
It’s a common misconception that only businesses use remote simultaneous interpretation providers. Everyone from governmental organizations to academic institutions is now using simultaneous interpretation to interact with people from different language proficiencies.
Simultaneous translation creates more productive, engaging, and focused interactions. Event managers and organizations that use simultaneous interpreting rarely go back to other modes of interpreting. Due to its distinct advantages, organizations across sectors are now reliant on simultaneous interpretation.
What is Simultaneous Interpretation?
To understand the uniqueness of simultaneous interpretation, it’s helpful to know the limitations of one of its popular alternatives, consecutive interpreting. The biggest problem with consecutive interpreting is that the speaker would have to pause after every sentence for the interpreter to do their job. This significantly disturbs the flow of the speaker and comprehension for those listening.
In simultaneous interpretation, the speaker doesn’t have to pause. The translators do their job while the speaker makes their speech. With no pauses, the experience is significantly better for both the speaker and the audience. This is the reason it’s being used everywhere, from market research to foreign language focus groups.
How do you do simultaneous interpretation?
You can use simultaneous interpreting for everything from conferences to product launches to webinars. Before you select a simultaneous translation services provider, you should check whether they have proficiency in both the source and target languages. You should also meet the interpretation team if it’s an on-site event to better understand how interpretation works.
If it’s remote simultaneous interpretation, make sure that the platform you select is easy to use. It should be easy for the interpreter to join and have clear audio and video capabilities. The platform should also have easy-to-access technical support whenever needed.
Necessary tools for Simultaneous Interpretation
Among all the modes of interpreting, simultaneous interpreting is unique because of the complexity of the task. The interpreter should be proficient in both source and target languages and, wherever needed, should have domain expertise. For example, someone proficient in legal translation may not be suited for simultaneous interpretation in healthcare.
The interpreter should be able to efficiently multi-task since the job involves listening to the speaker, thinking of the right words in the target language, relaying the translation while predicting the flow of the speech. They should also be calm and not get excited by the content or pace of the speech or crowd reaction.
The workstation should be spacious and comfortable for the interpreter. If it’s on-site interpretation, the soundproof both should have sound-absorbing material in the form of curtains or rugs. The microphone and headset should be of the highest quality.
The laptop should have enough RAM and processing power, and the internet connection should be fast and reliable in the case of remote simultaneous interpretation. The console they use should have an easy-to-use interface. Whenever they need help, it should also be effortless to get in touch with technical support.
In short
If you’re new to simultaneous interpretation, the good news is that it doesn’t require any complicated effort to get started. With a reliable service provider, you will get trustworthy simultaneous translation and, thereby, an engaging and fruitful event.