Interpreters » English Middle (ca.1100-1500) to English » Social Sciences » Slang

Interpreters, like translators, enable communication across cultures by translating one language into another. These language specialists must thoroughly understand the subject matter of any texts they translate, as well as the cultures associated with the source and target language.

Interpreters differ from translators in that they work with spoken words, rather than written text. Interpreting may be done in parallel with the speaker (simultaneous interpreting) or after they have spoken a few sentences or words (consecutive interpreting). Simultaneous interpreting is most often used at international conferences or in courts. Consecutive interpreting is often used for interpersonal communication.