This book is now in its Third Edition having recently been revised and updated. It is also available as an e-Book (Kindle). It has been described by Sherrill J. Bell, Executive Director of NAATI at the time of its first publication, as "one of the most significant contributions to the field of interpreting and translating in Australia in the past decade. It represents the only major publication in Australia on this specific aspect of interpreting in recent years. As such, it provides an all-encompassing reference work for prospective conference interpreters, for conference organisers, for interpreting and translation educators and for individuals generally interested in the profession." "The book is written in a very free style that clearly reflects the enthusiasm and vibrancy of the author. Its content is informative and practical, often based on scientific principles, while at the same time interspersed with humour and fascinating anecdotes. The book has the remarkable quality of conveying serious and important concepts in a format that is user-friendly and enjoyable to read. In summary, Conference Interpreting is a most significant contribution to the field of interpreting in Australia and internationally. It should be required reading for all those involved with the profession. It begins with the history of interpreting in Europe and Australia, then looks at how it is done today, and what lies ahead. The different modes of interpretation are explained; there are tips for beginners such as how to overcome stage fright, what to do if you miss something, booth behaviour and microphone manners, how to become a graceful scapegoat, economise your voice and make delegates laugh as well as how to deal with Australianisms. A chapter is devoted to conference organisers, another to protocol and etiquette, after-dinner speeches and press conferences, as well as the duties, responsibilities and ethics of the profession, how to improve your performance, working for radio and television and the special requirements, gravity and complexity of court interpreting. The bodies that make up UN and EU are detailed and the languages used. Finally a comprehensive bibliography is given with suggestions for further reading. This book is intended to help language students, would-be interpreters, conference organizers and delegates as well as those who have studied interpretation techniques but lack booth experience and are reluctant to launch themselves into this challenging but satisfying, stimulating, even exhilarating, profession. It is not about the theory of interpretation but rather a 'hands-on' manuel explaining how simultaneous interpretation works, how it is done, the pitfalls to avoid, which languages are most in demand and where.
About the Author: Valerie Taylor-Bouladon lived in Geneva for more than thirty years, working for United Nations and its Specialized Agencies (ITU, ILO, WHO, WMO, GATT/WTO, UNCTAD, ECOSOC, FAO, UNESCO, ISO, IEC, OECD, the European Community, AELE and the International Atomic Energy Agency) as a minute-writer, then translator, reviser/proof-reader and finally as a consecutive and simultaneous conference interpreter. She has been a member of the International Association of Conference Interpreters since 1971 and was elected Council Member for the Asia-Pacific Region (which she created) from 1984 -1988. She moved to Australia in 1978 and became the AIIC representative in Australia and negotiator with the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters in 1982, becoming their first NAATI Level 5 (French and Spanish) and a Founding Member of the Australian Institute of Translators and Interpreters as well as President of their Conference Interpreter Professional Section. She was Visiting Lecturer and Chief Examiner at Queensland University Level 4 Interpreting Course (M.A.) (Japanese) for some fifteen years, setting the syllabus, providing the examination papers and marking system. She interpreted at the first Heart Transplant round table with Prof. Barnard and other world experts at the World Health Organization, Geneva, in 1967, the first World Conference on Space Communications, UN conferences on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, the first Arab/Israeli discussions after the Yom Kippur war, for Valéry Giscard d'Estaing at the Tokyo Round GATT Trade Negotiations, translated from Russian the first colour television standards documents and interpreted at the subsequent international conference on that subject. She interpreted at numerous Cancer Research Expert Panels in Lyon, France, for French television and the Non-Aligned Movement in Africa and former Yugoslavia where she was Marshal Tito's and Fidel Castro's personal interpreter. Also at the annual International Labour Conferences held in June each year in Geneva. Since coming to live in Australia she has interpreted on many occasions in Parliament House, Canberra, for the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs during visits of Heads of State from non-English-speaking countries including the President of Argentina and the Prime Minister of France. She was also Prince Sihanouk's personal interpreter over a period of two years at the Peace in Cambodia talks in Jakarta, Indonesia.