The interpreter’s role and responsibilities

⦁    The interpreter must be comfortably seated and within sight of the persons for whom he or she is interpreting (in IPI).
⦁    Everything that is said must be interpreted, in the manner it was said. Nothing is left out, and nothing is added.
⦁    Speak directly to each other, not to the interpreter. Ask questions directly to the other party; do not tell the interpreter to ask.
⦁    Keep utterances short; this is most effective and yields the best results.
⦁    The interpreter must be unbiased and impartial. The interpreter must not, under any circumstances, express his or her own opinions or attitudes.
⦁    The communicating partners are responsible for both the contents and the flow of their conversation. If something is not clear, ask the other party what he or she meant.
⦁    If the interpreter cannot hear or understand parts of what is said, the interpreter will ask that the sentence be repeated, or he or she will ask for an explanation. In such situations, the repetition/explanation will be translated.
⦁    The interpreter’s duty of confidentiality is absolute.
⦁    In the event the interpreter takes any notes, these will be destroyed at the end of the conversation.
⦁    Please respect the interpreter’s time.
⦁    Give the interpreter a break after no more than 60 minutes of conversation.