taking notes at meeting

Translator, interpreter... what's the difference?

Translators work with the written word and interpreters work with the spoken word.

Let's clear up the confusion.

Many people call conference interpreters, "simultaneous translators". However, strictly speaking this is a misnomer. Translators work with the written word producing a faithful translation of an original document in another language.

Interpreters work with the spoken word. And among interpreters, all are not conference interpreters. There are professionals who supply community interpreting, court interpreting and even sign language interpreting. Conference Interpreters usually have a post-graduate diploma in interpreting. In addition to working at traditional UN-style conferences, these professionals are being asked more and more to work at webcasts, satellite broadcasts, video conferences, etc.

So remember, "simultaneous translation" is actually interpretation!

What our clients have to say

  • Thank you for the outstanding interpretation services that you provided for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2015...

    National Organising Committee
    FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015
  • We would highly recommend ICI to anyone requiring top-level, professional conference interpretation...

    Glenn Ives, Chairman of the Board
    Deloitte Canada
  • I would recommend ICI to anyone who is in need of translation services. Very clear, easy to understand, best company yet...

    Jai Allan
    TD Canada Trust
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