26 May 2025
What is The Difference Between Consecutive Interpretation and Simultaneous Interpretation?
When hosting an event involving a second language, having a team of interpreters on hand is essential to facilitate effective communication, especially if your audience (including yourself) is unfamiliar with the other language being spoken. The interpreters’ purpose is to interpret the message delivered by a speaker without summarising, abridging or changing any part of the message.
Interpreters typically use two different interpretation techniques: consecutive and simultaneous. The choice of which form of interpretation should be used will depend mainly on the communication needs of your event. Are you holding a business meeting with a foreign investor? Or are you organising a large-scale event with well-known foreign speakers as your panellists? Both techniques help bridge language barriers for your audience’s understanding, but knowing the differences between both techniques will ensure you choose the ideal one for the event you are running.
A Quick Primer on Interpretation
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of interpretation, it revolves around converting speech from one language into a language you and your audience understand. Before you say it relates to translation, it might interest you to know that translation works specifically with translating written languages, while interpretation deals with the spoken word. Interpreters typically work in two directions, interpreting one language to another and back to the first one, paying close attention to the messages being delivered and ensuring that nothing is lost in the interpretation.
A skilled interpreter is typically well-versed in a specific topic or industry and can reliably interpret from one language to another while using the correct industry-relevant terms your audience understands. With one on your side, you can be sure that your event will have no difficulties conveying the intended message of your speakers as accurately as possible.
What is Simultaneous Interpretation?
This technique involves real-time interpretation by the interpreter: basically, the interpreter listens to what the speaker is saying while concurrently interpreting the message into a different language that the audience understands. Typically, the interpreter will work from a soundproof room to minimise distractions while allowing them to listen to the speaker (from a microphone feed) and interpret their words in real-time.
To help you visualise it, think of a recent interview you saw on TV in which someone is speaking a foreign language, and you can simultaneously hear the interpreter delivering their interpretation in a language you understand, their voice overlaid over the original speaker’s. That is how simultaneous interpretation works.
In most cases, simultaneous interpreters work in teams of two or more so speakers can take breaks between interpretations; keeping up with two different languages simultaneously can be exhausting. They will also need context to the purpose of your event beforehand so that they can take notes, do research if necessary, and ensure that they accurately interpret the speakers when the event begins.
For events involving multiple languages, it is normal to see multiple simultaneous interpreters working at once to allow uninterrupted interpretation across different language barriers. This typically happens in a major event, such as a United Nations conference; you might have seen many delegates wearing headsets during the proceedings.
The Advantages of Simultaneous Interpretation
Simultaneous interpretation is the ideal choice to provide real-time interpretation, allowing your audience to understand what is spoken as it is delivered. With the interpreters working from a soundproof booth, they can stay focused on what the speaker is talking about and provide live translation to the attendees with minimal delay. In order to do this, attendees will need to wear headsets that allow them to listen to the interpreters, offering them the context they need without interrupting the speaker as they are talking on stage.
Since the interpretation is provided concurrently with the speaker’s speech, you can easily ensure everyone understands what is being said in the time it takes the speaker to talk. That also means you save time for everyone involved since no one has to wait for an interpretation to come after the speaker has spoken, nor will there be any interruptions to the speaker’s speech to accommodate the interpretation.
The Disadvantages of Simultaneous Interpretation
As mentioned earlier, simultaneous interpretation typically requires a team of two or more interpreters to provide seamless interpretation to your audience. Given the high level of concentration needed to provide proper interpretation services, interpreters will need to alternate every twenty to thirty minutes to give them time to recuperate from the constant interpretation they provide.
The necessity of such an arrangement can mean a higher cost for such services, especially when you also need a soundproof booth for the interpreters, along with the required supporting equipment such as microphones, headsets for the audience, monitors and cameras if the booth is located outside the event space, wiring, and various other devices. The expenses can quickly add up, but they are necessary expenses for the convenience of your audience.
There is also the concern that an interpreter might make a mistake while simultaneously listening to the speaker and interpreting for them; in some cases, the interpreter may have to quickly provide a translation before the speaker’s sentence is complete, making it likely to accidentally misinterpret something the speaker says and leading to an awkward interpretation that might not make sense. Only qualified, experienced interpreters are selected to provide simultaneous interpretations to prevent mistakes like this from happening.
What is Consecutive Interpretation?
Unlike simultaneous interpretation, consecutive interpretation will only provide an interpretation once the speaker has paused or finished speaking. Think of it as having a conversation with your colleague or friend, where you will occasionally start and stop to let each other say what you want to say; in this case, you are providing a translation for the other person so that the audience understands what was said.
Consecutive interpretation’s start-and-stop nature is best employed in smaller settings, such as business meetings or team conferences. While it is not as demanding as simultaneous interpretation, you still need a diligent interpreter who constantly takes notes as the speaker is talking, allowing them to provide an accurate interpretation that does not lose any of the message’s actual meaning.
The Advantages of Consecutive Interpretation
The good news is that interpreters do not need specialised equipment to translate for the speaker; in most cases, a notebook and pen are good enough for them to take notes as the speaker is talking. To make things easier for them, many interpreters typically use shorthand methods, such as symbols representing specific terms, ideas or words, to help them remember the speech in the order it was presented, simplify the interpretation and still preserve the message’s main concepts.
This method also affords interpreters plenty of extra time to convey the speaker’s message accurately to the audience. Interpreters also need to account for how the speaker presents, how they emote when using specific terms, and how the entire message flows to provide an accurate translation that everyone understands. By accounting for the proper fluency that closely matches the speaker’s delivery, interpreters can ensure they can give an accurate translation free of mistakes or misinterpreted words.
The Disadvantages of Consecutive Interpretation
Because consecutive interpretation works in a stop-start manner, your event can double in length because the interpreter needs to provide their translation every time the speaker has said something. The stop-start nature can also be detrimental to the speaker, especially if they do not have a prepared script and lose their train of thought while the interpreter is speaking. Typically, you would always notify your speakers ahead of time if you are employing consecutive interpretations to avoid circumstances like these. Otherwise, you could end up with situations like that or instances where the speaker forgets to pause to let the interpreter translate for them.
Moreover, consecutive interpretation only works when translating from one language to another, unlike simultaneous interpretations’ seamless multilingual use cases. Consecutive interpretation is not ideal for multilingual use, especially since it significantly increases your event’s duration to allow every interpreter to convey their translation from the language they are working with. That means more waiting and a higher likelihood your speaker(s) would have lost their train of thought, which is why simultaneous interpretation is the more efficient method for such events.
The Key Differences Between Simultaneous and Consecutive Interpretation
Now that you know what these forms of interpretation are all about, knowing where they differentiate can help you decide which one to use for the appropriate event. We have a handy table to help summarise the key differences between the two and ensure you pick the right option.
Interpretation Method | Consecutive | Simultaneous |
Interpretation delivery | Start-stop (every time the speaker stops) | Happens concurrently as the speaker talks |
Ideal for small settings | Yes | Not always |
Ideal for larger events | Yes, but only for single-language interpretation | Yes |
Ideal for long events | No, as it can double the event’s total duration | Yes |
Requires special equipment | No | Yes |
Requires an interpreter team | No, but it depends on the event’s length | Yes |
Total cost | Relatively low, depending on your event needs | High, especially if you do not have in-house equipment |
Cost-wise, consecutive interpretation has a lower total cost compared to simultaneous interpretation, mostly because (as mentioned earlier) consecutive interpreters do not need specialised equipment to do their job. The price may also depend on the interpreter’s experience, particularly for simultaneous interpretation, which requires a significant degree of skill to keep up with a speaker and interpret as they speak.
When choosing the right interpretation technique, you must carefully consider your overall event needs. The rule of thumb, for the most part, is to opt for consecutive interpretation for smaller, shorter events, typically those that only last one day; with simultaneous interpretation, it is ideal for larger events where there are multiple speakers and audience members who speak different languages.
Even so, you do not have to limit yourself to these specific use cases. As we highlighted in the table above, there may be instances where you can still use particular interpretation methods. For example, consecutive interpretation can still be used in a large event if each speaker has a short window for speaking. Similarly, you can still employ simultaneous interpretation in smaller events to grant a smoother experience for your audience.
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In need of professional interpretation or event planning and management services? At Aspen Event Planners, we can help you create a memorable corporate event that will boost your brand visibility and provide clear communication to your intended audience. We can help you take care of every facet of your corporate event as you focus on your event content, attract potential clients, and cement your reputation as a promising industry leader.
Contact us today to find out how we can make your next corporate event a resounding success!
