Telephone Interpretation: Definition, Requirements, and Costs

For international negotiations or dialogues where geographical and language barriers are primary obstacles, telephone interpretation or Over-the-phone interpretation is the perfect solution.

Telephone interpretation is a form of online interpretation; however, it still has some unique characteristics. Let’s explore the details of this form of interpretation in our article.

What is Over-the-Phone or Telephone Interpretation (OPI)?

Language Interpretation is the act of relaying spoken information in another language for specific parties. The purpose of interpretation is to enhance communication effectiveness when dialogue participants do not share the same language.

As a form of online interpretation, in telephone interpretation, interpreters connect and work with their clients through voice calls. Telephone interpretation can be of great benefit to enterprises or businesses expanding their operation on an international scale.

When do we need telephone interpretation?

As a form of remote interpretation, telephone interpretation shares some similar characteristics with other interpretation methods of the same category. However, telephone interpretation often has a limited number of participants. Telephone interpretation can be required in some cases such as:

1. ● Multilingual phone calls: In phone calls between parties of different languages, the expertise of a telephone interpretation is crucial in ensuring smooth communication.
2. ● Medical phone calls: In some countries suffering from a pandemic and in need of global medical assistance, doctors can exchange information via phone calls with the involvement of an interpreter to prevent the pandemic from spreading widely.

Important Skills for Interpreters

For multilingual conversations, interpreters play a crucial role in ensuring their smoothness and success. Therefore, to excel in their job, telephone interpreters need to possess some essential skills:

1. ● Quick interpretation speed: To avoid gaps in the conversation, interpreters need to start interpreting almost immediately upon receiving information.
2. ● Expertise: Interpreters need to possess a high level of language proficiency and knowledge in other fields, especially in the field related to the interview session. This will help interpreters understand the information accurately, ensuring that there is no misinterpretation.
3. ● Good adaptability: Working mainly through phone calls can make it challenging for interpreters to capture the context. Therefore, telephone interpreters need to be able to make decisions and adapt to situations as quickly as possible.
4. ● Technology proficiency: Interpreters need to be proficient with technology to connect easily with clients through calls, and handling unexpected issues with devices and software.

Telephone interpretation rates

The cost of telephone interpretation services is influenced by various factors. Here are the factors that influence the cost of this service:

1. ● Duration of interpretation: The cost of interpretation services may vary depending on the interpreter’s work hours. The longer the duration, the higher the cost, and vice versa.
2. ● Complexity of content: The interpreted content is often specialized in a particular field or topic. Interpretation services for specialized fields with intricate concepts and terminologies typically have a higher cost.
3. ● Language pairs: It would cost much more to look for interpreters with adequate proficiency in rare language pairs as opposed to more popular ones.
4. ● Urgency: For urgent cases, there is an added pressure to maintain quality while having a shorter time to prepare. To account for this demand, you may be subjected to additional costs.

Professional Telephone Interpretation Services

Considered the foundation of collaborations, effective communication plays an extremely important role. Oftentimes, interpreters are one of the most prominent influencing factors in the success of multilingual conversations. Therefore, the search for telephone interpretation services should be conducted carefully and meticulously.

With a commitment to prioritizing credibility, Thao & Co. Translation Agency ensures to provide you with accurate and high-quality interpretation services. Our team of highly experienced interpreters possesses in-depth expertise not only in language but also across a diverse range of fields, ensuring effective and nuanced communication in any setting.

In addition, interpreters at Thao & Co. possess quick problem-solving skills and are proficient in operating various devices and applications. These skills are instrumental in guaranteeing the success of your telephone communication.

Moreover, we place a very high emphasis on data protection. All personal and project information acquired during your collaboration with us will be kept strictly confidential.

To learn more about our services, please visit Thaonco.com or click on the Get a Quote button for prompt consultation.