Interpreting Services

K International’s on-site interpreters can converse with groups or individuals in over 150 languages.

Depending on the context of the event, different interpreting services will be required. Any type of interpreter can be ordered from this website. If you are unsure what you need call us on 01908 572600 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Different Interpreting Services

There are many occasions where translation needs to be instantaneous – during meetings, conferences, interviews or public seminars, for instance. We can provide a range of interpreting services to suit your specific requirements.

Applications of Interpreting

Situations requiring interpreters can vary considerably. With this in mind, we offer a wide range of interpreting services – every interpreting job is treated as a bespoke assignment.

Some possible situations where you may need an interpreting service include:

During a business trip, you may need an interpreter to travel with you;

You may need an interpreter to provide an instant translation of a presentation you are giving;

Two-way interpretation may be necessary for interviews, medical appointments, smaller meetings, or legal situations (such as police interviews or court hearings);

Conferences may require a team of interpreters or special equipment (which we are able to advise on and provide).

As well as spoken languages, we are also able to provide sign language interpreters for the same situations.

When the requirement is ongoing, unexpected, or urgent, we are able to provide a telephone interpreting service. We can connect you to an interpreter in under a minute, based on the information you provide. The preferred method is a three-way conference call, although you can also use this service by passing a single phone between you.

The right interpreter for you

Because of the variety of situations and contexts which may require an interpreting service, it is important to make sure the interpreter we assign is suitable for your needs. For example, in a legal or medical setting, the interpreter must have training in that field in order to provide an effective service. We can provide translators trained in any field, but it should be noted that costs vary considerably depending on the level of specialist training.

Interpreter Travel Arrangements

Travel is an important consideration when arranging an interpreting assignment. With this in mind, we've designed our system to minimise the cost and time factors involved in travel:

• Our system manages a database of qualified interpreters all over the country
• Interpreters are always sourced as locally as possible.
• Public transport will always be used when practical
• Our account managers will always inform you if telephone interpreting may be suitable for your requirements.

Experience in interpreting

We have many years experience providing high quality interpreting services to a range of clients in the public and private sectors. We currently supply interpreters to the HM Prison service, the NHS, Social Services, and McLaren, to name a few.

Types of Interpreting

Depending on the context of the event, different interpreting services will be required. If you're not sure which service you require, or you'd just like some advice or extra information about using an interpreter, give us a call on 01908 572600 or email us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Face-to-face Interpreting

Face-to-face interpreting is sometimes called liaison or ad-hoc interpreting.

It is a two way form of interpreting – meaning that all parties present can take part in a discussion. The interpreter translates verbally every few sentences, while the speaker pauses. It is widely used in courts, healthcare and legal situations, and business meetings, where it is important that a dialogue can be maintained. The main downsides to face-to-face interpreting are that it takes longer to converse (as the speaker must pause for translation to take place) and that it is generally only effective within relatively small groups.

Simultaneous Interpreting

Sometimes referred to as whispering interpreting, simultaneous interpreting is useful for larger events where only a few participants require translation. The interpreter sits next to or behind the people who need translation, and whispers the interpretation to them. This is much less disruptive than face-to-face interpreting, but it should be noted that the process is very tiring for the interpreter – for longer assignments, more than one interpreter should be used.

Conference Interpreting

At large events such as conferences where there are more than a few participants who require translation, it may be necessary to use conference interpreting. Often requiring a team of interpreters, the translation takes place in a sound booth and is verbally relayed to the participants via headphones. This can be adapted to supply several languages to different groups of participants. We can provide the correct equipment and setup for these cases.

Telephone Interpreting

We can provide a full telephone interpreting service, which is suitable for a range of situations. Telephone interpreting can be used when face-to-face contact is not necessary, or when the requirement is urgent or unexpected.

The preferred method for telephone interpreting is a three-way conference call, although in face-to-face situations the phone can simply be passed back and forth.

Telephone interpreting can be less costly than other forms, as factors such as travel time do not need to be factored in. It is also very flexible – we can connect you to a interpreter in any language at very short notice — usually in under a minute. For more information on this service, visit our telephone interpreting page.

Sign Language Interpreting

Sign language interpreters can be provided to assist people with hearing difficulties, whenever necessary. These services can be applied to any of the above situations (with the exception of telephone interpreting). Alternatively, text-to-speech reporting can be used for larger events such as conferences.

Got Any Questions?

K International’s team is here to assist you with any questions you have about Interpreting. Call us on 01908 572600 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We look forward to talking to you soon.