Interpreter in the Playground. Learning to Speak the Language of Children
Interpreter in the Playground. Learning to Speak the Language of Children

Summary/Abstract: As interpreters, we learn how important it is to take into consideration our audience, its expectations, needs and education. But what if our public were made up of seven-year olds? Wouldn’t that sound easier than addressing a group of scientists? At a first glance, we may consider it a child play, but when faced with this situation one realizes that youngsters can seriously test interpreting skills. This paper seeks to portray the challenges of interpreting for children and is primarily based on first-hand experience in interpreting for children. We will be focusing on the peculiarities of interpreting for children – the tone of voice, the choice of words, the approach, etc.; the role of the interpreter who needs to do more than interpret, but also entertain, support or instruct; and the challenges that intervene when interpreting for such a young audience. We seek to illustrate here how we can become interpreters for children, being able to speak their language while maintaining professional standards.

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