
Planning for a big impact
It’s the start of the year and you want to have big impact reaching multicultural communities. How about an event where many communities are invited, and interpreters will be there to overcome the language barrier? What could go wrong?
Multiple interpreters in a group setting: A cautionary tale
The organisers are pleased. They look out and see 40 people from various language backgrounds who have come to learn about a health issue. The speaker’s presentation begins, then the problems arise. Instead of steady consecutive communication, there are many people speaking at the same time. Community members are saying they can’t hear their interpreter properly; others don’t know where their interpreter is and the interpreters appear confused, unable to hear what is being said. Throughout all this the speaker keeps stoically talking, without pause.
What went wrong?
An idea that promised so much was undone by a lack of planning. The interpreters and the speaker were not briefed. People were not properly separated by language group so there would not be language interference from others. The interpreter was not correctly positioned so that not everyone from that language group could hear the interpreter clearly. The room used was not suitable for the event. The hard floor made everything noisy which interfered with everyone’s hearing. There’s more, but by now you get the picture.
It can work well
A poor event such as the one outlined can damage your relationship with communities. A bit of planning goes a long way. Considerations include event and room planning, preparing interpreters and guest speakers, and having an event co-ordinator. The coordinator role on the day is critical and it should be someone who is not involved in any other role on the day. Such an event needs a boss!
Need help?
Later this year CEH will release an information sheet on this topic. In the meantime you can watch a webinar Working with interpreters in group settings on our members webpage. It’s free to join.