If you are going to work as an interpreter in live situations, you need to know more than just the language. You need to know understand the culture, be able to anticipate what it is to come and work to keep your language skills sharp.

#1 Understand The Culture

It is not just enough to know the language, you also need to understand the culture where the language is from. For example, if you are a native English speaker from the United States, you may have a hard time following all the phrases and words used in an Australian television show because there are colloquial phrases that are used in every language. Colloquial phrases are ones that make sense if you are a part of the culture. 

Make efforts to learn more about the culture. Watch movies and television shows. Read books and talk to individuals about their culture experiences. If possible, visit the area. The deeper you understand the culture, the more accurately you will be able to translate. 

#2 Anticipate What Is To Come

Second, work on your ability to anticipate what is to come in a conversation. You can get better at figuring out what is going to come next by listening closely to what the person is saying and by paying attention to the overall context of the conversation. Paying attention to the overall context of the situation can help you figure out where the conversation is heading. Knowing where the conversation is heading can help you think about and anticipate what is to come, which will help make you more accurate translations. 

#3 Keep Your Language Skills Sharp

Finally, make sure that you are not just depending upon your job to keep your language skills sharp. Keep your language skills sharp by reading books in your second language. Make sure that you keep up your writing skills as well. Write down your to-do list and your grocery list in your second language. Write in a daily journal in your second language. Taking steps to strengthen your language skills outside of work will help you become a stronger interpreter. 

If you want to strengthen your interpretation skills, continue to keep your language skills sharp outside of work. Make an effort to understand the culture so you can achieve deeper translations that more accurately reflect what people are saying. Finally, work on your listening skills so you can anticipate where the conversation is going. These skills will make you a stronger interpreter.  For more information, contact companies like the Language Banc.

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