Those other things and the intervening medium

Read in the Sydney Herald Morning web site, in the article "Credibility concerns prompt calls for interpreting training" :

"We can train them to do well those other things that do have an impact on the outcome".

The article refers to court interpreting.

"'Most barristers would form the view that a jury is likely to lose the impact of a witness it there's an intervening medium such as an interpreter.''

A catalogue of those other things, that is besides the words output, requires a big shift from language considerations into gestures, tone, speed, attitude and more, and the position, presence of the intervening medium. The attitudes of the intervening medium is also heavily culturally built and biased. It's just a feeling, nothing quantified or deeply thought about. In Japan, the communication dynamics in liaison interpreting is determined to an extend I assume to be large by the nationality of the interpreter and the rapport of nationality between the interpreter and her direct clients. It is by no means limited to Japan. But what is clear here at least is that Japanese at large are ill at ease and suspicious with an interpreter who is not Japanese. When they have a choice, they dismiss the non-Japanese interpreter. This single element defines the market. And when it is the foreign clients who come with their own interpreter, the nationality of that intervening medium is a major element that is to define the dynamics of interactions. Has anyone written about this?

Addendum:

Also read this corollary article : New research reveals the importance of accurate court interpreting

How these reflections should be extended to interpretation outside the court, into all the possible situations of liaison (community) interpreting? I am especially concerned here with business interpreting where there are outcomes and issues and consequences at stake too, with various degrees of severity.

Your mission starts now

As a business liaison interpreter and thanks to writing this blog as a way to focus and think, and also thanks to reading whatever academic paper is available around, it looks now obvious that an assignment does not start when interpreting is required, but prior to this.

I was thinking deep and clear about that fact while commuting the other day where I was to meet first time a new client and bring him to the meeting point with his local business partners. We were about to spend three days together, me as his hired interpreter. It may sound trite to highlight that the business relationship that had been mostly epistolary until the meeting was about to start the very moment I was to recognize him in the lobby and shake hands. The first contact and the following minutes spent to know each other are crucial and related with interpersonal skills. It is a time of trial when you are not especially comfortable meeting people first time. I am one of these uncomfortable lad. It can be done though. Nay, it must be done, and perfection is not required.

These first minutes should be dealt with strategy in mind, and not only as a time to try and get a good briefing before interpretation actually starts. In fact, granted the client doesn't engage right away into the matter at stake, and you have some time ahead, just don't jump asking questions about what's coming next. Instead, invest emotionally.

I called this moment in front of my students a few days ago a time for "emotional investment". Whether you will deal again with that customer or not is not an issue. Just walk the walk as if you are building a lasting relationship with a repater. You must create a good impression, a sense of your reliability, competence in navigating the space - this time moving by subway to another location or giving instructions to the taxi.

Besides covering the mundane like how was the trip, is it your first time coming in Japan, etc., I have found that whenever possible, asking questions about the town from where the client comes is a sure way to gain granular insights and please that person because evoking home usually feels good. Don't give a presentation on Japan, the Japanese. I did more than one time and it was wrong. Keep your answers short and smile, and whenever the focus falls on you the interpreter, don't keep it that way and progressively push it back to the client by asking questions.

Be reassuring, especially with clients who need to be reassured. Not all business travelers are comfortable ... with traveling, especially abroad. Be reassuring by deeds more than by words, help when the business card exchange happen. Ceremonials and formalism can generate stress with some clients, even with those who are not new to Japan. Being of help by doing, ushering, smoothing, that is, interfering to allow interaction beyond words to go smoothly, when smoothness is required, is one quality that is rewarded with much praise, even more than "pure linguistic" competences.

I could go on like that and break into more minute parts the interaction that is pre-assignmental. I will do it one day. In the meantime, all this that is learned the hard way by just doing it is vastly missing at least in the literature on interpretation outside the booth. Maybe they talk seriously and in depth about these many aspects of the job in schools, but it doesn't show outside school. That is why, the repetitious counsels like being good at social interaction without drilling down what is meant by this should be refrained from in the writing of professionals. If you do not intend to elaborate, don't mention the mundane. Because the mundane, mundane as it is needs to be drilled down to start being meaningful.

A late Happy New Year to my Customers

January 15th is the traditional deadline to wish a Happy New Year in Japan. Therefore, this post is not exactly late. Stories of business crunch, budget reduction, dwindling registrations already abound. It is therefore a good time to scrap communication budget, including hiring an interpreter when needed. I invite you not to use an interpreter. Just quit. Save money, save time. So long. Hasta luego. Ciao!

Still reading? OK. One more thing.

That "when needed" above is of variable value. In times of money pinch like these current times, the broken, if not pulverized to smithereen English (or French) of your counterparts in Japan may start appearing bearable, palatable or whatever taste you like it. We will do without that cost, that is, the interpreter.

Unfortunately, just like market research, there is no nice, clean and clear formula that demonstrates how much your company may be loosing through lousy communication. And lousy communication it is not just a matter of broken English.

They said yes! And back in your home country, nothing more happens until you come back to Japan and have again that "clarification meeting", the third in three years, to straighten bolts and nuts that were supposed to be iron locked. The reality is that those bolts didn't get loose. They were not there from day one, but their nodding what interpreted as an Obamaism : "yes we can".

And they did not, or just half of it.

I even had once a client where his Japanese counterpart was clearly upset at the fact that they were communicating through an interpreter for the first times in years. Gestures had their advantages, especially on one side of the interaction. Dilution of meaning was a strategy that broken English and semaphoric mimics allowed.

That is why despite the current crunch, I would advise you to think twice before you cut the interpreter's budget or reduce it so much you'll get what the money pay for. In doubt, hire an interpreter, a business, liaison interpreter at that.

Happy New Year and better business to Us All.