An interpretation glossary for an event should identify the terms speakers will use, their meaning in context and the wording agreed for each audience language. Give it an owner and a version, then check how the interpreter or caption platform will actually use it.
This is a documentation review checked on 6 October 2026, with an original preparation worksheet. The examples are fictional; no product trial or accuracy measurement was conducted.
What belongs in an event glossary?
Start with the agenda, speaker slides and any script. AIIC explains that interpreters use these materials to understand the subject and prepare specialist terminology before a meeting.1 A list of words alone cannot show whether a speaker is describing a proposal, an approved decision or an exception.
Prioritise names, organisations, product terms and acronyms that are both likely to be spoken and important to understand. Ask the relevant speaker or organiser to confirm spelling and meaning. For a person, ask how they want their name displayed; do not infer a Romanised spelling from Chinese characters.
| Include | Add enough context to resolve | Who can confirm it? |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker or organisation name | Preferred written name and spoken form | Speaker or event contact |
| Acronym | Full meaning in this session | Subject owner |
| Specialist term | A definition and a sentence from the talk | Speaker or interpreter |
| Ambiguous everyday word | Which meaning applies here | Author of the slide |
Do not turn the glossary into a complete dictionary. Leave unresolved translations visibly pending and arrange review with the interpreter or a suitable bilingual subject specialist. A machine-generated suggestion is not approval.
Can you copy this bilingual template?
The following rows describe a fictional Cantonese-to-English event. They show what to record, not translations approved for a real client.
| Spoken term | Context / reference | Agreed audience wording | Approval / version |
|---|---|---|---|
| 海港示範公司 | Fictional company; spelling supplied for this example | Harbour Demo Company | Example only; replace before use |
| RCP | Fictional talk about a room caption pilot; not another department’s acronym | Room Caption Pilot | Example only; speaker to confirm |
| 備用安排 | If guest phones cannot receive captions, the host shows the approved written points | Backup arrangement | Example only; organiser to confirm |
| [your term] | [slide number and sentence] | [approved wording, or pending] | [owner, date, version] |
For a multilingual event, add a separate approved wording column for each audience language. Keep a pronunciation note or an authorised audio reference separately if the interpreter requests one; written spelling cannot establish pronunciation.
Record the event, source language, target languages and current file version above the table. Keep private names and unpublished material in the event’s authorised workspace rather than an open link. Agree access and retention with the people receiving it.
Does an AI glossary work like an interpreter’s briefing sheet?
A human briefing sheet can contain definitions, slide references and questions. A platform glossary may accept only particular entry types. Check its current documentation before copying the whole table into a text field.
For example, Wordly documents one glossary per session. Entries are added manually or by copying a list; it does not offer bulk file upload. Its glossary does not teach spoken pronunciation, and changes made after a session starts require ending and restarting that session to take effect.2 These are Wordly-specific rules, not general requirements for every platform.
Keep the full preparation table as your reference. Separately record which entries were configured in the chosen tool, by whom and in which session. If configurable vocabulary is essential, select a platform that documents the required feature before booking the event.
How do you hand over the final version?
Use one owner to collect corrections. Send the interpreter the glossary with the relevant slides and agenda, agree a preparation deadline, and identify any terms still awaiting a decision. Do not assume every interpreter needs the same lead time.
When a speaker changes a term, log the old wording, new wording, affected slide and person approving it. Issue a new version and ask the recipient to confirm which version they have. For software, also check when a configuration change becomes active.
Before using live captions, read the important terms inside realistic sentences and check the audience output on another device. Wordly recommends this approach and states that testing consumes meeting minutes.3 This article proposes the check; it does not report test results. The Cantonese-to-English subtitle rehearsal sheet provides a separate record for audio, source text and translated meaning.
What should a Hong Kong organiser do next?
Confirm Cantonese and Mandarin separately, and check every required language direction with the interpreter or platform. Decide whether exact contractual wording, consent or safety instructions require a human interpreter and human review; a glossary does not guarantee correct delivery.
For a phone-based audience, tlive’s how-it-works guide describes access by link or QR code. Its current application has no custom glossary upload feature: use this sheet for preparation and checking, rather than treating it as software configuration. If editable vocabulary is a requirement, another platform may fit better. For the wider setup decision, see the event translation guide.
Keep three records ready at handover: the approved reference sheet, the unresolved questions and confirmation of the version actually used. That makes a late change traceable without pretending it has already reached every screen.