Booth etiquette

Mónica Marín
Punctuality The only people who must always be on time for
meetings are the interpreters. For example:

➢ In the WTO, it happens that when a private

negotiation ended, the official meeting began but
you do not know at what moment it would be.
➢ The official meeting might last ten minutes and then
postponed
To arrive at the last minute, hair awry and out of breath.

From the participant's point of view, it is not a pleasure to

listen to a breathless voice, panting into the microphone
and switching off to ask in a loud, desperate voice:
"Which Committee is this? What are they talking about?"
Interpreters need to be in the booth fifteen minutes
before the scheduled starting time to check whether:

➔ There are any changes in the program

➔ Any new documents have been
circulated
➔ Any ad hoc working groups convened,
etc.
Team spirit and solidarity
❖ Team spirit and solidarity are
the order of the day.
❖ Your team will be judged as a
whole.Try to help one another
by :
★ Sharing vocabulary
★ Proposed translations for
new words,
★ New technologies
★ New scientific concepts
that have come up.
Remember, though, that there is nothing more
irritating than a colleague determined to help when
you don't need it, who keeps pushing notes in front
of you or, even worse, whispering suggested
wording when you prefer to do it your own way!

If you want help from your boothmate, ask for it -

scribble a few words on the notepad.If you do not,
also say so.
Sound levels
Try to speak always from the same
distance from the microphone and do
not turn away while interpreting.

➔ Do not rustle papers,

➔ Do not pour out water,
➔ Do not drum your fingers on the
work surface, etc.

In front of an open microphone. Avoid

noisy bangles in the booth.
Posture
Posture is important in voice production and
the work is far less tiring if your posture is
correct.

A slouching interpreter will not sound bright

and alert, nor even reliable.

Think of all you have heard about body

language. All of this also applies to your
posture as you sit in the booth
When not actually interpreting, do
not leave the meeting room for
longer than absolutely necessary
and avoid returning at the last
minute before taking over the
microphone.
When not working you should relax but continue to
listen to what is being said and be firm but courteous
with people who come by for a chat.
If your colleague has to leave the
booth for a short while, do not
abruptly hand over the microphone
the moment he returns, give him
time to pick up the thread of the
discussion again.
As a general rule,
respect your colleagues'
wishes (even unspoken)
regarding socializing in
the booth.

Not every interpreter is

able to deal with a
speech from the floor and
your life story in all the
gaps. Do all you can to
establish good working
relationships with your
colleagues - you all need
to be able to depend on
one another.
Even if you think you are one of the best
known interpreters in the profession,
introduce yourself to colleagues you have not
met before. Experienced interpreters should
make every effort to put newcomers at ease
and beginners should concentrate on doing a
good job rather than impressing their
boothmate.

It is good to include a beginner in a team

because they are the next generation of
interpreters.