Certified simultaneous interpreter

Book a certified simultaneous interpreter here for your meeting between professional parties. So how is a simultaneous interpreter different from the other kind? That is to say, from the consecutive interpreter. The difference lies in the time at which the spoken translation takes place.

The certified simultaneous interpreter translates at the same time as the speaker speaks. Whereas the consecutive interpreter translates after the speaker: after every sentence, at community interpreting and workshops, and after the entire speech at professional gatherings.

Mostly, for conferences and other big meetings you need a simultaneous interpreter. The same goes for remote interpreting (RSI): online interpreting for professionals tends to be simultaneous interpreting.

Certified simultaneous interpreter: team work

In fact, you need two interpreters, unless your meeting is very (very!) short or has many (many!) natural breaks. This is so because the task is so taxing that the interpreter needs to take turns with a colleague.

So how does that work? The two interpreters sit next to each other in a fishbowl-like booth at the fringes of the meeting. The idea is that they get a break very often so that their extreme concentration never is worn out. On top of that, they are always ready to take over from one another. Also, they support each other during the job.

Book the technical equipment here

We are a one-stop-shop. You can book interpreting booth or whispering equipment through us as well. In that case, we set you up with the Danish sound company Teletech that works internationally.

How do we do what we do?

Generally, we work in a team of two. We take turns so that we only produce output half an hour at a time. The frequent breaks from the most intense concentration do the product a world of good.

Sometimes, we work in opposite directions. For instance, we were booked several times for the Danish–Swedish egg producer Danæg. We sent a Danish interpreter and a Swedish interpreter, and each of them worked into their native language.

Be sure to get the language direction right

Most often, however, we are needed for transfer of content from one language into another. Even if there are a few questions from the audience with the language direction being the opposite – that is to say, back into the speaker(s) language) – the general direction is one-way.

This has immense consequences for your booking. Why? Because simultaneous interpreters work mostly into their native tongue. This, in turn, means that depending on the language direction, we book entirely different interpreters.

This is different from community interpreting, where the interpreter works back and forth constantly between the two parties (one professional and one a citizen). Simultaneous interpreting at conferences is a whole different kettle of fish. Therefore, it requires very cautious organizing.

The six simultaneous activities

When we work simultaneously, we do a lot of things at the same time: Firstly, we listen to the speaker in the source language. Secondly, we process the content mentally, meaning that we make sure to truely understand it. Thirdly, we transfer it into the target language of the audience. Fourthly, we choose our exact words. Fifthly, we produce the output, meaning that we utter the chosen words. And lastly, we monitor our own output.

All at the same time.

This is why we take turns to avoid burnout and communication breakdowns. And this is why we prefer to work in an interpreting booth. The booth is soundproof and creates a good work environment. We need that to deliver our utmost at your meeting.