Advice to Speakers

The organizers of your conference will provide professional interpreters who will communicate your message to the delegates who do not speak your language. You can help them in that task by following these simple guidelines:

If you have prepared a speech or notes for your speech (even if you do not intend to read them), please make sure that the interpreters receive a copy so that they can become familiar with your subject and terminology. Since our role is to convey the meaning of your statements, do not hesitate to stray freely from your text. Since interpreters are bound by professional confidentiality, your document will be quite safe with them.
If your paper is very technical, you may wish to give the interpreters any technical vocabulary that you may have. You may also ask the conference secretariat to organize a short briefing for the interpreters.
If you want to show a film or transparencies, make sure that the interpreters have a copy of the script or text. The interpreters are usually located far from the screen and it will help them considerably if they have those documents.
Speak at your normal pace. Try to resist the natural tendency to speak much faster than usual when reading your text, otherwise you will lose your audience, and your message will not get across… in any language.
Please do not tap on the microphone to check if it is on as this could be harmful to the interpreter’s hearing. Simply say a few words like “Good morning” or “Thank you, Mr. Chairman”.
Do not speak too close to the microphone as this creates interference. Also, do not leave your receiver close to the microphone when you speak as this causes feedback.