Content for training in business liaison interpreting

Whereas informative content that helps keeping wet in matters of business talk is available aplenty, it is hardly the same when it comes to secure content that comes close what really happens during business liaison interpreting settings. I suspect that the key issue with developing curriculum is directly related with matters of content. After close to a semester of testing business presentation interpretation in the classroom, I can certify that it works and does look very much like the real thing. The trainer has to be a playful partner in the setting, pretending to be a real businessman doing a presentation. Online documents, especially power point presentations on many subjects are available for nothing. Some modifications are needed and the trainer cum presenter has to do his homework as much as the students. Ideally, the course would be run with two trainers, each a native speaker of one of the language pair. Currently, it is not the case so doing Japanese to French business presentation has been a little bit tricky. IR presentations, and especially corporate overview not too much loaded with figures are available online, in Japanese, with audio or video. That is what we have been using. As it is public content, the students can easily locate these although I strongly suggest them not to do so. The powerpoints documents are readily available so the students are given a full week to work on these. As far as recreating the real thing in the classroom, it can be better.

A more common situation however is the discussion sessions, negotiations, persuasions that take place in small committees around meeting table, sometimes with very thin attendance.   These could be reproduced granted we work as a combination and both trainers are budding actors. Getting involvement from students within formats to be defined is also a possible alternative. As most students are working grownups, some could be volunteers to make in Japanese a presentation of their own workplace must that may be tricky. Locating at the beginning of the new term those who might accept, those that are more open minded than the others may be required next time.

In the public sphere, the video of the grilling of the committee reviewing public spending and led by current Minister of State for Government Revitalization Renho could make for interesting training material, granted they can be retrieved.

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Lionel Dersot
Language Interpretation for Business and Technology in Tokyo
Japan Liaison Agency and Business Support Services
Mobile : +81 90 6858 1106
Fax: +1 815 572-8300
lionel.dersot@japan-interpreters.com
Skype : lionelskp
http://www.lioneldersot.com
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