Use these tips to have a productive interaction with your interviewee and the interpreter, even if you don't speak the same language
For some stories, journalists have to travel to other countries with different cultures and different languages which they might not necessarily speak themselves. That's when interpreters are needed during interviews.
In this article from IJNet, Clothilde Goujard, freelance journalist and IJNet contributor, provides tips from foreign correspondents on how reporters can build a bridge between themselves, the interviewee and the interpreter, even if the language is a barrier.
Quoted in the piece, Didem Tali, freelance journalist focusing on international development and gender issues, points out that you need to get a sense of the body language between the person who is translating and the one you are interviewing. For example, a source speaking about sexual violence might be uncomfortable with a male interpreter.
Some interpreters might also try to help by summarising what the other person has said, or they might be tempted to indicate their own opinion instead of that of the source, so you should always take time to double check the translation if possible, Goujard added.
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