Conference Interpreting

Conference interpreting can make the business meeting or a multinational conference run smoothly and turn it into a successful business proposition. Interpreting takes place in different environments. There are multi-party conferences, public services and one-to-one business meetings. Conference interpreting falls in two broad categories; namely simultaneous interpreting and consecutive interpreting.

Simultaneous interpreting involves a team of professional interpreters. Interpreters are given a sound proof booth. An interpreter listens to the speaker on the earphone and interprets simultaneously while the speaker continues speaking and delivers the message through the microphone. Whispering interpreting is considered as a version of simultaneous interpreting. The interpreter listens to the speaker and whispers the message to listeners. For a whispering interpreter it is not possible to interpret for more than two listeners at a time. Another form of simultaneous interpreting is called “Tourguide”. This is used, in exceptional cases, in small meetings. It is a roving microphone used by the interpreter, whereby the interpretation is fed back to the delegates through headphones. But this can make the interpreter’s life more difficult as there are often acoustic problems.

In consecutive interpreting, the conference interpreter listens to the speaker, taking notes, and delivers the message once the speaker has finished. During consecutive interpreting, the speech is divided into several small or large segments to help the conference interpreter facilitate correctly and efficiently. The pauses in the speech are pre-determined between the speaker and the interpreter, this usually happens before the conference commences.

There are advantages of both kinds of interpreting. During simultaneous interpreting, there is no time loss; there is a spontaneous reaction of all the members thus making the conference a lively discussion across the language barrier. The advantage of the consecutive interpreting is that there is no conferencing equipment involved thus cutting the cost of the expenses. Also the delegates get more time to take notes and comprehend. Though the advantage, there is a disadvantage too. This kind of conference interpreting requires a lot of time thus making it unfavorable for the conference where there are several foreign languages or there is a need for lively discussions.

Conference interpreters are multilingual and their working languages are classified as follows:

1. Active Languages
2. Passive Languages

Active Languages: Active languages are further sub – divided into A-language and B-language. A-language is the conference interpreter’s native language in which the interpreter will interpret all the other language in both modes of interpretation. B- Language is all the other language apart from the native language into which the interpreter will work.

Passive Languages: C-language: A source language which the interpreter understands perfectly but does not use as a target language.

It is vital to find the most qualified and efficient professional interpreter in the market. The better the qualifications and the certifications, the more confident you will be in receiving a high quality service. The services of a Consultant Interpreter may help you assess the mode of interpretation best suited to your individual requirements, the number of interpreters you may need and even assist you in bringing together such a team. Additionally, a Consultant Interpreter can advise on the choice of technical equipment and/or provide the name of reputable technicians and generally help to share the workload of the organizer when it comes to language services for the meeting.