Do You Need the Help of a Virtual Translator or a Virtual Interpreter?

The answer could be no, yes, one of them, or both of them depending on your needs.

Will your virtual event be streamed or recorded in more than one language OR will your target audience need help understanding the language that your event will be given in?

• If you answered no to BOTH questions then you will not need a virtual translator or interpreter. 

Do you plan on delivering a webinar, meeting, training, or another kind of virtual event across multiple languages OR will your audience need help to understand the language the event will be given in? 

• If you answered yes to EITHER question then you will need a virtual translator or a virtual interpreter or both. This is true whether your event is live or pre-recorded.

If you answered no, then you have one less thing to worry about. You can focus all your attention on delivering high-quality content and making an impact on your audience. 

What if you answered yes? Then you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll break down the differences between a virtual translator and a virtual interpreter as well as the roles each one plays in a virtual event. This will help you decide which language service you need, if not both.

The roles of both interpreters and translators are the same – to enable communication between multiple languages and cultures. How this is carried out, however, is different.

On a general level, the difference between the two is interpreters deal with the spoken word in real-time while translators deal with written content. 

Translation focuses on high accuracy, which takes time to complete. Interpretation is delivered immediately and focuses on communication over perfection. 

Often, the two are confused. There are several skills that an interpreter and a translator hold in common. For example, both must have a deep understanding of a certain culture and language, expertise in a certain subject, and be trained to communicate clearly. 

But understanding the difference between a virtual translator and a virtual interpreter and the roles each one plays is critical to choosing the right language service for your next virtual event.

Translators complete their work over a period of time and have access to extensive resources. They can use software, guides, and the help of other translators to double-check their work.

Translators exclusively work on written material such as articles or websites.

What role do translation services have in virtual events? Since virtual events, webinars, and business meetings are usually held live with people communicating through speaking, the role of a translator in a virtual event is limited.

However, translators can be useful for things such as subtitles, closed captioning, and transcripts if the meeting is pre-recorded. They can also be helpful for other written aspects such as agendas.

While translators have time and access to tools, interpreters rely solely on their training and reflexes. Interpretation happens in real-time, meaning it is done immediately as a speech or conversation is unfolding.

In general, the bulk of the heavy lifting at a multilingual virtual event will be done by an interpreter including:

• Any speech going from one language to another.
• Creating live captioning, subtitles, and close captions in another language. Even though these are written, since they are happening in real-time they fall into the hands of an interpreter. 

Hiring a well-trained interpreter is essential for a virtual meeting. 

• Interpreters transpose from one language to another with little to no context while rephrasing any idioms or cultural references.
• They must carry the original tone, weight, and values emphasized in the speaker’s word choice over to the interpreted language.

• • What you need to know – Consecutive interpretation vs simultaneous interpretation: Consecutive interpreters transpose once the speaker stops talking. Simultaneous interpreters transpose while the speaker continues to talk.

• • Which is better for your virtual event? Consecutive interpretation is a bit more accurate but makes the meeting run 2x as long. Simultaneous interpretation, however, takes no extra time and is therefore by far the most popular choice for virtual events, meetings, and trainings.

How does simultaneous interpretation work in virtual events? Separate audio channels are provided. Attendees can choose to listen to the original language or the interpreted language of their choice. They can mute the original audio or they can listen to it at a lower volume to hear the original tone and emphasis. This can be done from any conferencing platform.

Key takeaway: Most of the time you will need to hire a professional live interpreter, not a translator, to broadcast your virtual meeting, training, or event in more than one language.

Are you ready to take the next step to broadcast your event, training, or webinar to an international audience? Or are you curious about what is involved in hiring interpreter services for a virtual event? Reach out to us for a conversation. We’ll answer all your questions and point you in the right direction.