Interpretation services are the smartest means of communication that bridges the language gap between people. Interpreters are the professionals who convey a message from the language of one speaker into the language of another while preserving both the meaning and the tone of the original message. In other words, often provided by a specialized interpretation company, interpreting is the language service that uses audible communication to connect people.
Whether it is a simultaneous interpretation service, a telephone interpreter service, or a video remote interpreting service, interpretation services are conducted by an interpreter in person, over the phone, or on a video chat.
For a clear and good-quality interpretation to happen, the interpreter should use the proper equipment so that he or she may unmistakably hear and translate the message. Also, he or she should have a solid understanding of the subject matter in addition to a good command of both the source and target languages.
Based on this definition of language interpretation services, we might wonder about the importance of this form of language services.
Why Are Interpretation Services Important?
It goes without saying that by breaking down language barriers, language interpretation services are key to ensuring good understanding and cross-cultural communication among individuals and businesses. A good interpreter and a professional interpretation company play a fundamental role in doing business on a global scale. Businesses benefit from language interpretation services by closing deals during business meetings and business conferences.
When it comes to business events, a professional simultaneous interpretation service helps speakers at these events to listen to other speakers, enabling them to share ideas ─ in their mother tongue. With this, interpretation services ensure that business conferences achieve good results.
In the healthcare industry, Medical providers must treat all patients according to a high standard of care. Therefore, they have to hire professional medical interpreters to promote communication between patients and hospital staff.
Interpretation services are also vital for research. It’s only through interpretation that researchers would make others understand the real significance of their findings. What’s more, through professional interpreting, researchers can link up their findings with other studies and researches. Therefore, language interpretation services are playing a vital role in maintaining research continuity locally, regionally, and globally.
In the sphere of law, legal interpretation is vital for access to justice, as it empowers the judiciary system to effectively enforce the law. Also, interpretation services help the legislative bodies to make the law.
Industries That Require Interpretation Services
Globalization is empowering the development of economies, the movement of people, and the growth of businesses. As companies work with international partners as well as target global clients ─ and with countries opening their doors to international businesses ─ interpreting services are becoming more and more vital for nations, people, and businesses. Let’s dive deeper to look into the industries that have a rising need for interpreting services.
1-Finance and Banking
Communication among people who speak different languages is essential in the banking and finance sectors. In our globalized world, financial organizations and banks deal, and negotiate, with customers all over the world on a daily basis. Enhanced communication, therefore, is attained when clients and business partners find the bank communicating with them in their mother language in business meetings and business events. And here comes the vital role of language interpretation services to make the conversation easier and more effective.
2-Travel and Tourism
As people around the world travel for business or fun, the travel and tourism sector is one where interpretation services are both vital and indispensable. You have to keep in mind that not all travelers are tourists. Many of them travel to different lands for business. In a world where people will always be traveling everywhere, and where travelers usually speak different languages, travel and tourism companies that make an effort to speak to clients and prospects in their mother tongue are the real winners.
By partnering with a professional interpretation company to help them communicate with clients, travel businesses are showing respect for their customers and are, thus, gaining their trust.
3-Healthcare and Medical
In the healthcare industry, the role of interpretation services is increasingly becoming more important than in any other sector. Health care providers, hospitals, and all medical facilities need to communicate with patients who speak different languages. Good communication between medical professionals and patients is essential to diagnose diseases, give patients the right prescription, get them to take further tests, refer them to other physicians, and recommend them for hospitalization or surgical treatment.
5-Training
Many companies are now operating on a global scale, with workforces located in different countries and speaking various languages. When global businesses provide their workforces with training, interpreters are often required for holding multilingual training seminars, which can be done in one place and broadcast via live streaming on the Internet.
6-Humanitarian and Non-Government Organizations
Non-government organizations and relief agencies serve people all over the world, especially among the marginalized, poor, and disaster-stricken. That’s why they should hire professional interpreters to help them do their job across the globe.
7-Legal
Demand for professional interpreters is rising in the legal arena. In many countries with multilingual populations, courts are required to hire interpreters for people who speak different languages.
8-Entertainment
Sign language interpreters are now playing an important role in theater plays, concerts, TV programs, magic shows, and other forms of entertainment. With the help of language interpretation services, shows can become accessible to more and more multilingual viewers.
9-Event Organization
Event producers usually organize a wide diversity of events, including business meetings, conferences, and concerts. An event producer usually requires a professional simultaneous interpretation service that would help them make communication easier in these events.
When Are Interpretation Services Required?
At certain times, interpretation services become a vital requirement in many situations and settings. And, sometimes a simultaneous interpretation service becomes a must. It’s sufficient for now to have a look at the pivotal role being played by interpreting across the globe in two fields ─ healthcare and education.
In some countries, hospitals and medical facilities are required to provide interpretation services to patients to make communication easier between them and doctors.
When it comes to education, the language should not be an obstacle in the way of communication. Students and learners in every country all over the world should have access to education, learning, and information regardless of the language they speak. And here comes the vital role of language interpretation services. Interpreters in many countries are playing a pivotal role to help children adapt to the education process and also help their families to deal with the school staff.
What Are the Types of Interpretation Services?
A professional interpretation company, like AfroLingo, usually delivers various types of language interpretation services. Let’s dive deeper into them.
1-Consecutive Interpretation
When it comes to consecutive interpretation, the interpreter translates what the speaker says after he or she has finished speaking. It’s used at small-scale meetings, which usually involves one-to-one discussions. In these settings, consecutive interpretation provides a personalized service that makes it possible for participants to do their job easily and proficiently.
Consecutive interpreters usually have excellent language skills which enable them to deliver the perfect blend of approachability and professionalism.
2-Simultaneous Interpretation
A simultaneous interpretation service, occasionally called “U.N. style interpretation”, is largely used in large-scale conferences or big business meetings and other events where two or more languages are spoken by participants.
As a rule, the process of the simultaneous interpretation service is more complex than consecutive interpretation. This type of service is only conducted by highly skilled, trained interpreters, and usually requires two specialists who take turns interpreting.
The simultaneous interpretation service also requires special equipment. The simultaneous interpreters usually sit in a booth, listen to speakers through a headset, and speak the translation into a microphone, which is wirelessly transmitted to headsets worn by the event participants.
3-Over-the-Phone Interpretation (OPI)
The telephone interpreter service offers ease in communication between individuals who do not speak or understand one another. This type of interpreting service is carried out for two or more individuals who may be under the same roof or in different locations. To perform the telephone interpreter service, one party would secure a professional interpreter on a call, then he or she would add other parties on the line, or place the phone on speaker so that everyone in the room may be involved in the conversation.
4-Video Remote Interpretation (VRI)
Video remote interpreting (VRI) is a web-access video service that uses devices such as videophones or web cameras to deliver sign language or spoken language interpreting services. With this, it makes it possible for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate with a hearing person at the same site via videoconferencing instead of live, on-site interpreting. Video remote interpreting is conducted by an offsite interpreter.
The Languages We Support
Our global network of interpreters is always ready to help you anywhere in Africa and across the world.
Why AfroLingo?
At AfroLingo, we’ve established, over the past 12 years, an impressive reputation for delivering interpretation services that stand out.
Our network of interpreters has been carefully chosen based upon each interpreter’s professional and educational qualifications, job history, and subject matter expertise ─ legal, corporate, medical, government, etc. With this, we always choose a suitable interpreter who has the background and subject matter know-how that would meet your requirements.
Also, we have the latest simultaneous and consecutive interpretation equipment, such as wireless and infrared systems.
Further, as we understand that your business might sometimes request an interpreter in a hurry, our interpretation services can be booked at short notice. We’re also known for fast delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Language Interpretation Services
We’ve collected almost all the questions that you may frequently ask about interpretation services. Let’s have a look.
1-Are there differences between interpretation and translation? What are they?
Translation services are different in scope and method from interpretation services. The translation is the service of converting text from one language, the source language, into another language, the target language.
Interpretation services, on the other hand, are the process whereby a professional person, the interpreter, facilitates oral communication between people who do not speak the same language. The interpreter does this in three ways: simultaneously, consecutively, or over the phone.
2-What is sight translation?
Insight translation, the interpreter reads a written text silently in a certain language and speaks the content aloud simultaneously in another language. It’s a mix of translation and interpretation.
3-Do you need from us any term glossary about our industry?
All our interpreters have rock-solid experience in customizing their work to your requirements. We deliver interpretation services in a wide diversity of fields. However, should you have any specialized terminology related to your specific area or sector, you can contact us to discuss this issue.
4-What are your criteria for selecting interpreters?
We choose interpreters based upon several criteria, including language expertise, technical experience, and also depending on the interpreter’s qualifications, accreditation, and linguistic degrees.
5-What about the pricing of interpretation services?
The language interpretation services fees differ greatly based on the language, the type of interpretation (consecutive, simultaneous, etc.) and the interpreter’s profile (qualifications, experience, etc.), the assignment complexity, the project’s expected duration, and the location. So, you’ll need to contact us for further details.
6-What about the confidentiality of our information?
We, at AfroLingo, follow the most rigorous confidentiality standards in the entire industry. Our professional interpreters adhere to a strict code of ethics and they only work with us after signing non-disclosure agreements.
7-Do you have any specific payment terms?
We accept all payment methods ─ bank transfers, credit cards, debit cards, and PayPal.
8-What time are you accessible?
Interpreters can be accessed at any time. Further, our interpretation services are available to our clients across the globe 24/7, 365 days a year.
