonation strategically

-not doing enough language enhancement

- not doing any B > B practice

- focusing too much on vocabulary to the detriment of interpreting technique

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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How to create a stress management strategy for an exam

Mon, 05 May 2025 06:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

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Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself and share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, use of target language, and marketing.

This episode is dedicated to creating a stress management strategy ahead of an important exam, e.g. the EU's interinstitutional accreditation test, or the UN test for freelances.

DISCLAIMER: I am neither a doctor nor a psychologist. My background is in personal fitness training and nutrition. Where I suggest exercise, diet changes, or supplements, please exercise common sense and consult your doctor first.

I have added chapter markers so you can find your way around. Here are the aspects I've addressed:

The four pillars of health, without which stress management techniques are a sticking plaster
identifying stressors: drainers and nourishers
motivation
habituation
stress management techniques for stressful situations
mindset
on the day
summary: creating rituals

If you'd like more detail on the techniques I mention in the podcast, or you want to discover more powerful mind/body techniques, you can access my e-course here.

Use the coupon EUtestcoupon for a 50% discount!

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How to be a great relay (long version)

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 07:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

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Sign up for my workshop on salami technique, 8th May 2025 6.30 pm (UK)

Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself and share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, use of target language, and marketing.

This episode is about relay: what annoys you when you're taking relay, what you find helpful, and your tips for being a good relay for other interpreters.

It covers the same content as a shorter episode, but with more thoughts, stories, explanations...and echoey sound! You can find the shorter version here.

This was the first time I ran a survey so I could incorporate your thoughts and experiences into the podcast, and I really enjoyed it! Many thanks to everyone who contributed.

Your top pet peeves were:

Relay too fast/read out
"undigested", relay follows syntax of original, leaves words in original language etc.
unclear pronunciation/strong accent
too hesitant, lots of pauses
unfinished sentences
mumbling/poor enunciation
convoluted syntax, chaotic
not quick enough off the mark, or not releasing the channel fast enough at the end

The top things you found helpful when taking relay were:

"cleaning up" the output, i.e. salami/adding structure/KISS - basically, not being a parrot
clarity, avoiding ambiguity
pronunciation, especially of NAMES, figures, difficult concepts
clear enunciation
all sentences finished, complete ideas
'good pace' - even
simple language, avoiding idioms
calm and confident
summarising/being concise
pausing between sentences, or using intonation to separate ideas
good intonation

More than 3/4 of respondents said they adapt their output when they know they are being taken on relay. Here are the top suggestions:

Chunking!! Keep sentences short, with simple grammar.
Remove padding and stick to the main point (i.e. simplify, edit)
Pronounce names especially clearly (slow down); figures too
Slow down
Avoid weird and wonderful idioms
Stay calm even if you don't feel calm
Start quickly - don't leave relay-takers hanging

Some of the resources I mentioned in the podcast:

My podcast episode about clarity in simultaneous
My podcast episode about being concise in simultaneous
This LinkedIn post by Ilhem Bezzaoucha about catching names when interpreting

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How to be a great relay in simultaneous

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 06:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

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This episode is about relay: what annoys you when you're taking relay, what you find helpful, and your tips for being a good relay for other interpreters.

There's a longer version of this podcast if you're still thirsty for more. It covers the same content, but with more thoughts, stories, explanations...and echoey sound!

You can find the longer version here.

This was the first time I ran a survey so I could incorporate your thoughts and experiences into the podcast, and I really enjoyed it! Many thanks to everyone who contributed.

Your top pet peeves were:

Relay too fast/read out
"undigested", relay follows syntax of original, leaves words in original language etc.
unclear pronunciation/strong accent
too hesitant, lots of pauses
unfinished sentences
mumbling/poor enunciation
convoluted syntax, chaotic
not quick enough off the mark, or not releasing the channel fast enough at the end

The top things you found helpful when taking relay were:

"cleaning up" the output, i.e. salami/adding structure/KISS - basically, not being a parrot
clarity, avoiding ambiguity
pronunciation, especially of NAMES, figures, difficult concepts
clear enunciation
all sentences finished, complete ideas
'good pace' - even
simple language, avoiding idioms
calm and confident
summarising/being concise
pausing between sentences, or using intonation to separate ideas
good intonation

More than 3/4 of respondents said they adapt their output when they know they are being taken on relay. Here are the top suggestions:

Chunking!! Keep sentences short, with simple grammar.
Remove padding and stick to the main point (i.e. simplify, edit)
Pronounce names especially clearly (slow down); figures too
Slow down
Avoid weird and wonderful idioms
Stay calm even if you don't feel calm
Start quickly - don't leave relay-takers hanging

Some of the resources I mentioned in the podcast:

My podcast episode about clarity in simultaneous
My podcast episode about being concise in simultaneous
The longer, unedited version of this podcast with more stories, thoughts, quotes, etc.
This LinkedIn post by Ilhem Bezzaoucha about catching names when interpreting

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Approaches to tackling impostor syndrome

Mon, 17 Feb 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

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Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself and share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, use of target language, and marketing.

This episode is dedicated to impostor syndrome.

Here are some of the approaches I suggest (I've added chapter markers to help you navigate):

OBJECTIVE METHODS to fight negative self-talk

Check the facts/zoom out
Feedback (client, peer) - keep a file. Document your successes.
Questioning your assumptions/expectations - journal of self-discovery
Is my reaction based on fact or conjecture? Am I just making up stories in my heard?
Develop the thought: does this person’s opinion matter to my happiness or job security? What would happen if they thought badly of me?

PRACTISING SELF-COMPASSION

How would you talk to a friend?
Affirmations
Learn to accept praise (thank you)
Embrace progress, not perfection
Celebrate your successes. Don’t belittle yourself.

GET HELP

Open up to trusted people (and get a reality check or emotional support)
Life coach or therapy – low self-esteem

REDEFINE ‘SUCCESS’ i.e. progress, not perfection

Challenge yourself to fail - did it hurt? e.g. write with wrong hand, art course.

CPD RESOURCES

Andy Gillies fantastic CPD website: https://interpreterscpd.eu/contributors/
Andy's post about doing simultaneous for his students
Skilliga (directory of courses, webinars etc.)
Rock your Retour - membership site for English retourists
Stress management ecourse - 8 science-backed body techniques, 5 'mind' techniques to help you with performance anxiety

OTHER MATERIAL

My blog post about art: "What art taught me about interpreter training"
My podcast about what to do when you have a bad day in the booth

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Language interference when interpreting

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0100

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Working on analytical skills

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 06:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself and share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, use of target language, and marketing.

This episode is dedicated to one of my hobby horses: analytical skills.

I gave several examples from a French speech on the EU's Speech Repository. It's by Michael Picq (speech number 32840).

Here are some of the exercises I suggest:
- listen to a speech and enter the information in a 4-column table (links, main info, secondary, details)
- listen to a speech then write the outline (e.g. bullet points)
- work on summarising texts/speeches
- do a 'bare bones' simultaneous, just getting the main ideas across
- pick an interview, listen to the question and the first few words of the answer. See if you can anticipate what the speaker will say next.
- gap filling exercises (Cloze)
- listen to a speech in chunks and ask yourself questions: why is the speaker saying this? What are they likely to say next? Is this fact or opinion? What biases does the speaker have? etc.
- get a speech transcript and annotate it. You can write little notes based on your background knowledge, or link parts of the speech with arrows, or circle the logical connectors, etc.

I highly recommend the Listening & Analysis resource on the ORCIT website (orcit.eu) for more 'theory' and exercises to help with analysis.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Approaches to interpreting from SOV>SVO (e.g. Japanese>English)

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0100

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Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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How to get the best out of a language tutor to improve your retour

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 06:00:00 +0100

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Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Improved mood and cognition: should you be eating 50 g of chocolate a day? 😁

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

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Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Exercises for early simultaneous

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

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Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Habituation: a tactic for reducing performance and exam stress

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

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Exploring collocations to improve your B language

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

But honestly, the two most useful tools, in my opinion, are a good old collocations dictionary, and ChatGPT.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Is your practice lazy or deliberate?

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance

Psychological Review, 100 (1993), pp. 363-406, 10.1037/0033-295X.100.3.363

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Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Interpreting a speaker with a strong accent

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

don't try to 'translate' - in seeking a balance between sentence-level, 'micro' interpreting and 'macro' interpreting ('the big picture'), err towards the big picture.
interpret defensively, i.e. don't commit too early. Give yourself time to understand whole ideas - this may involve having a longer décalage.
Keep your output simple. You might want to summarise more than usual.
Use salami technique to give yourself more space for listening.
Say what you HAVE understood and/or know to be true.
Listen out for big ideas in the speech, e.g. is a proposal good or bad? Is the budget increasing or decreasing? Is an amount more or less than last year?
Pay attention to anything that conveys the speaker's OPINION, including linking words, intonation, and facial expressions or body language.
Make sure you use your background knowledge to fill in the gaps in what you can hear/understand.
If necessary, use what the audience knows to interpret in a way that is less explicit, but that the audience will still understand.
Even when you're not interpreting, listen to the rest of the meeting to make sure you're up to speed.

Prepare the assignment very thoroughly, and if you have the speakers' names, search for them on Youtube to see if you can find videos to practise from.

These three things will help you improve your comprehension of strong accents:

exposure. Get some practice! (If you're looking for interpreting practice with a variety of English accents, why not check out my collection of modules (E4T) focusing on specific topics, and designed to help interpreters improve their English C? Topics include vaccination, fake news, the circular economy, the gig economy, taxation, and supply chains. Just scroll down my home page to find the links to each module.).
enlarging your vocabulary.
making sure your working memory is in good shape.

I mentioned the following podcast episodes:

Here is Tony Rosado's blog post about heavy accents.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpretin

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How to eat for energy!

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

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Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Starting simultaneous? 5 bad habits to avoid

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

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Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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How to overcome your lizard brain

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

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Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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One (sim) interpreter, several speakers: letting the audience know a new speaker is beginning

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

say 'Question' and 'Answer' if it's an interview in that format
Use the speakers' name or 'function' (e.g. 'the German delegation:')
use appropriate intonation
use question tags
use 'turn-initial discourse markers' such as 'well', 'now', 'right'
mark the transition between two speakers more explicitly, with phrases like 'in answer to your question', or 'let me address that point'.
change the pitch of your voice, i.e. have a lower voice for one speaker and a higher pitch for the second.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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How to set goals that stick in 2024

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

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Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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An A and two Bs: an interview with Sylvie Levi Roos about retours and more

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the podcast:
- EbS (Europe by Satellite), European Union's TV information service
- Le Monde in English
- Journal Officiel de la République française
- TV5 Monde
- the podcast episode about memory

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Some end of year thoughts

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

What achievements are you most proud of?
What lessons did you learn?
Who made the biggest impact on you?
What could you STOP doing in 2024?
What brings you energy and joy, and how can you incorporate those things into your day?
What are your learning/process goals for next year?

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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How visualisation can help your consecutive

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

when the speaker gives an explanation (especially about a familiar topic)
when the speaker tells a story
when the speaker says something personal.

If you'd like to look at the 'apple visualisation scale', click here.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Working with a practice partner

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

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Asking for feedback

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

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Dealing with slow speakers

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

slowing down your output!
judicious use of fillers (e.g. Ladies and Gentlemen, NOT 'um', 'er', 'you know', 'like', 'I mean', etc.)
repeating/paraphrasing something that's just been said
allowing yourself to be very complete and explicit
expanding phrases, e.g. 'economic or military in nature'
using intonation/emphasis to make sure the shape of the sentence is still clear (i.e. the big picture)
using rhetorical questions

And above all:

don't be a parrot (in terms of copying the sentence structure of the original)
use salami technique
try to anticipate and use your background knowledge to make sense of the original
where possible, communicate to the speakers that they don't need to speak excessively slowly

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Talking about acts of violence (a vocabulary-building podcast for English retourists)

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

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Sapientia potentia est: a few useful Latin phrases for you

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

ad hoc: for a particular purpose
ad lib: improvise
ad infinitum: for ever
alma mater: your university
alumnus/alumna: graduate of a particular university
bona fide: in good faith, genuine
carpe diem: seize the day
a caveat: condition, objection
de facto/de jure: in reality/in law
deus ex machina: a plot device (in a play or book) to resolve an impossible problem
ergo: therefore
e.g. (exempli gratia = for example), i.e. (id est = in other words)
etcetera
in camera: behind closed doors
in situ: on the spot
mea culpa: it's my fault
per capita: per person
per diem: daily (e.g. daily allowance)
persona non grata: an unwelcome person
per se: in itself, specifically
prima facie: at first sight
quid pro quo: 'this for that', an exchange
status quo: state of affairs
verbatim: word for word
vice versa: the other way round

Mens sana in corpore sano: a healthy mind in a healthy body
Pecunia not olet: money doesn't stink
Plenus venter non studet libenter: a full belly doesn't like studying!

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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So...should you, like, avoid saying 'so' and 'like'?

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0100

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Why you should continue doing consec without notes (even if you hate it!)

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0100

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Thoughts about preparing for the EU accreditation test (part 3)

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0100

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the podcast:
- 2023/2024 test calendar
- website with all the relevant information about the accreditation test (eligibility, FAQs)
- language profiles
- EU Speech Repository
- EU audiovisual portal (news clips and meeting recordings in multiple languages)
- EbS (Europe by Satellite), European Union's TV information service
- SCICtrain - resource containing demo videos by EU interpreters
- the podcast episode about the UN exams

You may also find these resources useful:
- my growth mindset challenge can be found by scrolling down the home page
- my podcast episode about reframing stress
- my podcast episode about getting over mistakes
- my course on dealing with acute stress

If you're working on consecutive, Julia Poger (who can be found on LinkedIn) and Helen Campbell sometimes organise refresher courses. You may also find Andy Gillies' book useful.

I run regular consecutive practice sessions, along with a dedicated website ('Consecutive Club').

This episode is part 3 of a collection dedicated to the EU accreditation test. You can find part 1 (the institutions' perspective) here, and part 2 (tips from successful candidates) here.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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'Ums' and 'ers' in interpreting - can they be eliminated?

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 07:00:00 +0100

record yourself audio/video
get a friend to listen and hit the table or hold up a paper
tap your own leg
use a rubber band whenever you say ‘um’

Why do you 'um'?

habit
anxiety/nerves
trying to remember what to say (consec)
trying to find the right word (retour) - say sth generic
keep the attention of the audience, signal that your sentence isn’t fnished
being overwhelmed by speech & density (simultaneous)

Tips for reducing 'ums':

slow down (consec)
pause (we think faster than we speak. We think pauses sound huge. We sound more confident with pauses. Pauses don’t sound long in sim - you think they do because you have the other soundtrack as well)
put your tongue behind your teeth instead of saying um
LOOK UP - it’s harder to say um while looking at someone
use sticks to shape sentences
Consider your interpreting technique (salami; pauses in different places; plan chunks; improve your note-taking; improve your stress management)

Hope you found it useful.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Two fun tricks for working on your retour

Mon, 25 Sep 2023 06:00:00 +0100

These are:

Sight 'translation' (interpretation, really) using DeepL or Google Translate to help you with the output - use with caution!
Using flashcards on an app such as Quizlet or Anki to help you develop rapid reflexes when working into your B language.

I've talked about these methods in a lot more detail, with examples, in a blog post.

If you're interested in how new technology can help you with language learning, why not join Josh Goldsmith and Kerstin Cable's new AI Language Club?

For weekly live group classes and a website packed with content for English retourists, check out my membership site Rock your Retour.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Tips for keeping your memory in top shape

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0100

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EU accreditation test for freelances: hints and tips from successful candidates (part 2)

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

For this episode, I interviewed five freelance interpreters who have recently taken (and passed!) the EU interinstitutional accreditation test.

A big thank you to Andrea Alvisi, Gavin Darroch, Jonathan McGregor, Charlotte Ford, and Raquel Jones.

They share lots of information and tips about :
- the format of the exam
- the difficulty of the speeches
- facing the panel!
- how long they spent preparing for the test
- what sort of activities they did to prepare
- the resources they used
- how they managed their stress

Here are some of the resources mentioned in this episode:
- 2023/2024 test calendar
- website with all the relevant information about the accreditation test (eligibility, FAQs)
- language profiles
- consecutive and simultaneous marking criteria
- EU Speech Repository
- the podcast episode about the UN exams
- Andy Gillies book about consecutive
- Rozan's book about consecutive (PDF)
- my Consecutive Club programme (weekly live classes + symbol brainstorming)
- IBPG practice group
- Histoires du Monde podcast

You may also find these resources useful:
- my growth mindset challenge can be found by scrolling down the home page
- my podcast episode about reframing stress
- my podcast episode about getting over mistakes
- my course on dealing with acute stress

Don't miss part 1 of this podcast, in which I get the institutions' view on the accreditation test. Cathy Pearson, Head of Multilingualism at DG LINC (European Parliament) was very open and gave very valuable advice.

Look out for part 3, where I will talk in more detail about preparing for the test.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Everything you always wanted to know about the EU interinstitutional accreditation test

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just an interpreting or translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself and share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, and marketing.

This episode is all about the EU accreditation test for freelance interpreters.

I'd like to thank Cathy Pearson for graciously agreeing to give up so much of her time to be interviewed for the show, as well as Marilena Iannidinardi and all the EU evaluators who contributed to the episode.

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the podcast:
- 2023/2024 test calendar
- website with all the relevant information about the accreditation test (eligibility, FAQs)
- language profiles
- consecutive and simultaneous marking criteria
- EU Speech Repository
- EU audiovisual portal (news clips and meeting recordings in multiple languages)
- EbS (Europe by Satellite), European Union's TV information service
- SCICtrain - resource containing demo videos by EU interpreters
- the podcast episode about the UN exams

You may also find these resources useful:
- my growth mindset challenge can be found by scrolling down the home page
- my podcast episode about reframing stress
- my podcast episode about getting over mistakes
- my course on dealing with acute stress

Look out for the second part of this podcast (coming soon), where we'll hear from successful candidates, and I'll talk about preparation strategies.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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The cycle of change - creating lasting habits

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself and share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, and marketing.

In this episode, I talk about a relatively simple model that can help you visualise the process of change (e.g. creating a healthy habit, or trying to quit an unhealthy one).

The model is based on work by Prochaska and DiClemente (1983).

If you're stuck in the 'relapse' stage of the cycle, here are some things to try:
- approach what's happened as a fact-finding mission, and try being curious rather than judgemental. What triggered the relapse (stress, circumstances in your personal life, overwork,....)? What emotional state were you in?
- acknowledge your feelings (frustration, anger, shame?) and avoid suppressing them, which may lead to your getting stuck in denial for a LONG time!
- get some support. Talk about what's happened with a friend or accountability buddy.
Focus on your original intention. Why did you want to change? Is it still worth the effort?
- if so, start by taking the smallest possible step towards your goal. The first step is often the hardest.
- consider whether you need to make changes to your environment (e.g. remove temptations) or develop new stress relief methods to support your efforts to change.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Speech preparation to improve your retour? Who has time for that?!

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0100

discovering, activating, and retaining terminology and whole chunks of idiomatic language
practising and improving your pronunciation and intonation
if you're working from a bullet point outline, practising reformulation

...and many more!

Two websites I mention:
Speechpool
procon.org

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Improve your performance with self-affirmation techniques

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0100

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next! I love talking about mindset and stress management.

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Echoic memory and how you use it when interpreting

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0100

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Everything you always wanted to know about the UN interpreting exams

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, and marketing.

This episode is all about the UN interpreting exams, both freelance (GLR or Global Language Roster) and staff (CELP).
I couldn't have produced the episode without the assistance of many colleagues, including UN examiners Gillian Curry and Alice Ryckmans, Zilin Cui (Chinese booth), Olivier Quénette (French booth), Jonathan McGregor (English booth), Cory Bou (English booth), Maisie Greenwood, Aimee Linekar and Kirsten Coope. I am grateful to them for their time and generosity. Any errors in the podcast are my own.*

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the podcast:
- UN website
- UN Digital Recordings Portal
- Interpretation Station
- Chris Guichot de Fortis: interpreting in degraded mode
- my growth mindset challenge can be found by scrolling down the home page
- my podcast episode about reframing stress
- my podcast episode about getting over mistakes
- my course on dealing with acute stress
- Josh Goldsmith's blog post about UN Digital Recordings Portal
- free online courses about UN-related topics
- an interesting blog post about the UN exams from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies
- Emily and Amelia Nagoski's book on Burnout
- The Inner Game of Tennis (a guide to 'peak performance')

* I mentioned in the podcast that it might be possible to take 3 languages in one day for the English booth CELP; it seems that this isn't, in fact, possible, and that you'd have to do the 3rd language on a separate occasion.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Bad day in the booth? How to 'let go' of mistakes

Mon, 29 May 2023 07:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

This episode is about making mistakes and learning to move on from them. It was inspired by Stefano, who wrote: "I wonder if you could consider the topic of "Managing bad performance or errors". Let me give you an example. Yesterday I hesitated during the translation of an interview on TV. It was nothing major. Still, I could not sleep last night. What can I do?"

It's really important to understand whether your mistake(s) affect your client to the point where you need to do something about it, or whether you're the one who is badly affected.

If you make persistent or significant mistakes at work, such that you consider the general standard of your work unacceptable, consider:
- working on your C language(s)
- playing with your décalage to avoid false starts and language interference
- improving your background knowledge and meeting preparation.

If mistakes weigh on you for reasons to do with mindset rather than objective performance criteria, try the following:

1. Have a clear transition between work and home (especially if you work from home!):
- cycle commute or walk to work if you can
- take a shower and get changed when you get home
- try a power nap
- call a friend to vent
- journal: write about what happened
- write a list of what you are grateful for today
- try meditation
- use short rituals to bookend your day

2. Explore your expectations. Are they unrealistic? Are you a perfectionist?
- try the "double standard" technique to practise self-compassion
- reflect on the effects of your expectations: do they help you or hinder?
- if you messed up, acknowledge your feelings rather than squashing them down

3. When the stressor has gone, the effects of stress on your body still linger.
- the best solution is physical exercise, or:
- diaphragmatic breathing
- affection: a hug, playing with your pet
- spending some time outdoors
- doing something creative (art, music, cooking)

4. If your sleep is disturbed by repetitive, intrusive thoughts:
- make sure you have a good sleep routine (wind down before bed, avoid screens, the news, etc.)
- don't take work to bed
- write a detailed to-do list for the next day
- if you had a bad day, put your feelings on paper

In this episode, I mentioned Emily and Amelia Nagoski's book, Burnout.

You can find my Growth Mindset Challenge on the home page of my website (just scroll down to Free Resources).

If you're interested in my Mind & Body Techniques for Acute Stress course, which is a selection of scientifically-backed techniques to help cope with particularly stressful situations, you can find it here.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Improving formal register in a B language, part 3 (activation)

Mon, 22 May 2023 07:00:00 +0100

selecting 5 or 10 formal words (verbs, nouns, adjectives), researching them in a dictionary and collocations dictionary, and inventing example sentences to anchor them in your memory.
preparing a speech of your own in your B language, and incorporating some of the formal words you've chosen.
preparing a speech of your own in your B language incorporating formal features (for example, a speech at an inauguration or prize-giving ceremony).
choosing a suitable text in your B language, such as a blog post, and rewriting it to make it more formal.
choosing a suitable speech in your B language and doing a simultaneous reformulation exercise, making the speech more formal.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Rusty retour? How to refresh your work > B

Mon, 15 May 2023 07:00:00 +0100

•Activation – practising constructively

•Reflection – don’t practise randomly; reflect on your progress

•Consistency; refreshing and maintaining a retour require regular, consistent effort over the long term

And some tips:
•Write a plan and SCHEDULE time for your retour

•Include some fun activities!

•Make yourself accountable

•Find a practice partner, practice group, membership site, or coach

•View this as a long term exercise (part of CPD/maintaining your professional skills)

Some of the courses and practice groups I mentioned:
•August short course (can accommodate English and French retour): CCIC

•Interpreting Coach Spring BooStcamp (English enhancement)

•Rock your Retour membership site (English)

•L’Atelier du français B membership site (French)

•Practice groups, e.g. IBPG, PiPs, AmeriVox, etc. – see list here.

If you'd like to join my free Focus Sessions (co-working) on Fridays at 5 pm CET, you can register here.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Exercises to improve formal register in a B language, part 2 (vocabulary-building)

Mon, 08 May 2023 07:00:00 +0100

learning a short passage in your B language by heart (suggested by Andy Gillies)
brainstorming formal versions of logical connectors (e.g. 'thus' or 'therefore' instead of 'so')
researching and learning stock phrases for certain situations, such as the start of a conference, the beginning of a speech by a politician, etc.
researching more formal verbs, for example in speech transcripts or mission statements
thinking about phrasal verbs and their single-word equivalents, often derived from Latin (e.g. 'postpone' instead of 'put off')
finding neutral and/or formal equivalents for 'good' and 'bad'
brainstorming more formal synonyms for concepts such as go up/go down, make, do, help, change, etc.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Salami technique vs short décalage in retour

Mon, 01 May 2023 07:00:00 +0100

identifying units of meaning
reformulating units of meaning out loud
exercises to improve your analytical skills
summary exercises
choosing to start each sentence in a different place in simultaneous (as an exercise to help you get away from the word order of the source material)
sight translation

For a short décalage approach, work on:

sentence finishing exercising
'cloze' or gap filling exercises
sight translation
B>B reformulation exercises
background knowledge
syntax - make sure it's rock solid.

You can combine both techniques by learning to manage your décalage so that you can shorten or lengthen it if necessary, and by remembering that salami technique doesn't necessarily meaning chopping a long sentence into lots of smaller ones.

Sometimes, it just means rejigging the syntax of the source material to give you more options in the target language, i.e. removing instances of subordination (e.g. relative clauses) and using open syntax with clauses connected by 'and, but, so' (or their equivalents).

Hope this episode gave you some food for thought.

You can find lots of suggested exercises in Andy Gillies' Conference Interpreting: A Student's Practice Book.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Using generic terms to improve your retour

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 07:00:00 +0100

goal: target, objective; ambition, aspiration, dream
thought: idea, concept, notion, impression, consideration
task: job, exercise, mission, undertaking, pursuit, venture, project

When you're interpreting, you choose a word based on the speaker's meaning, register, and tone.

How about coming up with some synonyms for these ideas?

component
event
way
device
topic
tool
characteristic
skill
thing

The ability to generalise is a coping strategy in simultaneous, regardless of whether you're working into your mother tongue or a B language (retour). But like many interpreting skills, it can be useful to devote some time and effort to practising this skill deliberately (as opposed to assuming you can do it instinctively, as you may be able to do in your A language).

Another exercise you might like to try is this:
Choose a newspaper article that is deliberately quite technical or that contains unknown or very specific vocabulary. Go through the article out loud, replacing these terms with an appropriate generic equivalent.

Another option: choose a picture or short video of a device, machine, or process of some sort, preferably one that you are unfamiliar with, or where you don't have all the precise terminology at your fingertips. Can you describe how the device works in your B language?

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Exercises for improving your formal register in a B language (pt 1, awareness-raising)

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 07:00:00 +0100

increasing your awareness of formal vs informal register
Vocabulary-building
Activating your shiny new formal vocabulary!

To improve your sensitivity to register, try the following:

Shadow someone speaking in a formal style.
Listen to experienced interpreters working in the same kind of setting as you (e.g. if you want to work for EU institutions, listen to European Parliament TV).
Choose an article written in a formal style (e.g. an academic paper, an extract from a book or medical journal) and go through it with a highlighter to identify formal turns of phrase .
Choose two articles on the same subject from two different publications. Read them and compare and contrast their use of language to try to identify instances of formal language.
When creating glossaries or working on vocabulary enhancement, make a note if a term or phrase is particularly informal or formal.

In this way, you will be working on identifying, mimicking, and recording formal phraseology.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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How to be clearer in simultaneous

Mon, 10 Apr 2023 07:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, and marketing.

In this episode, I talk about what it means to interpret 'clearly' (in simultaneous, mostly, although many of the principles apply to consecutive as well).

Here's a quick summary.
To me, 'clarity' involves both acoustic clarity (the audience needs to HEAR and UNDERSTAND what the interpreter is saying), and semantic clarity (the words you use, and how you put them together).

To improve acoustic clarity:
- say each word clearly and accurately
- pause in the right places
- use your voice!
If you struggle with pronunciation, enunciation, or intonation, you can try exercises such as reading out loud or shadowing, or work with an accent coach.

To improve the semantic clarity of what you're saying:
- make short chunks
- if it works in your target language, use SVO sentence structure; start with the subject; keep the subject close to the verb
- make sure the LINKS between ideas are clear, and use intonation to emphasise them
- avoid fillers
- use appropriate and precise vocabulary (think about the needs of your audience)
To make improvements in this area, you might like to play with your décalage to give you more time to think, practise salami technique, and/or do sight translation or reformulation exercises.

A final point: in order to achieve all of this (precise vocabulary, clear links, short chunks, etc.), you need a CLEAR UNDERSTANDING of the speaker's message, which comes from a combination of your understanding of the source language and your ANALYTICAL SKILLS, and a good idea of your audience's needs.

Being clear is about being PRECISE and CONCISE, and I've devoted a whole podcast episode to being concise. :-)

If you'd like to join my free Focus Sessions (co-working) on Fridays at 5 pm CET, you can register here.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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You say tomato...American English vs British English terms that could confuse (or amuse)

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 07:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself and share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, and marketing.

In this episode, I talk about a few expressions whose different meanings in American English and British English could give rise to confusion.

There is of course no one accent or variant of English that is 'superior' to another. We are all fundamentally 'accent-centric' when we speak our native language, because we tend to think of ourselves as NOT having an accent, while other people do; for instance, if you grow up in France, you tend to think Belgians 'have an accent', whereas they think YOU do! The reality is that there are just DIFFERENT accents or pronunciations, and as an interpreter, what is acceptable will depend on your audience (i.e. what they expect to hear and what they understand).

In general, European audiences and interpreters are used to British English, and this is usually what people have learned at school, but the influence of American English (from TV and film) is widely felt. In fact, I wonder if British English will continue to be the norm in language teaching in Europe, or if American English will take over eventually!

In this episode, I have avoided talking about everyday vocabulary that differs significantly between AmEng and BrEng. I'm sure you've all encountered word lists with examples like pants, rubber, suspenders, trunk, sidewalk, etc. Instead, I've focused on two or three expressions that might come up in a work context.

Now that I think about it, there's one more term that has flummoxed non-British colleagues on more than one occasion, and that's a word for zero: 'nought'. When I've used 'nought', American colleagues have wondered if I was saying 'not'.

Do you have any more examples of terms that could cause confusion?

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Tips for avoiding procrastination

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +0100

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself and share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, and marketing.

In this episode, I go through a series of techniques that can help you avoid procrastination, depending on your REASON for putting off the task you need to do:
- if the task seems too BIG, think about setting clearer boundaries; schedule your time differently, to make sure you've left space to work on this task in chunks.
- if the task seems too HARD, enlist help if necessary; set a time limit to work on it in chunks, pick your best time of day, and remember the Goldilocks principle: human beings get most satisfaction from tasks that are just difficult enough.
- if the task is BORING: find ways to make it fun; 'bundle' it with something more fun; use visual cues to help you see your progress; or set a time limit.
- try using the 'pleasure' principle instead of the 'pain' principle by choosing a small reward for the tasks you accomplish.

Take the time to examine your feelings around the tasks you are putting off: is the pain of doing them (frustration, boredom, fear, feeling threatened) really worse than the pain of NOT doing them?

Try building some accountability into your work, by enlisting an accountability partner (friend, relative, colleague, or Facebook group) or joining a co-working platform.

Finally, take an honest look at your work week: is there anything you could delegate, automate, or simply stop doing?

If you'd like to join my free Focus Sessions (co-working) on Fridays at 5 pm CET, you can register here.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Being concise in simultaneous

Mon, 20 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Cut out repetition and redundancy
Avoid fillers, hesitations and qualifiers (if you're a conference interpreter)
Don't hedge (unless the speaker is doing so deliberately)
Be mindful of your word choice; use shorter forms ('use', not 'utilise') and avoid verbose turns of phrase ('due to the fact that'...)
avoid lengthy and complicated passive constructions

To APPEAR more concise - and clearer! - even if there are just as many words 🙂

use salami technique: chop the source material into shorter chunks
connect the chunks with logical connectors
use SVO word order if your target language lends itself to this, and start sentences with the subject
keep the subject and verb close to each other
use intonation as a fantastic shortcut!

The speech I chose (in French) is number 32125 in the SCIC Speech Repository, titled L'Hydrogène.

I wanted to give you transcripts here, but they exceed the permitted word count for show notes. However, you can find them on my blog.

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Neglected sim? How to refresh your simultaneous interpreting skills

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, and marketing.

Here are some of the options I mention in this episode:
- the Cambridge Conference Interpreting Course
- WISE workshops (Europe)
- Co>lab (Canada)
- Practice groups, e.g. IBPG, PiPs, AmeriVox, etc. – see list here

If you'd like to join my free Focus Sessions (co-working) on Fridays at 5 pm CET, you can register here. Several members like to devote the 50 minutes to listening back to their simultaneous interpreting and analysing their performance.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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What can you drop when doing consec?

Mon, 06 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +0000

When you ask interpreters what they omit when interpreting, they generally list elements that are considered uncontroversial, such as repetition/redundancy, hesitations, fillers, asides, rhetorical devices, and list items.
Before ditching these elements, you need to think about what the purpose of the original speech is: what effect is the speaker trying to have on the audience?
Your decisions about what to omit will depend on four factors:

your audience/client's expectations of how complete you need to be
your assumptions about your audience's knowledge and understanding of the subject
the speaker's intentions (what effect they're trying to produce)
your abilities as an interpreter (you may have to drop something simply as a survival strategy).

What are your thoughts about omissions?

Please let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

p.s. The story I told at the end of this episode involves a speaker using the term 'masturbation intellectuelle' in French, which means pointless ruminations about a subject that lead nowhere.
What do you think you would have done with this phrase? Translated it as something like 'navel-gazing'? Used a four letter word?

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Co-working, discipline, and procrastination

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just a translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, and marketing.

This episode is devoted to co-working: what it is, who it's for, and whether it's a good idea for interpreters. Hint: yes, for SOME interpreters. There are plenty of things you can knuckle down to doing during co-working sessions. Here are just a few:

Meeting document prep
Reviewing your performance and analysing it
Working on glossaries
Working on a C language or developing your retour
Invoicing, booking flights
Other admin (e.g. holidays, haircuts, etc.)!

If you'd like to join my free Focus Sessions (co-working) on Fridays at 5 pm CET, you can register here.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Improve your performance in the booth by reframing stress

Mon, 20 Feb 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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Rusty consecutive? How to refresh your note-taking skills

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000

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My 3 biggest mistakes as an interpreter

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Join a professional organisation such as AIIC
attend global CPD events such as TerpSummit or the Innovation in Interpreting summit
follow selected blogs and social media accounts

2. Diversify/specialise

find a mentor
be open to new opportunities
network!
learn how to find and acquire direct clients

3. Maintain your skills with consistent practice

decide on your goal and schedule time in your diary
find a practice partner or practice group to keep yourself accountable
join co-working sessions

You can find a useful list of practice groups here.
If you'd like to join my free Focus Sessions (co-working) on Fridays at 5 pm CET, you can register here.

Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!

Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

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