Interpreters play a vital role in ensuring seamless communication between ministers, deputy ministers and officials. In virtual and hybrid settings, they face unique challenges due to the high risk of sound problems. These problems can prevent interpreters from doing their jobs well and can be detrimental to their health. As a participant at these meetings, you can rise to the challenge by following the requirements and best practices outlined below. These are based on expert advice from interpreter organizations around the world and follow the International Standards Organization (ISO) standard 20109 on interpretation.
Interpreters wear headsets for extended periods and are exposed to a continuous stream of audio. They often have to adjust their speakers to a higher volume to hear properly. When participants use poor-quality or omnidirectional microphones, background noise, sudden loud sounds, and overlapping voices can be transmitted directly into their ears. This can lead to:
A unidirectional mic is designed to pick up sound emitted in front of it while minimizing ambient noise. This focused pickup pattern offers several benefits:
Don’t use the following:
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Reminder: If you don’t have an accepted unidirectional mic, your remarks will not be interpreted. If you need help or would like to test your mic, reach out to the CICS contact for your meeting or email us directly at services@scics.ca. Thank you for your cooperation.
Protecting interpreters is not just a technical issue—it’s a matter of professional respect and occupational health. We must work together to create an environment where interpreters can perform their work safely and effectively.
By adopting unidirectional microphones as a standard, we not only improve the quality of interpretation but also uphold the dignity and well-being of the professionals who make multilingual communication possible.