Consecutive interpreting

In consecutive interpreting, the interpreter repeats what has been said after the fact. This delayed interpretation can take place after a few sentences or after longer passages of meaning. For longer passages, the interpreters use a special note-taking technique that does not correspond to classical shorthand.

 

Consecutive interpreting is historically the oldest form of interpreting and has been used since ancient times. Since the second half of the 20th century, simultaneous interpreting has almost completely replaced consecutive interpreting at international events (the Nuremberg Trials are considered the birth of simultaneous interpreting).

 

A major advantage of consecutive interpreting is that no technical aids are required (as is the case with simultaneous whispered interpreting, which, however, is only possible for 1 or 2 participants). Only with larger groups is technology in the form of microphones and loudspeakers or similar required.

 

Unilateral and bilateral consecutive interpreting

In unilateral (one-sided) consecutive interpreting, the interpreter only interprets into one language direction. The text passages to be interpreted are usually longer. The interpreters therefore use a note-taking technique in order to be able to reproduce the content in full.

 

Areas of application for unilateral consecutive interpreting are:

 

• ceremonial occasions (greetings, table speeches, etc.)
• high-ranking events in terms of protocol
• Events such as author readings or film premieres

 

In bilateral (two-way) consecutive interpreting, also known as liaison interpreting, an interpreter interprets in both language directions. This enables communication between foreign-language interlocutors. Speeches are usually shorter, so interpreters usually interpret from memory and only occasionally refer to notes.

 

Areas of application for bilateral consecutive interpreting are:

 

• Meetings
• Negotiations
• Interviews

 

Disadvantages of consecutive interpreting

Consecutive interpreting has some serious disadvantages:

 

• Multiplication of the time required: as the interpreter always has to wait until the speaker has finished speaking in order to then transfer what has been said into the other language, the time required is multiplied. If a ten-minute speech is to be interpreted consecutively into another language, approx. 20 minutes must be planned for consecutive interpreting. If interpreting into two languages, 30 minutes, etc. For this reason, consecutive interpretation into more than one language is only carried out in exceptional cases in practice.
• Loss of detail: In consecutive interpreting, details or nuances may be lost because the interpreter cannot absorb all the information from what is said or it is difficult to reproduce everything from memory.
• Redundancy for multilingual participants: Participants who know both the source language and the target language of the interpretation hear the content several times. In an event with consecutive interpretation from German into English, all participants who know German and English hear the same content twice. It requires a lot of discipline from the participants not to reach for their mobile phones or talk to their neighbours at these moments.
• Disrupting the flow: Constantly interrupting the speaker to allow interpretation disrupts the flow of an event, conversation or lecture. It takes the dynamic out of an event and can be tiring for all participants.

 

Because of all these disadvantages, simultaneous interpretation is usually the preferred method for events with international participants. It is not without reason that simultaneous interpreting has almost replaced consecutive interpreting in the last 75 years.

 

Do you have any questions about consecutive interpreting or would you like advice on your interpreting needs? Do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!