Journalism *is* a translation by itself. I worked with interpreters when I couldn't learn the language myself. Even if my sources speak English, people open up much more in their mother tongue. These are wonderful tips, specially to ask them to "get in character". I would add to look for an interpreter that shows social skills, specially empathy- I've found that if they also care about the people you are talking to, they will be much more detailed in their interpretations and even provide extra context and implicit meanings to responses that escape formal translation.
Its unlikely I will ever need to interview someone in a language I don't speak, but the lessons in this essay are universal to how we interact with others. Thank you!
Journalism *is* a translation by itself. I worked with interpreters when I couldn't learn the language myself. Even if my sources speak English, people open up much more in their mother tongue. These are wonderful tips, specially to ask them to "get in character". I would add to look for an interpreter that shows social skills, specially empathy- I've found that if they also care about the people you are talking to, they will be much more detailed in their interpretations and even provide extra context and implicit meanings to responses that escape formal translation.
Its unlikely I will ever need to interview someone in a language I don't speak, but the lessons in this essay are universal to how we interact with others. Thank you!