Follow these guidelines when planning video interpreting for presentations, conferences, events, or webinars. Review best practices for presentation coordinators, speakers, and interpreters. They will ensure a high-quality product and a positive user experience when videos are published on HeadStart.gov.
Presentation Coordinators and Speakers
- Speakers must be aware that the session will be interpreted and advised that they should refrain from speeding up their speech.
- Choose the interpreter according to the voice of the speaker.
- If the speaker has a female voice, the interpreter should have a female voice as well.
- If the interpretation is from English into Spanish, the interpreter should speak Latin American Spanish as neutral as possible.
- Interpreters should be given PowerPoint slides, handouts, and any documentation related to the presentation in advance, not the day of the presentation.
- They must be able to review the vocabulary and prepare for the presentation properly.
- Give interpreters the Head Start Bilingual Glossary and the Style Guide for Translations into Spanish in advance so they can use consistent terms and grammar.
Interpreters
- Be familiar with Office of Head Start content areas or the presentation subject matter (e.g., preschool education, child development, health, etc.).
- Apply the Head Start Bilingual Glossary and the Style Guide for Translations into Spanish in all presentations.
- Start recording the presentation at the same time the speaker starts the presentation.
Note: If a National Center or other contractor is unable to meet these requirements, they should translate captions from the recorded presentation. The captions will be streamed with the event video when it is posted to HeadStart.gov.
Last Updated: January 9, 2025