Inclusivity, representativeness and the inclusion of diverse voices are all fundamental to best practice engagement. One piece of this puzzle is accessibility and this includes working with people who speak languages other than English.

One way to ensure people who are culturally and linguistically diverse can participate meaningfully is through the use of an interpreter.

When you bring an interpreter into a process, it’s important to think through how to work with them effectively and set them up for success. We interviewed Mandarin Interpreter Bruce Song and got his advice on just how to do this.

OVERCOMING LANGUAGE BARRIERS

In the below video Mandarin Interpreter Bruce Song shares his advice on how to effectively work with Interpreters so they can best support the participants in your next engagement process.

Mandarin Interpreter Bruce Song shares his thoughts on working with Interpreters

Preparation is key

Don’t just hire an interpreter and hope for the best, prepare for success!

Ensure all documentation that will be used during the process is complete and given to the interpreter in advance.
Brief the interpreter thoroughly on the project.
Allow time to for the interpreter to understand the context and ask questions prior to commencing.

“Good communication starts in the preparation phase.”

— Bruce Song, Mandarin Interpreter

SUPPORTing THE INTERPRETER

Don’t just ‘set and forget’ when it comes to interpreters. They’re part of your delivery team and you need to partner with them to ensure the participant experience is maximised.

Slow down your speech to allow the interpreter time to understand and relay the information to the listener.
Check-in regularly with the interpreter to confirm that they are happy with the pace.
Stay flexible and be prepared to adjust your timing.

“I’ve worked with MosaicLab on several occasions and the level of care and thoughtfulness towards people from other cultures (is something) I’ve never seen before in my 15 years of practice.”

— Bruce Song, Mandarin Interpreter

READY TO UPSKILL?

We offer a range of different facilitation training experiences for groups and organisations through our MosaicLab Academy. Our specialised practioners can deliver a course that is built on real-world experience, upskills your entire team, and builds internal capacity over the long-term.

Our facilitators are specialised in the design and delivery of deliberative processes. Our ‘Big Book’ of facilitating deliberation steps you through every element of this specialised form of facilitation.

You can also take our online, in-person or self-directed course ‘The Art of Facilitation’ which outlines how to plan, design and facilitate meetings and workshops that are interactive, enjoyable and highly productive.