How important is Body Language in Interpreting?

“You might wonder what I am talking about. An interpreter is an interpreter. They translate from one language to another, don’t they?

What has body language got to do with it? 

Well actually, a great deal. Some say as much as 93% of communication is non-verbal and if the whole conversation is taking place by phone, just think about how much could be missed. 

Whilst it is not the interpreter’s role to make judgements of any nature about the person they are interpreting for, an appreciation of the apparent state of mind of that individual will definitely help them to interpret more successfully. Nervousness for example, will not always be obvious in the voice but can certainly come across in the body language. Lack of eye contact, fidgeting or holding the head downwards may indicate this also. A good interpreter can pick up on these things if they see them and make sure their own expressions and tone of voice are appropriate to give confidence and trust to the other person.

In other settings, the surroundings or dress of the other parties can indicate expectations and attitudes not evident in the voice but which are important to the way a meeting is best conducted. Is this a formal meeting or is it more casual? Such knowledge will help the interpreter to conduct themselves appropriately and select the correct tone and vocabulary. Once again, if it is evident to the other attendees that the interpreter clearly appreciates the nuances of the situation they will feel more confident in them which will, in turn, give a more positive feel to the meeting.

Of course, nothing can beat a meeting in person. That is undoubtedly the best form of communication.

However, we also understand that you do not always have enough notice to be able to arrange such meetings in time or there may be practical reasons why this is not possible. In such circumstances, the next best thing is undoubtedly a video meeting -  a virtual face-to-face meeting.

Nowadays there are many platforms available and our linguists are more and more experienced at using these.

Just let us know if arranging such a meeting would be helpful; not the least of which because it certainly widens the availability of a suitable interpreter.  Get in touch soon.”

Eileen, Talking Heads founder.