INTERPRETING Frequently Asked Questions

What is interpreting? How is it different from translating?

Interpreting conveys signed or spoken language into another language. Translating involves conveying written language from a source text into a target language.

How many interpreters will I need?

The number of interpreters you will need depends on the duration, format, and nature of the assignment. As a general guideline, one interpreter works for most assignments lasting only 1-2 hours, and two interpreters are usually necessary for assignments over two hours.

What is the benefit of having multiple interpreters?

Interpreting requires a high degree of concentration to hear and convey that message into another language. A team of interpreters switch off to avoid fatigue and help maintain consistency and accuracy of your message. Fatigue can be a major cause of inaccuracy, so we minimize risk of this happening by the scheduling the appropriate number of interpreters for your assignment. The interpreter who is interpreting is the active interpreter and the other interpreter is the support interpreter. Without relief, it is unrealistic to expect an interpreters to consistently accurate interpretation.

What is your cancellation policy?

Contact us at least 72 hours in advance of your appointment to avoid incurring any cancellation fees. Interpreters who have committed to interpreting for an appointment miss out on other opportunities to interpret for other assignments scheduled at the same time. For this reason, we must compensate them for the time they have been originally scheduled.