interpreter — Articles

More ways I can help you… #2

Anyone who is an expert in their field can get so caught up in everything they know, and their familiar jargon, that they can forget about their audience.

Or else they think too much about their audience and get tongue-tied, like a deer in the headlights, standing in front of 10 people - or 1000.

Training

Most speakers haven’t been trained. They are just expected to get up in front of an audience and get their point across. But they don’t know what to do - should they read? Should they not read? Do they have to tell a joke? There is so much conflicting advice out there!

When I trained to become an interpreter, one of my first classes was public speaking. I was expected to perform at a podium every day. It all serves me well whenever I work on stage in front of an audience - especially when I have to run up on stage to that podium as a last minute replacement interpreter (I almost lost my shoes I was going so fast…)!

I was also trained to analyze what people say, to pick out the goal and context of the message, and to find the story behind the words, so I could then transmit that to the foreign-language-speaking audience in a way that they could best understand.

That training helped me recognize good speakers, and how to help those who aren’t as prepared to look better.

Steps you can take to help you be a better speaker

The best way to help you get your message across, in any language, is for me to spend some time with you before your speech. Together, we could refine your goal and how you move towards it. You would understand that certain jokes don’t translate easily and might need some extra knowledge, and how to better connect with your audience.

For example, a Russian minister went through his speech with me the day before he gave it to a packed house. I became more familiar with his goals, and he understood more about the local situation. During his speech, he paused for a laugh 7 times - some based solely on local considerations that he had never heard about before - and he received one each time. (That was one of my proudest moments…)

If you are being interpreted, another way of ensuring you get your message across would be to give the text of the speech to me ahead of time. After all, if you have spent hours crafting beautiful sentences to deliver your important ideas, you should want to give me the time to make sure that I can deliver those same ideas with just as much impact in the other language.

A third way to help has to do with presentation. There are times to be formal, times to be informal, and times for jokes. We can prepare and practice, so that you will know which is which, and how to match your audience’s expectations.

Another presentation issue could also be something you never suspected - how do you sound to your audience? Will they hear your voice and instantly trust you - or tune out immediately?

In one instance, the sound equipment in the auditorium gave one speaker a very high-pitched voice, which made the audience uncomfortable and tune out. I suggested settings to the sound people for that speaker’s second talk, which allowed them to have a much better reception and warmer applause. The speaker was delighted.

Most importantly

But one of my most important functions is to let you know that you are not alone. You may be standing in front of 1000 people - but so am I, right next to you! No matter what you say or how you say it, I will say it in a way that will be perfect for your audience, and you will look good.

So with all of these steps, you can relax and stop thinking about the 1000 people, but only about your message.

If you liked this article, please connect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliapoger/ - and we can continue the conversation!