In most international meetings, it is very common that the participants do not always speak the same language. When using voice or audio/video communication, it is important that there is understanding and that the message is not lost or distorted.
To maintain an effective and successful conference call, it is essential to have an interpreter. This will not only make the flow of information smooth, but it will also meet the expectations of all participants and make the meeting useful for the company. In this article, we tell you about the best ways to hold meetings in different languages.
How to add language interpreters to meetings
Simultaneous interpretation is the best option for adding language interpreters to meetings, as it allows all participants to understand what is being said in real-time during a multilingual meeting.
Simultaneous interpreting in a cabin
In this case, the interpreters are isolated in a booth with their headphones on. As they listen to the participants’ speech, they translate what is said in real-time and this translation is played directly in the participants’ headphones. Microphones for all performers and sound management are built into the booth.
Steps to add language interpreters to meetings
Provide preparatory documents:
- The program and the names of the speakers.
- The presentation.
- A glossary of specific terms and acronyms that may be mentioned at the meeting.
- All the content that will help the interpreters carry out their work in the most effective way possible.
Prepare the communication material:
- The microphones for the interpreters and the headphones for the participants should be tested.
Reserve a suitable place for the interpreter:
- The interpreter’s job is based on perfectly hearing all the words. Being able to observe the speakers allows them to gather additional information and helps them achieve a better quality of language interpretation.
- If it is not possible to reserve a seat for the interpreters with an appropriate view, they can be located in an adjoining room, where they will be able to see the speakers through a video link, for example.
What’s the difference between a translator and an interpreter?
Why should you organize a multilingual meeting?
A multilingual meeting can be organized in different situations and for different purposes. For example, it could be the case that you need to speak with your suppliers to establish an import or export strategy for their products.
In most industries operating in the international market, companies may have to organize a multilingual meeting to get together all the employees to comment on the results of the company, plans, and strategy. It is also common for multilingual conferences to be organized regularly in different fields of research.
However, organizing meeting controls and multilingual conferences is not always easy, as several aspects must be taken into account, including the difference in cultures and the difference in languages or dialect amongst participants.
Learn how to run a multi-languages conference
7 essential tips to host a multilingual meeting
Here are 7 essential tips to host a multilingual meeting:
- Choose an interpretation system
- Find a common language
- Anticipate the needs of participants
- Learn about the culture of the participants
- Get support in organizing your multilingual meeting
- Consider hosting a remote multilingual meeting
- Identify the language matching of the meeting
1. Choose the interpretation system
The chosen system depends on the linguistic configuration of the meeting. In the event that none of the participants speak the same language, assigning an interpreter to each language group is a good decision.
Each interpreter must master the culture of the country of the person to whom they are going to translate their speech in order to interpret certain jargon that may be said. Giving specific instructions to the language interpreter is a must.
2. Find a common language for the participants
In the case of the language of choice, it is important to ensure that all participants are fluent in that foreign language and feel comfortable with it. Otherwise, they may not understand part of the speech or may misinterpret it.
In no case should you assume that all participants master or understand English, even if you are used to your communication with them being in English. Keep in mind that there is a difference between writing short emails, having a professional conversation in English, understanding a debate, and participating in a multilingual meeting.
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3. Anticipate the needs of multilingual meeting participants
Anticipating the needs of each of the participants is vital for the meeting to run smoothly. Planning the meeting in advance and hiring an interpretation team are things to consider. Likewise, you should also evaluate the needs in terms of space and the number of participants.
4. Learn about the cultures of the participants
It is essential to inform yourself in advance about the different cultures of the participants who will be present during the multilingual meeting. Remember that gestural communication is also very important, and certain gestures, tones, or messages that are normal for you could be poorly perceived by other cultures.
5. Get support in organizing your multilingual meeting
If organizing a meeting is already something that requires a lot of skills, organizing a multilingual meeting is far more complicated. If you don’t have the skills or just don’t have the time to take care of everything, getting help from a specialized interpreting company will be your best option.
SM Global is a company whose goal is to ease communication and attend to entertainment needs. Our interpreting services are built for a single purpose: to accommodate you in all situations, whether they be casual or professional events.
A major issue with interpretation is finding an interpreting service that is willing and able to travel to the event destination to perform the translation. Localization has always been an issue in interpretation services. At SM Global, thanks to the use of modern tools and equipment, we can find solutions to different situations/locations you may find yourself in.
6. Consider hosting a remote multilingual meeting
Due to current circumstances, many multilingual meetings today are primarily held online. There are many highly recommended applications to use to host a multilingual online meeting. Zoom is so far the most popular application in the past year.
This program even offers simultaneous interpretation functionality: all you have to do is invite the interpreters to the video conference and they can translate on a specific audio channel, participating as guests. This software also has many other interesting functions, such as creating a waiting room before the meeting, scheduling reminders, letting guests raise their hands to participate, or recording the meeting.
7. Identify the language matchings of the meeting
The meeting will likely be held between people with two languages, generating the matching of languages such as Spanish-English, Chinese-English, among others. However, it may also be the case that in the meeting there is a crossing of three alternate languages, so it is important to identify in advance which languages the participants will speak to better plan the meeting and the interpretation system.
Need Interpretation Services?
Using SM Global’s interpreting services will ensure that your events will unfold in a pleasant way for all guests which helps build a strong brand awareness. We offer a broad range of expert services that will cover your every need, whether it is standard interpreting for court or social services, confidential meetings, or touristic sites.
For long distances or online meetings, our web and app-based approach will provide you with high-quality and reliable translation for your deals to be a success.