Then arrange for the speaker and translator to rehearse together, even briefly, before the presentation. I arrived several days early in Taiwan and rehearsed my programs with my translator, Paul, so that we worked the platform like dancers, alternating sentences in English and Chinese. The audience responded positively to our Fred and Ginger interaction, and all eyes were on me when I spoke, not on my translator, awaiting the next words the audience could understand. One internationally known speaker recently had seventy percent of an overseas audience ask for their money back. He was working with a translator who couldn't communicate his message effectively.
Many American speakers think it's the translator's job to get the speaker's message across.
Encourage the speaker to think of the translator as an essential partner in the presentation. My good relationship with my translator enabled me to offer extra value. For example, Paul had learned the kind of thing I was looking for, and at one in-house meeting, he pointed out and translated the signs on the meeting room walls. I wrote them down in English and used them in my opening remarks. Set up a preview.