How to be a great relay in simultaneous

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.

This episode is about relay: what annoys you when you're taking relay, what you find helpful, and your tips for being a good relay for other interpreters.

There's a longer version of this podcast if you're still thirsty for more. It covers the same content, but with more thoughts, stories, explanations...and echoey sound!

You can find the longer version here.

This was the first time I ran a survey so I could incorporate your thoughts and experiences into the podcast, and I really enjoyed it! Many thanks to everyone who contributed.

Your top pet peeves were:

Relay too fast/read out"undigested", relay follows syntax of original, leaves words in original language etc.unclear pronunciation/strong accenttoo hesitant, lots of pausesunfinished sentencesmumbling/poor enunciationconvoluted syntax, chaoticnot quick enough off the mark, or not releasing the channel fast enough at the end

The top things you found helpful when taking relay were:

"cleaning up" the output, i.e. salami/adding structure/KISS - basically, not being a parrotclarity, avoiding ambiguitypronunciation, especially of NAMES, figures, difficult conceptsclear enunciationall sentences finished, complete ideas'good pace' - evensimple language, avoiding idiomscalm and confidentsummarising/being concisepausing between sentences, or using intonation to separate ideasgood intonation

More than 3/4 of respondents said they adapt their output when they know they are being taken on relay. Here are the top suggestions:

Chunking!! Keep sentences short, with simple grammar.Remove padding and stick to the main point (i.e. simplify, edit)Pronounce names especially clearly (slow down); figures tooSlow downAvoid weird and wonderful idiomsStay calm even if you don't feel calmStart quickly - don't leave relay-takers hanging

Some of the resources I mentioned in the podcast:

My podcast episode about clarity in simultaneousMy podcast episode about being concise in simultaneousThe longer, unedited version of this podcast with more stories, thoughts, quotes, etc.This LinkedIn post by Ilhem Bezzaoucha about catching names when interpreting

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