Conference Interpreting

Conference interpreting is a type of simultaneous interpreting used when one or more speakers is addressing a group of people using a language the audience does not understand.

It requires the interpreter to speak alongside the main speaker without any delay and is normally carried out using interpreting equipment such as a sound-proof interpreting booth, with the interpreter(s) using microphones and the listeners using headphones/earpieces. Some venues may have equipment, but more often the equipment would need to be hired and specially installed for the event.

This method of interpreting can be used in a wide variety of situations including:

• Presentations
• Lectures
• Speeches
• Briefings

Simultaneous interpreting requires high speed of thought and expert language skills and usually requires training and experience before an interpreter can undertake it proficiently. The interpreters used in conference assignments will normally only interpret into their mother tongue (from other languages into the mother tongue only and not the reverse).

Where several languages are required for the conference audience, a team of interpreters is used. The following table gives a few possible scenarios and outlines the minimum numbers of interpreters required in three examples.

Conference Set-up	Minimum Number of Conference Interpreters*
Spanish speaker addressing an English-speaking audience	1
Spanish and English speakers addressing an English and Spanish-speaking audience	2
Spanish and French speakers addressing an English, Spanish and French-speaking audience	4

* Conference interpreting is extremely taxing and interpreters will need regular breaks. For a long continuous session, more than one interpreter may be required in each language combination so that they can throughout the day.

If you would like further information or would like to book a conference interpreter please contact us.