Telephone interpreting is a service that connects human interpreters via telephone to individuals who wish to speak to each other but do not share a common language. The telephone interpreter converts the spoken language from one language to another, enabling listeners and speakers to understand each other. Interpretation over the telephone most often takes place in consecutive mode, which means that the interpreter waits until the speaker finishes an utterance before rendering the interpretation into the other language.
Telephone interpreting is one modality or delivery mechanism for providing interpreting services. Other forms of delivering interpreting services include in-person interpreting and video interpreting for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Historical timeline
- 1973: Australia introduces telephone interpretation as a fee-free service to respond to its growing immigrant communities.
- 1981: The first Over-the-Phone Interpretation (OPI) service is offered in the United States.
- 1981–1990: Telephone interpreting enters major U.S. industries including financial services, telecommunications, healthcare, and public safety.
- 1990's: The demand for telephone interpreting grows significantly; contributing factors include decreased prices in long distance calls, toll-free number access, and immigration trends.
- 1995: Language services company Kevmark, later known as CyraCom, patents a multiple-handset phone adapted for telephone interpreting.
- 1999: AT&T sells language services company Language Line Services.
- 2000's: Telephone interpretation becomes more sophisticated; quality of interpreting, faster connection speeds, and customer service become important to consumers.
- 2005: The U.S. telephone interpreting market is estimated at approximately $200 million.
- 2013: Language Lines Services acquires Pacific Interpreters.
Equipment
Users typically access telephone interpreting services with a telephone or computer with VoIP. However, if the two parties wishing to communicate are in the same location, using a dual handset phone, a phone with two receivers, can relieve the two parties from passing a phone back and forth. Speakerphones are also sometimes used, but these can create challenges both in terms of confidentiality, and for the interpreter, especially due to background noise, which can hinder the interpreter's ability to hear.
The dual handset phone was first offered by a company called CyraCom, a provider of telephone interpreting services, and is now widely available. There is also a variant made specifically for the U.K. Government by their telephone interpreting providers.[14] These companies usually either lease or sell the phones to their telephone interpreting customers but have been known to give them to key accounts as part of a contract.[15] Dual-handset phones can be bought directly by customers, enabling them to obtain the phones without obtaining them through a telephone interpreting company.
Where one party is deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech-impaired, communication via an off-site sign language interpreter can be performed using a video link using the necessary video telecommunication equipment.
Some providers, such as CyraCom, have developed mobile apps to access their service.[16] CyraCom’s mobile app allows healthcare providers to connect to an interpreter with a mobile device, saving time in patient interactions.