Church Interpretation Training and Best Practices

Quick Links

Getting Started Skills Development Best Practices Handout Messages from Church Leaders Key Terms Helpful Tips Language Settings in Gospel Library Approved Church Terms and Reference Materials in Different Languages Share Your Experience

Getting Started

The first step to becoming a successful interpreter is being bilingual. Whether you learned a second language at home, through school, on a mission, or in some other way, you need to continue studying your native language and any language(s) you will be interpreting. Fortunately, many of the ways interpreters develop and practice their skills include techniques that reinforce language learning.

Skills Development

The following interpreter training methods can be modified to fit your level and needs. Do steps 1-5 in your native language first to get a good feel for the exercises. Focus on the parts that are the most challenging to you. Follow the instructions in Step 6 to then repeat steps 1-5 in a target language. Practice often and seek feedback from native speakers, if possible. As you gain mastery over steps 1-6, proceed to steps 7-9. Work with other interpreters as appropriate to receive helpful guidance and mentor less-experienced interpreters.

1. Scripted Mimicking

Translators and Interpreters in the Conference Center

Practice scripted simultaneous interpreting by listening and reading out loud at the same time. Open an audio recording (e.g. a General Conference talk on the Gospel Library app). Read the script out loud while the speaker gives his or her talk. It might help to have a laptop or other second device (or printed material) to read from.

TIP: Be ready for small content differences between the spoken and textual versions of recorded General Conference talks. Sometimes speakers go off-script during their talk. When what is said over the pulpit differs significantly from the original script, a transcription is made to update the written versions of the talk in all languages. Small differences that do not affect meaning are considered acceptable, as long as the speaker’s message is still properly conveyed in the written format.

2. Unscripted Shadowing

Practice unscripted simultaneous interpreting by listening to and repeating what a speaker says without using any form of script. This will create a natural lag between the speaker’s words and your words as you listen to what is said then repeat it out loud.

Tip: Try this with different speakers, starting with those who have a moderate speech rate (fewer words per minute) and an accent you are familiar with. Work your way up to speakers with a faster speech rate and accents you are less familiar with. If you are having trouble keeping up with a speaker, try turning the playback speed down a notch for a while. Or, conversely, try interpreting with the speed turned up a notch then go back to normal speed. This will cause the normal speed to start feeling slower to you. Our brains are wonderfully adaptive and can be trained to process faster in this way.

3. Lag Exercises

Elder Dallin H. Oaks trip to the South Pacific April 16-29 2013

Elder Oaks speaking with a translator at a Stake Conference in Samoa.

Strengthen your interpreting memory through lag exercises. Remember the word(s) you hear then, after a brief pause, repeat the word(s) while the speaker says the next word(s). Do not repeat the word(s) you hear until you hear the next word(s).

Warm-up Exercises

Intermediate Exercises

Advanced Exercises

4. Paraphrase Practice

Women from a Portuguese-speaking branch watch the general women’s session of general conference in the Roswell Georgia Stake center.

While applying the principles of the practice methods above, mimic or shadow a talk but this time purposefully lag behind the speaker by several words and say the same message you hear but in slightly different words. Convey the same ideas and meanings as the speaker without using the same words. For example, “My thoughtful mother always told me that I should never tell a lie” could become, “My mother taught me to tell the truth.” Practice paraphrasing while staying as close as you can to the speaker’s meaning. This is a critical skill to develop that will help you save time and get around vocabulary roadblocks while you are interpreting.

5. Add Notetaking

With a notepad and a writing instrument or an electronic device, mimic or shadow a talk while taking notes on key points and data the speaker is conveying.

TIP: If you find this to be too challenging at first, try writing something you have memorized, like the alphabet or sequential numbers starting with 1 while you do the practice exercises. Once you are used to this new element, increase the complexity by writing things that require a little more thinking, like the alphabet from end to beginning (Z to A) or number multiples like every 7^th number starting with 4 (4, 11, 18, 25…). Try writing the words to a favorite poem or hymn while you practice.

6. Target Language

Translators for General conference. They start at 7:00pm and go to 3:00am for the Saturday conference translation in Nairobi, Africa.

Repeat steps 1-5, but in a target language. For step 3 (Lag Exercises), you will need to go to another language page or create your own recordings.

TIP: Follow these suggested steps to create your own lag exercises: Acquire a free or inexpensive recording device or app. Select a book, page of scripture, or transcript of a talk to read from. Place your finger on the page near the beginning, then start the recorder and read aloud one or more words where your finger is. Skip ahead several words or just drop down a line and read aloud one or more words again. Try to wait 2 to 3 seconds between your word sets. Do this for at least five minutes to create a new lag exercise in your target language. Teach a native speaker about lag exercises and ask him or her to create some for you. You might ask some of the target audience you interpret for to create these exercises for you. Share your new lag exercises with other interpreters.

7. Two Languages

Repeat steps 1-5 but interpret from one language into another. For (1) Scripted Mimicking, listen in one language while you follow along reading aloud in another as if you were interpreting for that speaker. For (2) Unscripted Shadowing and (3) Lag Exercises, all your language knowledge and interpreting practice will be put to the test. For these, listen in one language while you interpret into another without a script. As you do steps 1, 2, and 3, paraphrase what the speaker says from time to time as you did in step 4 and take notes as you did in step 5.

8. Consecutive Interpreting

9. Personal Feedback

Best Practices Handout

Download and print a few copies of this handout for speakers and teachers being interpreted at Church meetings. Become familiar with the handout and its purpose then share it with your leaders and discuss how your ward or branch might best make use of it. It might work well, for example, to have an executive secretary share a list of upcoming speakers so this handout can be given to the assigned speakers.

Speaker Best Practices

Messages from Church Leaders

Bishop Gérald Caussé 2023 message to global interpreters

Bishop Keith B. McMullin 2007 message to interpreters

Bishop H. David Burton 2007 message to interpreters

Key Terms

Translation: The conversion of a textual message in one language to a textual message with equivalent meaning in another language.
Interpretation: The conversion of a spoken or signed message in one language to a spoken or signed message with equivalent meaning in another language.
Program Language(s): The main language(s) used in a meeting.
Source Language (SL): The language in which a message is originally given.
Target Language (TL): The language into which a message is to be interpreted (or, if written, translated).
Native Language: The language in which a person has the greatest ease of expression, which is usually the language a person spoke at home while growing up.
Consecutive Interpretation: Interpretation in which the source language speaker and the interpreter take turns. The speaker says a sentence or two then pauses while the interpreter gives the interpretation in the target language.
Simultaneous Interpretation: Interpretation in which the source language speaker does not pause and the interpreter speaks at the same time but lags a few words or phrases behind. Simultaneous interpretation almost always includes the use of transmitters for the interpreters and receivers connected to headphones for their target audience.

Helpful Tips

When practicing, start with speakers who are moderately paced and easy for you to understand.
Try doing your interpretation practice exercises while you do physical exercise, like going for a walk.
Ask fellow interpreters how they practice interpreting and share with them what has worked for you.
Record yourself doing interpretation exercises in your target language then ask a native speaker to critique your pronunciation and word choices.
Create lag exercises in a target language.
Focus on meaning more than words as you practice interpreting. While staying true to the message, reword some phrases you hear into your own words.
Be patient with the process of building interpreter skills and practice often.
Study the scriptures, General Conference talks, and other Church publications in your target language(s).
Learn more about the interpretation equipment you use and how to properly care for it.
Prayerfully ponder why interpretation is important to you, the people around you, and to the Lord’s work.
Remember the power of the spoken word (See Alma 31). Interpret with faith in Him whose words you are helping to convey.
This is the Lord’s work. You should prayerfully seek divine assistance as you practice and every time you are called upon to interpret.

Language Settings in Gospel Library

These images show how to change your language setting or playback speed in the Gospel Library app using an iPhone:

Approved Church Terms and Reference Materials in Different Languages

Church Terms in Other Languages:
Church Translated Materials (including LDS version of Spanish Bible)

Share Your Experience

Let us know what you think about these training resources. For additional support, provide your stake and ward information. Interpretation@churchofjesuschrist.org

Last Updated On 5 Dec 2023