Personal interpreters facilitate communication in various contexts, requiring different skills and sometimes certification. They can work exclusively with one client or be freelancers, and fees vary. Interpreters must understand and explain information clearly, and may add personal information to clarify. Remote personal interpretation services are available, but nuances may be missed.
A personal interpreter translates from one language to another to facilitate communication in interpersonal interactions. This can occur in clinical, legal, commercial and social contexts, requiring different interpretation skills. Depending on where someone works and the type of service offered, certification may be required. In other cases, a working knowledge of two or more languages is required, with no specific credential to work in the field.
Some interpreters have a regular group of clients and, in some cases, may work exclusively with one client. A deaf businessperson, for example, might hire a sign language interpreter to facilitate meetings and other events. Others are freelancers making themselves available for travelers or in other situations where interpretation is needed on short notice. Fees may vary depending on the terms of the contract. People with special training in areas such as legal interpreting often charge more as a reflection of their skills.
Clients meet with their interpreters to discuss the need and ensure they are a good fit. For medical and legal interpreting, for example, it is important that the interpreter clearly understands and is able to explain the information. In business, knowledge of the regional culture can be important, and the interpreter can act as a filter to smooth out the rough edges of communication to facilitate an agreement. A client might ask a question that might be considered culturally offensive, for example, and the in-person interpreter might rephrase it when translating.
In situations where interpretation is required, the personal interpreter can listen, translate and relay responses. Interpretation is less literal in nature as the aim is to communicate clearly. For this reason, the interpreter may add personal information to clarify or explain the situation or make recommendations. This differs from activities such as formal document translation, where a very accurate and faithful translation is required for legal reasons.
Remote personal interpretation services are available. Judges and doctors can take advantage of a personal interpreter who works over the phone to get translation quickly, without having to call someone. This can be a particular problem in regions where the population is small and someone who speaks the language might need to travel several hours to reach the location. Over the phone, the personal interpreter may be available immediately, although some nuances may be missed because body language is impossible to see and tone can be difficult to interpret over the phone.
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