Simultaneous Interpreting

That simultaneity carries a heavy mental load. The interpreter listens, analyses, translates and speaks all at once, and working without a break at that intensity is not possible. Simultaneous interpreting is therefore carried out, as a rule, by two interpreters, who take turns at set intervals and support one another. Running a long session with a single interpreter means a drop in quality, and is not recommended.

When is it needed?

Simultaneous interpreting is for settings with many participants, tight timing and a need for uninterrupted flow. Conferences, congresses, multinational meetings, panels and symposia, and live broadcasts are typical examples. In these settings it is not practical to break off the speech and wait for the interpreting to finish; everyone needs to follow along in their own language at the same time. Where several languages are in use at one meeting, simultaneous interpreting is likewise the only realistic method.

In small, two-way meetings with only a few people, on the other hand, setting up for simultaneous interpreting is unnecessary weight; consecutive interpreting is simpler and more economical there. The choice of method therefore follows the setting; the two do not do the same job.

The technical set-up and the process

In simultaneous interpreting the process rests as much on the technical set-up and on preparation beforehand as on the interpreter’s skill, and when the three are not planned together the result suffers. The sequence below therefore begins not with the interpreting itself but with planning the room and the sound system. Getting documents to the interpreters in advance is the single most important step in offsetting how exposed to error simultaneous work is by nature. Testing the installation before the meeting is a safeguard that should never be skipped, because a technical fault can render even the best interpreter’s work inaudible. The steps below are designed to put that whole picture in place.

1. Technical planning. The layout of the room, the number of languages and the size of the audience are established, and the booths, sound and distribution system are planned accordingly.
2. Document preparation. Speeches, presentations and the agenda are given to the interpreters in advance; working unprepared in simultaneous mode leaves a great deal of room for error.
3. Installation and testing. The equipment is set up before the meeting and the sound is tested; a technical fault affects the whole of the interpreting.
4. Simultaneous interpreting. The interpreters work in turns in the booth, with a separate channel carrying each language to the audience.
5. Support. The interpreter who is not on mic supports the one working by noting down figures and proper names.

Points specific to this service

Quality in simultaneous interpreting rests on three legs: a capable interpreter, a sound technical set-up and preparation in advance. If any one of them is missing, the result suffers. The technical side in particular should not be underestimated; poor sound insulation, a weak microphone or a wrongly set channel can waste the work of even the best interpreter. The equipment and the layout of the room matter as much as the interpreter does.

Remote simultaneous interpreting is a separate option. Where participants are in different places, the interpreting can be delivered simultaneously over an online platform. What matters then is not the booth but a stable connection and good sound. If bandwidth is low or the audio poor, remote simultaneous interpreting is risky. If a written record of the session is needed afterwards, that is planned as a separate transcription and translation job under our translation services. When such a record is wanted, saying so before the meeting allows both the technical set-up and the team to be planned around it.

On-site booth or remote platform?

One choice that is becoming steadily more prominent in simultaneous interpreting is whether the work is done from an on-site booth or over a remote platform. The on-site booth offers the most stable conditions, thanks to its sound insulation and direct line of sight; the interpreter sees the room, the speaker and the presentation at once. A remote solution comes into play where the participants are in different places, or where a physical installation is not possible, and it removes the burden of travel.

The two options have different requirements. In an on-site arrangement the booth, the console and the audience receivers are what count, whereas a remote arrangement depends on a stable connection, clean audio and a set-up in which the interpreters can hear one another. In remote simultaneous interpreting most problems are technical in origin; weak sound or a dropped connection affects the whole of the interpreting. Which arrangement is appropriate is determined by the scale of the meeting and where the participants are. To discuss that decision and the technical requirements, planning ahead through the contact page is recommended.

How is it priced?

Simultaneous interpreting is usually assessed on a full-day or half-day basis and, as a rule, for a team of two interpreters; a calculation built on the assumption of a single interpreter is not realistic. The determining factors are the length of the meeting, the number of languages, how specialised the subject is and what technical installation is required. Booths, the sound system and audience equipment often form a separate technical item. For assignments outside the city, travel and accommodation are assessed separately. Because of these variables, no set day rate is given on this page; the framework is built around the details of the meeting.

You can send us the date, duration, languages and location of your meeting through the quote form, or directly via our contact page. The languages we work in are listed on the language pages.

Situations that come up often

• Expecting a single interpreter. Wanting a long meeting covered by one interpreter; quality falls with fatigue, and a team is essential.
• Neglecting the technical side. Leaving the sound and booth arrangements to the last minute; a technical fault affects the whole of the interpreting.
• Too little preparation. Presentations and texts not being supplied in advance; finding a term on the spot is very hard in simultaneous mode.
• The risk of a remote connection. Weak internet or poor audio; this is the most frequent source of problems in remote simultaneous interpreting.

The account here summarises typical practice; the practice of individual institutions may vary. Before deciding, it is worth checking the institution’s own published information.