An interpreter should have active listening skills, understand spoken words and meanings, and interpret them correctly into another language. Interpreters need language proficiency, pleasant attitudes, and social skills. They should dress professionally. Qualities to look for when hiring an interpreter include accuracy, integrity, preparation, cultural competence, confidentiality, effectiveness under pressure, and overcoming cultural barriers. At minimum, interpreters need fluency in two languages. Additional assets are vocabulary, motor and cognitive skills, cultural knowledge, impartiality, and emotional resilience.
Good Qualities
- Language proficiency
- Listening skills
- Cultural knowledge
- Confidentiality
- Resilience
Additional assets include vocabulary, cognitive skills, impartiality, and adapting to overcome barriers.
Personal appearance and attitude are also important. An interpreter should have perfect language fluency combined with social skills and a pleasant, friendly attitude. This job can be very stressful, so an easy-going personality is vital. Interpreters need to be attentive listeners.
Vital Requirements
- Fluency in at least two languages
- Accuracy and integrity
- Quality obsession
Honesty about language fluency is also key – it’s normal not to know some words, but these should be noted down rather than skipped over.
Cultural awareness helps an interpreter convey what a non-native speaker means. Empathetic listening skills allow an interpreter to understand speakers. Clear speaking and conciseness allows effective communication of information. Strong reading and writing skills mean interpreters can understand and interpret written words.
- Listening
- Understanding
- Interpreting
Additional assets include vocabulary, impartiality, resilience, social skills, accuracy, and integrity. Professional appearance and pleasant attitudes are necessary. Empathy and conciseness are vital. Writing and reading skills allow understanding written words. Memory and note-taking help ensure accurate interpretations.