What is Interpreting? Interpreting, or interpretation, is the intellectual activity that consists of facilitating oral or sign-language communication, either simultaneously or consecutively, between two or among three or more speakers who are not speaking, or signing, the same language. The words interpreting and interpretation both can be used to refer to this activity; the word interpreting is commonly used in the profession and in the translation-studies field to avoid confusion with other meanings of the word interpretation. Not all languages employ, as English does, two separate words to denote the activities of written and live-communication (oral or sign-language) translators. Even English does not always make the distinction, frequently using translation as a synonym of interpreting, especially in nontechnical usage.
Where Do Interpreters Work?
The majority of professional full-time conference interpreters work for international organizations like the United Nations, the European Union, or the African Union. See the Career opportunities with DG Interpretation in European Union's institutions. The world's largest employer of interpreters is currently the European Commission, which employs hundreds of staff and freelance interpreters working into the official languages of the European Union. The European Union's other institutions (the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice) have smaller interpreting services.
The United Nations employs interpreters at almost all its sites throughout the world. Because it has only six official languages, however, it is a smaller employer than the European Union. Interpreters may also work as freelance operators in their local, regional and national communities, or may take on contract work under an interpreting business or service. They would typically take on work as described above. The U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan employ hundreds of interpreters to assist with its communications with the local population.