'Ums' and 'ers' in interpreting - can they be eliminated?

The Complete Interpreter

Hi! Welcome to the Complete Interpreter podcast by the Interpreting Coach.
Why 'Complete Interpreter'? Because you're not just an interpreting or translation machine, you're also a person and a business owner, and I hope to help you take a 360 view of yourself and share some great tried-and-tested strategies to improve your interpreting skills, mindset, and marketing.
In this episode, I talk about the dreaded 'ums' and 'ers' that can interrupt the flow of our interpreting.
Quick summary:
To increase your awareness of 'ums'

• record yourself audio/video
• get a friend to listen and hit the table or hold up a paper
• tap your own leg
• use a rubber band whenever you say ‘um’

Why do you 'um'?

• habit
• anxiety/nerves
• trying to remember what to say (consec)
• trying to find the right word (retour) - say sth generic
• keep the attention of the audience, signal that your sentence isn’t fnished
• being overwhelmed by speech & density (simultaneous)

Tips for reducing 'ums':

• slow down (consec)
• pause (we think faster than we speak. We think pauses sound huge. We sound more confident with pauses. Pauses don’t sound long in sim - you think they do because you have the other soundtrack as well)
• put your tongue behind your teeth instead of saying um
• LOOK UP - it’s harder to say um while looking at someone
• use sticks to shape sentences
• Consider your interpreting technique (salami; pauses in different places; plan chunks; improve your note-taking; improve your stress management)

Hope you found it useful.
Let me know what you'd like me to talk about next!
Sophie (aka The Interpreting Coach)

Support the Show.

My website and blog: https://theinterpretingcoach.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/interpretingcoach/
Twitter: @terpcoach
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-interpreting-coach/
Or email me at [e-mail]