Make the most of
your vocabulary

About the workshop

Going from translating words to translating meaning.

If you're a conference interpreter who's been waiting for a sign to take the plunge and begin interpreting into English, this is your sign.

I already feel the fear as I write this. English isn't your first language. It might not even be your second or your third, and you don't have the words you do in your A — so how could you ever deliver faithful interpretation into it?

Well, there's an answer. And it lies in going from translating words to translating meaning.

Perhaps that's a cliché you've heard many times before — but what does that actually mean?

What deverbalization actually means

In practice, deverbalization comes down to four concrete steps:

1. Understanding what the speaker is saying. If you're working from your A language, you've already got this part covered.
2. Rephrasing in language so simple a 6th grader could understand it. Stripping away convoluted syntax and bureaucratic jargon to isolate the core concept.
3. Interpreting the simplified version into English. Delivering the idea cleanly and confidently, using the natural vocabulary you already possess.
4. Monitoring your output and learning from your mistakes. Interpretation is like a video game: you can repeat linguistic levels an infinite number of times until you win.

Shifting gears

It's not particularly different, but it is a distinct skill. Perhaps that's what you've already been doing intuitively for years.

But if you've been relying on memorised bilingual pairings and stock phrase equivalents, it might be time to shift gears. You can learn to make the most of the vocabulary you already have to communicate what the speaker is actually saying.

During this workshop, we'll practice this skill with live speeches and give you a structured framework for iterative self-improvement you can use after every assignment.

Who is this for?

Conference and dialogue interpreters working with English as a B or C language who want to stop feeling paralysed by missing vocabulary, express complex ideas simply, and speak with calm authority in the booth.

Workshop details

Discounts available for people who need them — just ask.

Who's teaching?

Mykhailo 'Meesh' Khokhlovych

Bilingual simultaneous interpreter · English / Ukrainian / Russian

Meesh has over 10 years of interpreting experience and 15 years of language teaching. He brings both the craft and the pedagogy together in a session that is as rigorous as it is practical.

BA Linguistics — University College Utrecht, 2016 Cambridge CELTA, 2012 Cambridge DELTA, 2021