Remote Interpreting is becoming an increasingly common practice in a variety of industries for good reason: it’s cost-effective, it’s beneficial, and as the increasingly digitized world has discovered – it’s a powerful solution for both spoken and signed communications.
While the service is revolutionary, there are still a few questions newcomers and business owners have about how it can be useful for them and their audience, so we’re going to clear up a few of the most common questions and misconceptions.
What is Remote Interpreting?
Remote Interpreting, also called tele-interpreting, is the process of having spoken words translated into a targeted language or code by interpreters that are physically remote from the meeting area. These remote interpreters typically participate through video or audio connections and have to ensure the transmission of information is fluid and accurate between parties.
Remote Interpreting can be broken down into two main categories – video interpreting is for providing the benefit of face-to-face interpretation for your audience, which makes it easier for information to be digested visually, while telephone interpreting is more for one-on-one, personalized communication and breaking down language barriers.
How do you use Remote Interpreting?
Remote Interpreting is best used when there’s no available qualified interpreters on-site. All that’s required to link to the remote interpreter is either a telephone (landline or cell), tablet or computer system. The language interpreter will use a headset and/or microphone to hear what is being said by the original speaker before they translate or codify it for your targeted audience.
Finding a remote interpreter for meetings, hospital visits, events and conferences is an increasingly simple matter, as LSPs (Language Service Providers) such as K International are set up to connect you with professional interpreters within seconds.
How much does remote interpreting cost?
The cost of remote interpreting will vary greatly depending on your use of it – are you using video interpreting or telephone interpreting? What language(s) are you trying to have translated? What category of industry are you working in?
In general, the cost is calculated per minute, often including minimum charges which justify the cost of services having interpreters ready to work on short notice. Price ranges can be as low as around $1.50 for some languages per minute, but go up to $4.00 per minute for others. The quickest way to figure out your estimated cost would be to get in contact with your chosen LSP and ask for a quote.
How do you access remote interpreting?
If you’re looking into making use of remote interpreting, you’re going to want to seek out a quality Language Service Provider and see how effectively they can meet your needs. Many agencies have setup apps, websites, and contact lines so that you can reach them around the clock.
What’s Remote Simultaneous Interpreting?
Remote Simultaneous Interpreting, or RSI, is the process of providing translation at the same time a speaker is talking, increasing the language options for your audience without impeding on delivery or time efficiency. Consider it a more immediate solution than traditional interpreting.
Who should adopt Remote Interpreting?
Almost all industries can benefit in some way from utilizing remote interpreting – a lesson that the pandemic is quickly distilling around the globe. There are very few organisations that can’t benefit from increasing their reach and audience, although narrowing down your targets for other languages is going to depend on your market.
At the very least, it’s worth giving interpreting a shot, and there are several LSP options in the market that provide a quick and efficient way to run a test trial of the process.
How do I get started with Remote Interpreting?
Have you already figured out a strategy for how your organization can best adopt Remote Interpreting? If not, it might serve you to reach out to a quality LSP and see what sort of suggestions they have. K International is one such provider. If you’re further along the process and ready to dive into hiring, K International also has a remote interpreting platform called TalkLingua, designed to connect you with a professional interpreter within seconds for all your interpreting needs.
As the effects of the pandemic continue to radiate through industries, we’re going to keep seeing adoption of new practices. Remote Interpreting is one that’s already showing returns across industries and is likely here to stay.