Telephone interpreting

Telephone interpreting or interpreting during conference calls.

This is another type of interpreting that most closely models simultaneous translation. It has become a more popular alternative to interpreting in person, as it saves time and significantly cuts costs. Telephone interpreting allows people who don’t speak a common language to communicate effectively over the phone at nearly any time and place.

Government and health care institutions, ambulance services, call centers, as well as businesses regularly enlist the services of telephone interpreters. The latter need them to facilitate communication between the managers of various international divisions within a single corporation or when negotiating with their partners. However, one should note that telephone interpreting is not expedient in certain situations, such as court cases—it’s best to enlist the services of simultaneous translators for such proceedings.

Telephone interpreting has its advantages and disadvantages. Clearly, its main advantage boils down to the fact that clients can receive an instant translation during emergencies. Moreover, sometimes customers do not wish to have an interpreter present at a meeting (this can generally be attributed to certain culture or religious customs).

Telephone interpreting has some major drawbacks, as a great deal of communication is non-verbal. Interpreters easily pick up on many other non-verbal cues, such as changes in tone or respiratory rate or pauses in speaking. Naturally, telephone interpreting is not feasible when one of the speakers has a hearing impairment.

No matter where you may be—in the car, at home or work, on vacation in the mountains or tanning on the beach—TransEurope’s all-star interpreters are ready to help you by delivering a superb translation over the phone!