What is the difference between simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, and when is each one appropriate?
In simultaneous interpreting the interpreter renders the speech as it happens, from a booth or a remote platform, and the audience listens through a receiver or an audio channel. It does not lengthen the programme, which makes it right for congresses, seminars and sessions with several languages or a large audience. In consecutive interpreting the interpreter waits for the speaker to finish a passage and then renders it, with no equipment: it doubles the time of the exchange, but works better in bilateral meetings, official visits, negotiations and interviews, where exchanges are short and direct contact matters.
How many interpreters are needed, and why do simultaneous interpreters work in pairs?
Simultaneous interpreting means listening, understanding, reformulating and speaking at once, and accuracy falls with fatigue. That is why interpreters work in pairs per booth and per language pair, taking turns of roughly thirty minutes: while one interprets, the other follows the session, notes figures and names and stands ready to take over. For short, single-slot assignments one interpreter may be enough; we decide once we see the programme. Consecutive interpreting usually needs one person when the meeting is contained.
What equipment is required, and does ContactoChile coordinate it?
On-site simultaneous interpreting needs a soundproof booth, an interpreter console, transmitters and receivers with headphones for the audience, and technical support during the session. Consecutive interpreting needs no equipment beyond a room microphone. Remote work relies on the platform and on each participant's audio. We coordinate the setup and the operation with the event's technical supplier or with ours, and we check the room beforehand: booth position, line of sight to the screen and the speaker, and sound tests.
What material should I send, and how far in advance?
The earlier the better: the programme, the list of speakers, the slides, the documents to be discussed, the organisation's own acronyms and the proper names that will come up. With that we build glossaries and align terminology with you before the session, which is the part of the work that most affects accuracy. A week's notice is a good starting point for a congress; highly technical or legal material deserves more. If something arrives at the last minute, we still take it in.
How does remote or hybrid interpreting work?
We run remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI) on Zoom, Webex, Teams and YouTube. The audience picks the language channel inside the platform and hears the interpreter without losing the speaker. Hybrid formats bring on-site and remote participants together, which is where blind spots appear: that is why we hold prior coordination and sound tests. The single biggest factor in the result is the speaker's audio, so we recommend a headset or lapel microphone and a wired connection wherever possible.
When is a human interpreter the right choice, and when can artificial intelligence help?
AI is useful for getting the gist: understanding an internal document, loosely following an informal talk, or producing a first draft that is then revised. It is not the right tool where nuance changes the outcome: negotiations, diplomatic sessions, medical and legal settings, specialised terminology and anything that goes on the record. An interpreter reads intent, register and what goes unsaid, prepares with your material and answers for what they render. We use language technology as support — memories, glossaries, CAT tools — always under professional supervision.
How is confidentiality safeguarded?
The entire team signs confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements for institutional and corporate projects. Material you send us is used only to prepare the session or the translation and is handled under the protocol that fits the type of project. If your organisation has its own agreement or information-handling requirements, we review and sign it.
What information do you need in order to quote?
Four details are enough for a first answer: the dates and times, the format (on-site, hybrid or remote), the languages you need and the subject matter. It also helps to know how many people will attend, whether a booth and equipment are available on site, and whether the session will be recorded. With that we reply with a technical proposal covering format, assigned team, operational requirements and confidentiality terms.
