Team Interpreting

The Role and Necessity of Team Interpreting

The terms team interpreting and co-interpreting are both used within the field and largely refer to the same concept. We’ve chosen to use the term team interpreting within this article, but they can be used interchangeably.

In the field of interpretation, the concept of team interpreting is not just a best practice—it's often a necessity. While many may assume that a single interpreter suffices for any given situation, the reality is that certain scenarios require the collaboration of two or more interpreters to ensure effective communication. This approach is especially prevalent in settings where the length, number of attendees, or complexity of the interaction could compromise the quality of interpretation if handled by a lone interpreter. 

This page contains the following topics:

Understanding Team Interpreting

When Is a Team Needed

The Importance of Team Interpreting

Summary

Additional Resources

Understanding Team Interpreting:

Team interpreting involves multiple interpreters working collaboratively during an assignment. This method is standard in the sign language interpreting profession, particularly for assignments that are lengthy, complex, or involve multiple participants. The primary goal is to maintain a high level of accuracy and effectiveness throughout the interaction, ensuring that all parties have equal access to communication.

When Is a Team Needed:

Several factors influence the decision to utilize a team of interpreters:

Complexity of the Interaction:

Though many people base the need for a team on the length of the assignment, complexity is usually a better indicator of the need for a team. Even shorter assignments might necessitate a team if the content is particularly complex or the setting is highly interactive with multiple speakers. For instance, large meetings or meetings with multiple Deaf participants can benefit from multiple interpreters to manage the dynamic communication flow.

Length of the Assignment:

After considering the complexity of an assignment, the length is another primary determining factor in the need for a team of interpreters. In general, when assignments are expected to be over one hour long, consideration of a team of interpreters is warranted. Extended periods of interpretation can lead to cognitive and physical fatigue, which may affect an interpreter's accuracy and performance.

Specific Needs of Participants:

Some situations involve Deaf individuals who require additional support, such as a Deaf Interpreter working alongside an ASL-English interpreter. This is common when the Deaf participant has specific communication needs, has emerging fluency in ASL, or the interpretation is intended for a large group with varying communication needs.

The Importance of Team Interpreting:

The rationale behind team interpreting extends beyond mere convenience. It addresses the cognitive and physical demands placed on interpreters. The physical demand of interpreting is more easily understood due to its visual nature, but interpreting is also an intensive mental task that requires constant processing and translation of information. 

Cognitive Demands: As noted by the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters & Translators, simultaneous interpreting, regardless of the interpreter’s skill or experience, leads to mental fatigue after approximately 30 minutes of sustained effort. This fatigue can result in a noticeable decline in accuracy, sometimes even earlier depending on factors such as the complexity of the content, the speaker’s rate of speech, or the time of day. The article further cites Daniel Gile’s work, which characterizes simultaneous interpreting as a “cognitive management problem,” where interpreters inevitably reach a saturation point that increases the likelihood of errors due to cognitive overload. (NAJIT, citing Gile)

Physical Demands: A study conducted by Rochester Institute of Technology examining the work and movement of sign language interpreters found that interpreting places greater stress on extremities than industrial activities and that interpreters may be at higher risk than many other professions. Furthermore, when an interpreter is under cognitive stress, their signing velocity can further increase, leading to heightened risk.

Team interpreting ensures that the cognitive and physical demands of interpreting can be effectively managed and the communication needs of participants met. It allows for better management of the interaction, especially in complex or high-stakes environments, ensuring that no nuances are lost and that all parties have full access in the communication process.

Summary:

Recognizing when to utilize team interpreting is crucial for facilitating effective communication in various settings. Carefully reviewing the specifics of an assignment is an important step in the process of booking an interpreter. Once the various factors are understood, organizations and individuals can make informed decisions that enhance the quality of interpretation services. Ultimately, team interpreting is about ensuring that communication is accessible, accurate, and inclusive for everyone involved.

If you have additional questions about booking interpreters and the potential need for a team of interpreters, reach out to us via our contact page or submit a booking request for us to review.

Additional Resources:

Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf - Team Interpreting 2007

DLR Consulting Services - http://www.dlr-consulting.ca/teaminterpreting.html