■ In the interest of ensuring professional standards of quality, TAALS recommends that its members always endeavor to ensure that physical conditions not hinder them in the performance of their tasks. They must be able to see and hear properly. Simultaneous interpretation without a booth may lead to deterioration in sound quality and to such a level of ambient noise as to disturb both participants and interpreters.

■ Interpreting teams should be organized so as to avoid the systematic use of relay.

■ All engagements should be covered by a written contract which stipulates the fee, the duration of the appointment, the working languages, the hours of work, the name of the coordinating interpreter, briefing sessions and/or study days. Travel time and travel arrangements, accommodations, per diem, etc., as appropriate.

■ Contracts may also include provisions for compensating the interpreter when the proceedings are recorded (see Recording below).

■ Since a contract creates a firm and binding commitment and prevents an interpreter from accepting any other offer for the same period of time, a cancellation clause should be considered by the parties.

■ There may be provision for a coordinating interpreter, to serve as liaison between the conference organizer and the interpreters. If the coordinating interpreter cannot be present throughout the conference, he or she should designate another interpreter as team leader and acquaint that person with all necessary information.

■ Whispered interpretation is not generally recommended but may be used to work from one or two languages into a single language and for a small number of listeners. 

Preparation & Briefing

■ Since the interpreter must be well prepared, background material should be provided sufficiently in advance. In the case of technical and scientific conferences, interpreters may request a briefing session at the conference or an equivalent period of independent study.

Recording

Under some circumstances the work produced by interpreters may become their intellectual property thus protected by the Bern Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (Paris Text, 1971) Whenever this may have economic or commercial significance, the rights of the interpreter and of the employer to the work product should be

specified in the contract of employment.

The NRPSI is the National Register for Public Service Interpreters in the United Kingdom. The Register is administered by the Institute of Linguists.

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