Consecutive and simultaneous interpreting: what is the difference?

Both consecutive and simultaneous interpreting are widely used in the corporate world. These services are extremely useful for multinational companies, aiming to improve the communication among them. With this, it is also possible to make a more efficient use of talks, meetings and routine conferences.

            Despite interpreting services with a certain similarity, there are some important differences that set them apart. In one hand, consecutive interpreting is more dynamic, while the simultaneous interpreting is regarded as more practical. In this post, we will highlight what each one does and their main advantages.

What is consecutive interpreting?

            The consecutive interpreting, as it is performed in steps, doesn’t require any equipment. In order for that to happen, the speaker must say part of their speech, with pauses so the interpreter may repeat it. So, a fluid dialogue between the parts takes place.

             The consecutive interpreting is recommended in the case of quick events with a lot of dynamism. In general, it is used in meetings, dinners, small fairs, offices and even in touring. It is a type of work that requires agile interpreters and with quick thinking, as it demands more time for execution.

            For this reason, it demands more than just the knowledge of a foreign language. However, consecutive interpreting offers several advantages to corporate events. Among them, it’s worth highlighting that is may be used in any type of environment. Additionally, it provides more fidelity to what the speaker is saying, once it is thought through.

What is simultaneous interpreting?

            In simultaneous interpreting, it is very usual for listeners in talks and workshops to follow all the content through the use of microphones. This is only possible due to the equipment that interpreters use to translate what is being said, which are controlled from a translation booth.

            The work performed this way allows information to arrive clearly and without noise. But, differently from consecutive translation, in this case the speaker talks uninterruptedly to the audience. Then, the interpreter must listen attentively to everything so they may interpret and correctly translate in a quick manner.

            The simultaneous translation cares more about what is being said rather than the form. So, it is not always identical, but objective. Among the benefits that this type of service offers, there is the presence of people from various nationalities. Also, it doesn’t compromise the duration of the event and allows audiovisual to be transmitted at the same time of the translation.

            Now that you know the main differences between consecutive and simultaneous interpreting, be aware while choosing the one that best meets your needs. We, here at Brazil Translations, work with professionals that are qualified to work in both cases. So, we intend to provide the best experience with our interpreters.

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