Court Interpretation – What is it?

Besides being an expert on certified and notarized translations, Link Translations also excels in court interpretation for legal proceedings within the US. We provide interpreters to those, whose native language is not English and to those, who are in need of an expert linguist to express them just the right way.

There are many types of interpretation, court interpretation is just one of these. Don’t let their names confuse you. We are here to help you better understand them and assist you in order to determine your needs. Below you can find some information on different interpretation types and settings for which they are used.

Consecutive interpretation is a type of interpretation that the interpreter speaks after the speaker has finished. When the speaker is finished, or pauses, the interpreter conveys the entire message by translating it. Consecutive interpretation method is most suitable for small business meetings, courtroom proceedings, depositions, press conferences and job interviews. It does not require any type of equipment. Our interpreters show up to a meeting on time like any other party and they perform their jobs by rendering whatever is being said in the foreign language.

When people talk about court interpretation or interpretation in any legal setting, what they usually mean is “Consecutive Interpretation”.

You can see our expectations from our court interpreters in this brief video.

Other Interpretation Types

Another common type is simultaneous interpretation. The interpreter conveys the message in target language simultaneously while the message is being delivered. This is a very demanding type of interpretation; thus, a single interpreter can only interpret for up to 20 minutes. Longer assignments would require two interpreters so that they can work in tandem. It is mostly used in big meeting settings, speeches, conferences and board meetings. Simultaneous interpreters generally work in pairs and alternate breaks during assignments.

Simultaneous interpretation requires use of special equipment. As the interpreter speaks simultaneously with the speaker, these settings require equipment like booths, interpreter units, headphones and receivers. We would be glad to assist you to determine what type of equipment you need for your event. We would also be happy to provide you with cutting edge interpretation equipment to achieve a successful event, whether it is a board meeting or a conference.

Sometimes securing an interpreter at certain places and times can be difficult. Telephone interpretation is the type of interpretation in which you can reach an interpreter regardless of where you are. The interpreter calls in at the time you want. We can interpret for you in virtually in every field in 180 languages at any time.

Whisper interpretation (Chuchotage) is a type of simultaneous interpretation. The interpreter sits or stands next to one person or a small audience and renders the message by whispering simultaneously. There is no booth, no sound system or no headphones needed. Whisper interpretation is used in settings where only a minority, ideally no more than three people, does not speak the main language that is being spoken.

As Link Translations, we provide interpretation services for all these types, in over 180 languages in different areas such as law, medicine, business, finance, marketing and also social sciences. All our interpreters are professionals in their respective areas, and have been providing services for a long time and are also certified by professional organizations. We continuously provide certified interpreters for several governmental agencies in the U.S., some of them being Department of Justice, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and Department of Health.

Our job is to make sure that we assign the most suitable interpreter for you. That way, we also make sure that wherever you are in the world, your voice can always be heard.

Make sure you contact us for your interpretation needs. Get a quote now or contact us for all questions not answered here.