Verbal Interpretation

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If you need someone personally present (or participating remotely) for a live event, conveying meaning between English and another language, we can help you find interpreters. This is a distinct service from translation, which deals with written languages, though some interpreters also translate. We are not currently offering interpretation services, but will be happy to point you in the right direction. (See the list at the bottom of this page.)

It only takes one session to see the difference between communicating through an untrained bilingual helper vs. communicating through a professional interpreter with a vast vocabulary and toolbox of linguistic skills! 

The main interpretation specialties in the US are medical, legal, community and conference. Most interpreters have experience in more than one specialty, especially for less-common languages.

• Medical: interpreters help doctors, nurses and other health care workers communicate accurately with Limited English Proficient patients and family members, improving care and saving lives
• Legal: includes general legal interpreters, who may work in law firms, administrative hearings, immigration court or with law enforcement, as well as court licensed/certified interpreters, who have demonstrated through rigorous testing that they can accurately relay meaning between languages on the record in courtrooms and depositions
• Community: serve in a variety of settings that don't require medical or legal credentials, such as schools, social services and non-profit organizations
• Conference: these tend to be the highest-paid, best-trained interpreters, who work in pairs interpreting simultaneously over wireless equipment at conventions, debates, international conferences and the like

Most users of interpretation feel more comfortable working through on-site interpreters, who are able to gather more non-verbal cues and contextual information from the speakers. However, if no local interpreter is available (especially for less-common languages), interpretation by phone or video conference is a viable option. In fact, some interpreters work exclusively this way and cover requests nationwide. 

Depending on the situation, your interpreter may choose to work in one or more of three modes. Consecutive means one person speaks at a time, then pauses for interpretation into the other language. This is common at smaller meetings, medical visits and depositions. Simultaneous means that the speaker continues uninterrupted while the interpreter continues rendering the message into the target language to listeners on headphones (or whispering). This works best for large meetings at which most attendees understand the speaker's language. Sight translation means that the interpreter looks at a document written in one language and then speaks in the other language. (There are also certain special settings that call for hybrid modes.)

When you contact a provider of interpretation, make sure to discuss the assignment so you can get the right interpreters: 

• What language(s)?
• When, where and how long?
• In-person or through telecommunication?
• What kind of event? (legal, medical, phone call, focus group, speech, conference, etc.)
• Do you have any materials you can share with the interpreters to help them prepare? Industry-specific terminology can require research in advance.
• Will you require an specific credential of the interpreter(s), other than what is required for that setting by law and industry standards?
• Do you have any written materials that should be translated in advance to provide to the LEP participants? While Texan Translation does not manage interpreter assignment at this time, we do translate written materials.