An interpreter converts spoken statements from one language to another in a range of settings. Interpreters facilitate effective communication between clients at international events and conferences; at technical, business, legal or political meetings; at court hearings; and at police interviews. There are two main techniques of interpreting: - Simultaneous - working at a conference or large meeting, the interpreter translates instantaneously what is being said.
- Consecutive - more common in smaller meetings and discussions, the interpreter waits until the speaker has finished before giving an accurate account of what has been said.
Other forms of interpreting include liaison interpreting and whispering (often called chuchotage). More information can be found in interpreter. Who employs interpreters?The European UnionThe institutions of the European Union (EU) jointly constitute the largest employer of staff interpreters, with the majority working in the European Commission or European Parliament (UK Office). The Commission currently uses up to 800 interpreters, set to rise to 900 in the near future. At present, around 500 are staff and the remainder are freelancers. The Directorate General for Interpretation services most of the institutions of the EU, providing interpreters for about 50 meetings every day. The European Parliament and the Court of Justice of the European Communities have their own separate interpreting services. Within the EU, there is a demand for interpreters with English as their mother tongue, especially those with less widely known languages such as Swedish, Finnish, Danish, Dutch, Greek, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Hungarian and Russian. Interpreters who can offer unusual combinations of these languages are particularly sought after. Language requirements are based on languages of the current member states, so requirements change as the EU expands. English nationals who speak German are also currently in demand. If you wish to apply for work within the EU, an approved qualification in conference interpreting is required. Courses leading to such qualifications are available across Europe, including several in the UK. The UK Civil ServiceIn the UK Civil Service there are occasional specialist vacancies for linguist officers as translators or interpreters in the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) also employs a few interpreters. There are very few other staff interpreter posts in the UK. It is rare for even very large industrial and commercial organisations to have in-house interpreters, either in the UK or elsewhere. Public service interpretingThe National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) exists to resource public services. Interpreters with a diploma in public service interpreting are employed in public services such as health, law (including work as court interpreters) and local government. African and Asian languages, including Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali and Turkish, are often in demand. Between them, these interpreters have knowledge of around 120 languages. The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has a large pool of freelance interpreters whom they use at numerous locations in the UK. Each freelancer has an approved qualification or attends an assessment or training programme. International organisationsInternational organisations, such as the United Nations (UN), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) usually employ members of the Association Internationale des Interprètes de Conférence (AIIC). Most members of the AIIC - about 400 with English mother tongue - are freelance. FreelancingThe profession is becoming increasingly dominated by freelance interpreters and few full-time jobs are advertised even for public sector work. Emerging areas such as cultural consultancy are also accessed mainly through freelancing. Interpreters often have to be flexible in the work they are willing to do and the context, whereas it is more common for translators to specialise. See freelance and portfolio work for more information.
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