Have you ever heard of whispered interpreting?
What is whispered interpreting?
“Chuchotage” or whispered interpreting is a type of simultaneous interpreting. It accommodates a maximum of two participants needing language interpreting services. Accommodating more than two participants can cause noise and chaos, disturbing other people in the room.
About whispering interpretation
Here’s an interesting fact: the interpreter does NOT whisper while interpreting. Whispering, literally, can take its toll on the interpreter, making their voice hoarse and making it difficult to speak after a while.
During the meeting or event, the interpreter sits or stands close to the participant. The interpreter speaks using the normal speech, but softly and using low volume and precisely converts what the speaker is saying into the target language.
Also, often the posture and positioning can make the task physically harder for the interpreter.
What are the pros and cons?
Here are some of the benefits of using this type of interpreting.
- No sound booths or other equipment are required.
- Very flexible.
- Convenient and can be used in informal settings.
Who can “whisper”?
Given the environment that the interpreter will be in, you should only hire a professional linguist to do the job. Additionally, a professional interpreter who has experience doing whispering interpretation can deal with the pressures better, and can adjust to the unfiltered noise better.
Language Direct has thousands of linguists, translators and interpreters for over 189 languages. We can help you find the interpreter best suited for the role and the language pair you need. Call us today for your whispered interpreting needs.