What is Telephone Interpretation?

Telephone interpretation (or over-the-phone language intepretation) is a mode of interpretation that is becoming more and more popular, especially in business circles. With that popularity comes a increase in demand for competent interpreters.

While interpretation companies will differ in how they go about setting up over-the-phone interpretation sessions for clients, there are usually two different types:

1. Conference Call - First you contact the company to let them know the date and time you'll need their interpretation services, as well as the contact information of the person you'll be communicating with. The interpretation company calls you on the specified date and time and then sets up a conference call between you, the person you will be talking with, and the interpreter.

2. Spontaneous Interpretation - There will be times when clients can't predict when they will need telephone interpreting services and won't' have time to set up a conference call. Luckily, there are companies that offer spontaneous interpretation services. The important thing to check before using one of these services is how long the lag time is from when you call them to the time an interpreter gets on the line with you. Thirty seconds to a minute is an average timeframe.

In addition to understanding the basic structure of most telephone interpretation, it's equally important to be aware of some important things when requesting service from companies that offer telephone interpretations.

Check out these tips for becoming a successful telephone interpreter.

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