Consecutive Interpreting Is Cheaper Than Simultaneous Interpreting

(Last Updated On: June 10, 2015)

Why Consecutive Interpreting is cheaper?

Telephone interpretation is a new entrant in the interpretation world. Due to its newness, you may have many questions and you might want to understand it better. To shed some light, telephone interpreting is the form of interpretation which the interpreter engages in with the client over the phone; the client and the interpreter do not meet personally. The interpreter interprets conversations between two people or a group of people.

  Consecutive interpreting over the telephone is a cheaper option as opposed to simultaneous interpreting. This is because the interpreter does not have to travel to the interpretation venue; they can work in the comfort of their house. In addition, the fees charged for telephone interpretation are usually lower than those charged for face-to-face interpretation.

  Telephone interpretation is ideal when discussing sensitive issues (for example marital problems) where the client would not like the interpreter to be physically present.

  In addition, consecutive interpreting over the telephone is ideal when one wants an urgent interpreter. If you need an interpreter urgently, all you need to do is call an agency and you will be assigned an interpreter within minutes. After you get an interpreter, the interpreter starts interpreting immediately. This is because they do not spend time traveling to your office in order to undertake the interpretation.

  Although consecutive interpreting over the phone is the cheapest and most convenient method of interpreting, it cannot be used in every situation; there are situations where the mode of interpretation proves ineffective. These situations include:

  Clinical settings—most of the clinical communication involves body language. Since during a telephone interpreting the client and the interpreter do not see each other, the interpretation will have many errors. In such clinical settings, the client should avoid using telephone interpretation and rather use face-to-face interpretation.

  Faulty line—sometimes the telephone lines are not clear. This is due to network problems or to a malfunctioning telephone. When the telephone line is bad, it’s difficult for the interpreter to interpret efficiently.  Therefore, to save you money, time and to ensure that the interpretation goes smoothly, you should call the telephone interpreter for your consecutive interpreting needs only when the telephone line is working correctly.

  People suffering from hearing problems—hearing impaired adults and children should not use the services of a telephone interpreter. This is because someone who is hearing impaired will not hear correctly what the interpreter is saying which will lead to misunderstanding. This will jeopardize the quality of the interpretation.

 

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