Interpreting Categories and Situations

Conference Interpreting:

This is public interpreting for international governmental organisations (IGOs) from the interpreter’s several C-languages into their A-language. This category of service is required for meetings of political or state institutions or, on the other hand on the private market, for events organised mostly by NGOs and major businesses.  Much of the spoken text in conference interpreting has been written and prepared beforehand and is read aloud from a script, but there may also be free discussion of the issues involved. The more public the meeting forum, the more time the interpreters need to prepare beforehand.

Court Interpreting:

This category of interpreting, in which the interpreter works between his/her A- and B-languages, is used in court hearings, in camera police interviews, interrogations and other legal contexts. At court hearings much of the speech is read aloud from a script and deals with abstract legal points, whilst some speech consists of spontaneous (unprepared) dialogue on specific issues. (Clause 21 of the Constitution of Finland stipulates that court hearings are held in public, which means that the interpreter needs to prepare beforehand, not to mention the legal protection of the individual.)

Public Service Interpreting:

This is interpreting to and from the interpreter’s A- and B-languages, usually between a private individual and public governmental or municipal authorities, in a personal and private context. Public service interpreting is provided and financed by the society. Speech

consists mainly of spontaneous (unprepared) dialogue on a specific tangible issue. The beneficiary is normally the private individual for whom the interpreter has been called for.

Public service interpreting is also known as community interpreting.

Liaison Interpreting:

This is interpreting to and from the interpreter’s A- and B-languages in small private meetings dealing with business and state secrets, for instance. Speech generally consists of spontaneous (unprepared) dialogue on a specific subject.