Today, there’s constant commercial, cultural and academic exchange between nations. And this is why translators, interpreters, and localization professionals play a key role in all industries, countries, and scales. Language interpretation services are both a vital and somehow overlooked discipline.

While most of us benefit from the work of interpreters, we’re used to the idea that interpreting is an extension of translation, when it’s actually a very complex discipline that can be (and should be) examined on its own.

The Importance of Language Interpretation Services

Merriam Webster defines an interpreter as “one who translates orally for parties conversing in different languages”.  Interpreters’ role is rarely examined by the general public because a great interpreter shouldn’t draw attention to themselves. A great interpreter works as a link between a speaker and a receptor without raising alarms, rendering each message perfectly, transmitting each message’s meaning, tone, and intention. Interpreters can translate simultaneously (as the speaker is talking) or consecutively (after the speaker has finished talking).

Business interpreters facilitate negotiations between international companies. In the entertainment industry, interpreters make it possible for audiences across the globe to enjoy foreign events. Interpreters working in diplomacy play a key role in maintaining strong and productive relations between nations and international organizations. Medical interpreters, on the other hand, make it possible for foreign patients to get the quality care they deserve. Interpreters are also very important in judicial settings, transmitting the testimonies of foreign witnesses, victims, and suspects and guaranteeing a fair trial.

Can Anyone Be Interpreter?

Let’s say you’re sitting in a hospital’s waiting room. You’re feeling a little under the weather, nothing serious. But suddenly, a group of distressed nurses and doctors storm in, carrying a patient who appears to be very ill. After he’s taken in for examination, one of the nurses asks if anyone in the room speaks the patient’s language: Spanish. You did great in Spanish classes at school, and you’ve kept relatively fluid conversations with a friend’s Hispanic aunt. So, you think you might be qualified to help. Could any bilingual person serve as an interpreter during an emergency?

Someone who’s not formally trained to be an interpreter but is asked to interpret in an emergency is referred to as an ad-hoc interpreter. Ad-hoc interpreting doesn’t have a good reputation in the medical community, because, in a healthcare setting, a mistranslation can translate into a misdiagnosis. It doesn’t matter if you speak both English and Spanish at a native level. If you don’t have an in-depth knowledge of medical terminology and how to best translate it, you’re at risk of making dangerous interpreting mistakes.

Becoming an interpreter requires years of training. While an ad-hoc interpreter could be of some help, it’s far from the best option. In fact, in this hypothetical situation, the responsible medical professionals are behaving in an unethical (and even illegal) way. Limited English Patients have the right to expert linguistic assistance. The kind of linguistic assistance that, despite their good intentions, someone who’s merely bilingual might be unable to provide. That’s why medical practitioners working in bilingual or multilingual areas should always rely on a reputable interpreting company to guarantee quality care to every patient.

The History of Language Interpretation Services

Specific academic interest in the history of interpreting is recent, and relevant historical records are quite limited. But we can assume that interpreting is as old as the cultural and commercial exchange between communities.

One of the reasons why some say that interpreters are relegated to the margins of history is the ephemeral nature of their work. Written translations stay, the written word is easier to preserve than the spoken word. When we take a broad look at the history of humanity, we may say that recording technology is fairly recent, so most of the interpreting work that has ever been done served its immediate purpose and then faded away.

The Future of Interpreting

When we observe the historical development of interpreting services, it’s interesting to note how the progress in communication technology has helped make interpreting solutions more accessible and cost-efficient.

Over-the-phone interpreting meant that an interpreter of almost any language pair could be contacted instantly and serve the customer’s language needs without leaving their office.

Over-the-phone interpreting can be greatly useful in emergencies, and it’s less expensive than in-person interpreting.

But there’s something even better: Virtual Interpreting Technology. Virtual Interpreting Technology is the name given to platforms that connect users with pre-vetted, highly trained interpreters. All this through a comfortable and accessible UI. Some argue that this is the modern-day equivalent of over the phone interpreting. The future of translation relies, not on automation, but on using technology. And that makes these services more widely available while guaranteeing a smooth client experience.

Seldean Smith

Seldean is a multi-skilled content wizard that dedicates herself to writing content that goes beyond merely sparking interest in the audience.