8 Tips to Work Effectively With An Interpreter

Working with an interpreter for the first time can feel a little daunting, however, with some key strategies, you can make the connection a lot more productive. Whether you’re engaging in telephone interpreting services, video conference interpreting services or in-person services, these tips will help you work more effectively with an interpreter.

  • Brief Your Interpreter – provide them with relevant information.
  • Speak Clearly and Concisely – avoid jargon, idioms or slang. Keeping it simple is best.
  • Use First Person– Address your client directly, and avoid saying, “Tell them I said…”
  • Allow for Pauses– Interpreters need time to convey what is being said accurately.
  • Respect Cultural Differences-Interpreters can guide you in cultural nuances.
  • Avoid Interrupting– this makes it harder for the Language Professional to do their work.
  • Confidentiality and Professionalism- Certified Interpreters adhere to a strict code of ethics and can be trusted to handle sensitive information appropriately.
  • Provide Feedback-After a session, provide your interpreter with feedback, or let us know at feedback@languageloop.com.au. This ensures continuous improvement of our services.

Effective collaboration with interpreters is key to overcoming language barriers and ensuring clear, accurate communication. No matter how you engage with a language professional following these basic guidelines can enhance your experience and outcomes.

What to know more? We offer tailored training for your staff to improve their effectiveness when working with an interpreter.


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This blog post is brought to you by LanguageLoop, Australia’s leading language services provider. With our commitment to facilitating communication across diverse Australian society, we turn words into possibilities.  Follow us on social media to learn more.

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With our network of over 3,600 professional interpreters, in 190+ languages (including Indigenous languages) we enable you to connect with your customers in any language, anywhere, anytime.

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