Welcome to the
ISA Resource
Guide
Review interpreting techniques.
Complete exercises to help you brush up on the art of
interpretation. Practice interpreting before you take the
Interpreter Skills Assessment.
Section 1 | Communication Skills and Fluency
Show that your communication skills are fluent.
For this section, remember that the more you talk, the better the testing specialist can confirm that
you are fluent and comfortable in English. Prove your proficiency by continuing to speak until the
testing specialist tells you to stop.
Sample question: “If you could plan your dream vacation, where would you go, who would
you invite along and what would you do?”
Exercise - Talk a Lot!
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT TIP
Watch or listen to media (TV, radio, podcasts, YouTube, movies, etc.) in English, and repeat as
much of the dialogue word-for-word as possible. Brush up on any grammar or vocabulary you
may be worried about, and ask a family member or friend to point out any mistakes you may be
unaware of in your speech. Pay special attention to your sentence structure and if the verb tense
(past, present, future, etc.) is the right one
for the message you are trying to convey.
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Section 2 | Short-Term Memory and
Note-Taking Skills Boost your memory and
increase interpretation accuracy
Short-term memory plays a very important role in consecutive interpretation. You will use your shortterm memory often to recall and convey information, and it’s critical that you learn how to tap into that
skill.
One technique that enhances your short-term memory is visualization. Visualization is when you see
everything in your mind, like a mental movie. This enables you to recall what you heard as you “play
back” those images.
Another technique that enhances your short-term memory is chunking. Chunking allows you to use
your short term memory more effectively by breaking up the information you receive into smaller
segments (i.e. chunks) of related concepts. For example, if you are interpreting a phone number, it
may be helpful to group the phone number into three sections: the area code, the first set of three
numbers, and then the last four numbers.
Chunking Exercise
For this exercise, look at the letters below for about 15 seconds and try to write them down without
looking at them a second time.
ASATMINPHDMACZ
Are you able to recall all the letters without mistake? Now try again with the letters
below.
A SAT MIN PHD
MAC Z
Are you able to recall more letters when they are grouped into fewer segments? Since 14 letters may
exceed the capacity of your short-term memory, chunking can be applied in this exercise to increase
your short-term memory recall. By chunking, you reduced memorizing 14 individual items down to 6
“chunked” items!
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Short-Term Memory Exercise Find a Friend
For this exercise, have someone read the following sentences to you. Close your eyes, listen
carefully, and visualize the information being given. Then repeat back the sentences exactly without
looking or hints.
1. My name is Samantha. I was born in August of 1967 in San Antonio, Texas.
2. I live in a two-story house; it has 5 bedrooms, 1 den, 2 ½ bathrooms, measures 3,500 square feet, and is
painted soft beige and white.
3. I own two pets; JJ, an aggressive but adorable dog, and Bling, a precious bearded dragon lizard
that can eat 15 crickets in less than 15 minutes.
Note-taking to help your short-term memory
Interpreters take notes to support their short-term memory. People speak quickly, and sometimes at
length. This is why interpreters should take short notes as they interpret.
As you listen to the speakers, write down numbers, names, and brief reminders to help spark your
short-term memory when it’s your turn to interpret.
How to take notes efficiently
Use acronyms, abbreviations, arrow, circles, or other signs to help you emphasize or connect ideas
in the original message. Write down only the key information in each sentence, and skip words like
“the,” “I,” “to,” “and,” and other unnecessary words that are implied.
Example:
Patient: I was walking down the street with my husband, when I began to feel dizzy and my
chest hurt. I have high blood pressure and cholesterol, and I was so scared. I thought I was
having a heart attack or stroke.
Notes: Walk ⭣ st. w/ husb. /chest hurt. ⭡ bp/chl. scared attack/stroke.
Continue practicing by having someone read the following sentences to you. Try taking notes as
they speak to exercise your note-taking abilities. Then repeat back the sentences to them.
4. I don’t want kids; I would rather have lots of animals including 3 dogs, 11 hens, 2 cats, 7 roosters, a
horse, and 8 pigs. Hopefully, I will have enough space to accommodate my pets in a piece of land
of 6 acres minimum, but I’ll settle for 3 acres so I can name it Samantha’s Little Loving Farm.
5. Foods that have a lot of antioxidants are: blueberries, cranberries, prunes, strawberries, apples, and plums.
6. I’m Pat Parker, your claims rep. I’m calling to reach a settlement on your 2004 Subaru
Outback, which was declared a total loss since it would be more expensive to repair than to
pay you for its current value.
LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT TIP
BE PREPARED! Make sure you are in a quiet place that is free of distractions. Be
prepared with paper and several working pens or pencils. Be seated at a desk or table.
Do not take the Interpreter Skills Assessment while driving or doing other activities.
Section 3 | Vocabulary and Terminology
During this section, you will be tested on words that are commonly used in a variety of basic day-to-day
situations, such as checking into a hotel, going to the bank, or a visiting a doctor for a checkup. As you go
about your day, practice your vocabulary by thinking about the meaning of those words, and how you
would interpret the vocabulary in the conversations you participate in and hear around you into your other
working language.
Vocabulary Exercise
Below are some examples of the kinds of terms you may be asked to explain. Please note, these
are only sample terms that are similar to the Interpreter Skills Assessment words.
___
___
___________________
Lungs
___________________ Cardiologist
___
Interest rate
___
___________________
Luggage
___________________ Appointment
___
Kidney
___
___________________
Maiden name
___________________ Driver’s license
___
___
___________________
Payment plan
Circulatory system Knee
___________________
___
___________________
Quantity
Gas meter
Confirmation number
___________________ Diabetes
___
___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___
___
___
___
___________________
___________________ ___
LANGUAGE
ASSESSMENT TIP
We understand that some of these terms may not
have a direct translation or phrase in your other
working languages. That’s why we ask that you
explain each word and its general use or context.
Please refer to our website for more words to
practice.
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Overview - Successful Interpreter Techniques
Listen attentively and
visualize. Create a “mental
movie” of what you hear.
Develop your short-term
memory.
Take short, symbolic notes.
Use acronyms, abbreviations, arrow,
circles, or other signs to enhance your
short-term memory.
Write down key
information. Do not write
down every word you hear.
Interpret the meaning or
concept. Restate the meaning of what you
hear instead of each individual word. Interpret
meaning-for-meaning instead of word-for-word.
Assume a professional
interpreter persona. Remain
respectful, impartial, courteous, and never interject
yourself into the conversation or try to advocate on
behalf of the limited-English-speaking person.
Other Ways to Practice and Hone Your Skills – Highly
Recommended
• Watch or listen to media (TV, radio,
podcasts, YouTube, movies, etc.) in
English and in your other working
language and repeat as much of the
dialogue as possible in the same
language. By repeating information in the
same language, you get to practice the
same basic skills required for
consecutive interpretation.
• After practicing repeating the audio in the
same language, switch to interpreting
into your other working language. Don’t
just do it in your head - interpret out
loud.
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• Repeat the above exercises and take
notes to practice your note-taking skills.
You can also
take notes while someone reads you a news
article or short story, then tell the story
back to them and verify your accuracy.
• Watch TV shows that have specific
vocabulary usage, such as medicalfocused shows, and
perform the above exercises.
05042020