An onsite interpreter provides face-to-face interpretation services that help provide accurate communication between speakers of different languages.

Conducting interpretation in person gives everyone involved a great experience: everyone has the benefit of seeing body language and other non-verbal cues that give a full understanding of the speech.

Onsite interpreters are often the preferred option because of the additional peace of mind that their physical presence can offer compared to remote interpretation. There is an undoubted sense of comfort that comes with getting something done in front of you because you can confirm it’s being done correctly.

There are different ways in which an onsite interpreter can do their job: consecutive interpreting, simultaneous interpreting and whisper interpreting.

In consecutive interpretation, the onsite interpreter and the original speaker talk and listen in turns.

Generally, the speaker will say a few sentences, pause so that the interpreter can translate the message and then repeat the process until the full message has been delivered.

In cases where the original speaker talks continuously for a prolonged time, the onsite interpreter will take notes to make sure that they deliver an accurate message. In addition to their language skills, a consecutive interpreter needs to possess three other core skills:

• Comprehension skills – Since the purpose of listening is different, it is not as simple as it may seem. People in general listen to take part in a conversation, versus listen to remember full dialog so that they can accurately translate the message.
• Note taking (analytical) – This requires the ability to differentiate primary and secondary information and prioritize it as such. In addition to the ‘what,’ an interpreter must also remember the ‘who,’ ‘why,’ ‘where’ and ‘how.’ This means who said what, when and where, whether the speaker has an opinion on it, and so on.
• Communication skills – Great short-term memory is the first skill needed here. Thereafter, the interpreter should be able to quickly make sense of the message, which could be in the form of their notes, and translate the message in a captivating way.

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