Do not, however, make recordings yourself without first clearing with the organiser. As interpreters we are bound to professional secrecy by our Code of Conduct and it would be unprofessional not to obtain the organiser’s prior consent.

If you do not like the sound of what you hear, do something about it. If you identify linguistic weaknesses, be prepared to spend some time in a country of that language or go on one of the increasing number of language enhancement curses being run by AIIC members. If the problem is one of content, make a sustained effort to fill in your knowledge of the areas in which you are weak. Check the AIIC Bulletin for special courses run by colleagues on such areas as Medical Terminology, Legal and Court Interpreting, etc.

Pay particular attention to your voice. Voice is probably the feature in an interpreter to which delegates attach the greatest importance. Time and time again a good interpreter has been poorly ranked by delegates because of an unpleasant voice or tiresome vocal mannerisms. Less able, less accurate colleagues have been preferred because of a pleasant voice and reassuring delivery. It is difficult to assess the quality of one’s own voice, so get a third party, who does not know you, to listen to a recording of your voice and comment on it. If the response is not entirely satisfactory take action. A lot can be done to improve the sound of one’s voice and as voice is as essential to an interpreter as to an actor, it is worth a special effort. If your delivery is uneven, practice different styles of delivery. If you are still not satisfied with your progress, be prepared to invest little money in sessions with a voice coach.

You can always ask a colleague with the right language combination or specialist of a pa

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