If you are organising a meeting or appointment at short notice or involving participants in multiple locations, remote interpreting is the ideal choice to break down language barriers and ensure seamless communication for all parties.
41
languages provided to date
Over 400
interpreting requests fulfilled to date, across the UK and internationally
5.1 million
people in the UK speak a language other than English or Welsh as their main language (as of 2021)
When to use remote interpreting
Remote consecutive interpreting enables a natural, free-flowing conversation between participants, and is ideal for short-notice business meetings and healthcare appointments, since linguists’ travel times and costs do not need to be factored in. It also gives you access to a wider pool of linguists compared to in-person, including linguists for rarer language combinations or highly specialist subject areas.
Remote simultaneous interpreting, meanwhile, is the perfect option for larger online conferences or webinars involving participants from multiple different countries and time zones.
Urgent or unplanned appointments
Telephone or video remote interpreting services do not require the linguist(s) to arrange travel or accommodation, and so can usually be arranged at much shorter notice than in-person bookings.
Sensitive or remote locations
If your meeting is taking place in a sensitive location, such as a high-risk prison, or in a rural area that is difficult or time-consuming to get to, video interpretation services are often the safest and most convenient choice.
Short meetings or appointments
For brief meetings such as doctor’s appointments or customer service interactions, it is generally more cost-effective to have the interpreter attend remotely via a computer or mobile device rather than in-person.
Online meetings, conferences and webinars
Remote simultaneous interpreting is the ideal choice for large online business meetings and conferences, as it facilitates interpreting into multiple languages at the same time and allows participants and linguists to join from anywhere in the world.
Benefits of remote interpreting
Face-to-face interpreting brings a number of benefits compared to remote interpreting for both clients and linguists.
Lower costs
Using online or phone interpretation eliminates travel and accommodation costs, reducing the overall price of booking an interpreter. This is particularly useful for Legal Aid cases or other budget-sensitive situations.
Short notice
Since the linguist(s) will not need to physically travel to your location, they can be available at very short notice, making video and telephone interpreting services ideal for urgent, emergency or unplanned appointments.
Uncommon languages
If you need a rare language or combination, there may only be a handful of qualified linguists who can work with it. Having the interpreter attend remotely allows them to assist you from further afield, including from another country if needed.
Specialist linguists
Using remote interpreting gives you access to a greater number of linguists, including those with in-depth subject matter expertise, high-level security clearances, or certifications and experience for the most sensitive situations.
What to expect from your interpreter
We always hand-pick interpreters for each assignment based on their experience in your sector or industry. As well as being fluent in the two languages being spoken, your linguist will be genuinely knowledgeable about your subject matter and understand the technical content of what is being discussed.
All of our interpreters hold official interpreting qualifications, and the majority are members of the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI), the UK’s membership body for qualified professional interpreters. They are trained to navigate the most sensitive and challenging interpreting environments in a professional and effective way and deliver the highest quality service every time.
A qualified professional interpreter will allow your conversation to run as smoothly as possible while ensuring that everyone involved has full understanding of what is being discussed. They always remain impartial and never take the place of either party – they facilitate efficient communication in both directions by accurately translating what each person says.
As part of our onboarding process, all of our linguists sign strict non-disclosure agreements, and all interpreters hold a valid DBS check as a minimum, so you can be certain that any sensitive or confidential information discussed in your meeting will remain strictly confidential.
How to get a quote for interpreting services
To provide an accurate quote for an interpreting assignment, there are four key pieces of information that we will need:
Provide Language Details
Let us know the language combination(s) required including, if applicable, the regional dialect(s).
Share Meeting Information
Specify the time, date, location and duration of the meeting, and whether it will be virtual or in-person.
Define Interpreting Needs
Indicate the type of interpreting and any specific interpreter requirements, such as an enhanced DBS check or court clearance.
Outline Meeting Content
Provide a brief overview of the meeting's content to help us assign an interpreter with expertise in your industry or setting.
Professional interpreter services trusted by businesses across all sectors
We have been providing language support to a wide range of businesses for over 30 years.
Don’t just take our word for it…
Here is what some of our satisfied interpreting clients had to say about our services.
Business Language Services have recently supported us with a large translation and interpreting job and were extremely supportive, flexible and professional. I would highly recommend them.
Cardiff Metropolitan University
We have used Business Language Services many times to provide a translation and interpreter service in a legal capacity. They provide a thorough service and are very efficient. It is a pleasure corresponding with all at Business Language Services and they are always happy to help. For every query I have had, they have been able to assist, and the work has been of high quality each time. They are competitively priced and very professional. We would recommend Business Language Services to all.
Red Kite Law
We have developed a good working relationship with Business Language Services and in particular the project managers who provide a seamless booking process. They are able to make any amendments to the services we have booked and in a timely manner. We have supported our clients with many interpreter and translation services from BLS, which we have always found to be very professional.
Business in Focus (Business Wales)
Our most requested languages for interpretation services
We can provide interpreters for all spoken languages and signed languages used around the world. Our top 10 most-requested languages are:
Arabic
Polish
Mandarin Chinese
Persian (Farsi)
Spanish
Romanian
Welsh
Ukrainian
Pashto
British Sign Language
Get started with your professional interpreting booking today
For more information about our professional interpreting services, or to book an interpreter, speak to one of our friendly team today.
Frequently asked questions
Interpreter or translator – which do I need?
Although many people use the terms ‘translator’ and ‘interpreter’ interchangeably, they actually refer to quite distinct roles. Interpreting works with spoken language (or signed language), whereas translation works with the written word.
How much does remote interpreting cost?
Interpreting services are charged at an hourly rate. Interpreter cost can vary depending on the language pair, but it is typically around £80 + VAT per hour. Most interpreters have a minimum booking period of 2 or 3 hours.
We can also offer Legal Aid interpreting for applicable cases. Legal Aid rates are much lower than typical commercial rates and are fixed by the UK Government, depending on the type of hearing. They can only be applied to legal cases that are being funded by the Legal Aid Authority.
What is the difference between video remote interpreting and telephone interpreting?
For video remote interpreting, the interpreter joins you on an online video meeting via Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp video call, etc. Telephone interpreting, meanwhile, uses a conventional voice-only telephone call. Whenever possible, video calls are generally preferred over telephone calls for interpreting purposes, as being able to see participants’ facial expressions and body language leads to a more natural conversation flow.
How quickly can I book a remote interpreter?
As a general rule, we recommend giving at least one full working day’s notice for remote interpreting bookings in common spoken languages. We can sometimes arrange interpreters the same day, but this is not guaranteed. If you have additional requirements such as an exceptionally rare language, high-level security clearances or specialist subject matter expertise, a few days’ notice is best. Sign language interpreters are in much higher demand than spoken language interpreters – they are typically fully booked a month or more in advance.
Do you offer remote interpreting for signed languages?
Yes, we can provide sign language interpreters for British Sign Language (BSL) remotely via video call. We also offer a range of related accessibility services such as lipspeaking, speech-to-text reporting, in-vision signing for videos and multimedia content, as well as deafblind interpreting (also known as hands-on or tactile sign language; by definition, this cannot be done remotely).