Selecting the interpreters – best to choose professionals with a university qualification
Communication is crucial to the success of any multilingual meeting. In principle, though, anyone with a knowledge of languages can call themselves an “interpreter” or “conference interpreter”, as the professional title is not protected by law. That is why – to be sure that your interpreters can do the job properly – you should enquire about their qualifications.
It makes sense to work only with interpreters who have an internationally recognized qualification in the subject:
• They will have studied interpreting skills at a university.
• They will be experts in researching a subject area and the related terminology.
• They will be trained to prepare themselves thoroughly in the run-up to a conference.
An extra guarantee of quality is to use interpreters who are members of the International Association of Conference Interpreters (aiic). To become a member of aiic, interpreters must have several years’ professional experience and their competence and professionalism must be endorsed by an active member.
