Communication delay is another problem that can occur when relay interpreting is used. Since it is often used in simultaneous interpreting, delays can become longer if the message goes into several translations before it can be relayed.
Historically, relay interpreting is not new. It has been used centuries back. There was an account of relay interpreting being used by conquerors, traders and explorers when they encountered people that were previously unknown to them. When Cortez explored Mexico, relay interpreting was employed between Spanish and Maya, Nahuatl and Totonac.
Today, the United Nations uses the process during its conferences and the organization is using its six official languages. The European Union, which has 24 official languages rely on relay interpreting as well when conducting conferences and meetings since it is difficult to find interpreters for every language pair. Just imagine how many interpreters you will need if you are organizing a full-scale EU conference.
Relay interpreting is handled by professional interpreters who have years of experience in different types of conference interpreting. It is not an easy project, as it requires very good synchronization.
With its seamless operation, it is seldom, if ever, that conference delegates realize that relay interpreting is being used. The most they actually notice is a slight delay, which is typical, even for normal simultaneous interpreting.
To ensure success and see to it that there is no communication breakdown, it is very vital to work only with professional translators or a professional translation company that have the right experience and the required equipment for relay interpreting.
Liaison interpretation Liaison, as a process, is established as a close working relationship between people or organizations. It is the most informal mode of interpretation that can lack some accuracy when compared to consecutive interpretation. Word-to-word interpreting is not required here. The main goal of liaison interpreters is to build connections during small meetings or business negotiations when clients do not speak each other's language. Also known as dialog interpretation, liaison interpretation generally takes place between two to four clients. The focus of liaison interpreting is fostering relationships and successful negotiations rather than communicating the essence of every word. This is the reason why liaison interpreting is the least precise interpretation mode.
