By Ashok Khanduri
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7yzKa-vJrw
Translation and interpretation are often mentioned in the same breath, but they are different disciplines with different careers. In this Modlingua webinar on making a career in interpretation, we look at what interpreters actually do, the six types of interpretation, the skills that decide success, and the critical mistakes to avoid in conference interpreting.
Interpretation means breaking the language and communication barrier between two parties who do not share a common language. If you have ever explained a film or a video to a grandparent in a language they understand, you have already done a small act of interpreting: the language of the original content is the source language, and the language you explain it in is the target language.
The six types of interpretation
- Simultaneous (conference) interpretation: used at big gatherings, where teams of interpreters work in shifts and interpret from source to target language in real time.
- Consecutive interpretation: the speaker pauses every few minutes while the interpreter, having noted the key points, delivers the message in the target language.
- Whispered interpretation: the interpreter whispers directly to the client so other attendees are not disturbed - common in closed diplomatic meetings.
- Over-the-phone interpretation: offsite work where the interpreter joins a conference call between two parties who share no language, interpreting whenever the speaker pauses.
- Relay interpretation: used when the audience speaks many languages. One team interprets, say, Chinese to English, and a second team relays English to Hindi.
- Sign language interpretation: conveying spoken content through sign language for hearing-impaired audiences - remembering that every country has its own sign language.
Building the career in India
Indian universities do not yet offer dedicated interpretation degrees the way institutions in Europe and the US do, but there is a well-trodden path: choose your language pair, pursue a Master's in those languages (French, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, English and more) at universities such as JNU, Delhi University, Pondicherry University, BHU or the English and Foreign Languages University in Hyderabad, clear the recognized proficiency tests, and then work with NGOs, MNCs and international organizations. It is one of the few language careers that pays very well from the start - a Japanese-English interpreter, for example, can charge Rs. 2,000 per hour or more.
What separates successful interpreters
Three things. First, a very strong vocabulary and deep knowledge of both languages in the pair. Second, cultural fluency - keeping up with the cultures behind the languages so meaning is never misread. Third, extreme focus: a single wandering thought in the booth can turn into a serious blunder, which is why the webinar spends time on the critical mistakes new conference interpreters make. Among the interpreters worth studying are Gurdeep Kaur Chawla (English-Hindi), IFS officer Priyanka Sohoni (English-Chinese-Hindi) and Marina Gross, who has interpreted for the US President in Russian-English meetings.
Modlingua works with professional interpreters across Indian and foreign languages in combination with English, alongside its certified translation work for visa and immigration purposes. Learn more about our professional interpretation services.
