Proper names are both difficult to identify in foreign languages whilst also extremely important to get right (at the risk of offending participants).
Ilhem Bezzaoucha has compiled these tips to help us get them right.
1. Do Your Homework
Preparation is everything. If you know who will be speaking or referenced, research common names from their country, organization, or context. Create a glossary with pronunciation notes (YouTube is your friend for hearing names aloud!).
2. Listen for Patterns
Many speakers will repeat a name several times—listen carefully the first time, and if you’re unsure, hold back and catch the second mention for confirmation.
3. Phonetic Notation Is Gold
Develop your own system of phonetic shorthand to capture how a name sounds rather than how it’s spelled. This is especially useful in simultaneous.
4. Trust Your Ears Before Your Eyes
If a name comes up unexpectedly, trust your hearing, and don’t panic if you don’t catch the exact spelling. Your goal is to preserve the identity and dignity of the person/place/organization, not to win a spelling bee.
5. Keep a Name Bank
For high-stakes assignments, especially recurring ones, keep a running list of common names with phonetic guides. This is a lifesaver in institutional settings.
6. Use Descriptors if Needed
In consecutive interpreting, if the name is especially obscure or unpronounceable on the fly, use a brief descriptor to buy time: “the representative from the Kazakh delegation,” or “a professor from the Sorbonne.”
7. Confirm During the Break
If you’re unsure how you rendered a name, confirm with a colleague or check the written materials during the break. Post-facto correction is part of the process.
A Visual Metaphor: The Interpreter and the Names
Imagine the interpreter standing at the edge of a swift river at dawn. The river is made of language—fluid, urgent, ever-moving. Down the current float proper names like rare, glittering pebbles. Some are familiar and round; others are jagged, foreign, strange. The interpreter must reach into the stream without hesitation, grasp each name, and polish it just enough to reflect its original form—before sending it safely to the other shore. The timing is tight, the current is strong, but when done well, it’s a kind of magic: a bridge of identity built midstream, name by name.