In an age of modern technology, translation apps and software make cross-lingual communication easier than ever. For informal discussions, these tools can be helpful, but they do not have the reliability and precision (or cultural competence) of a skilled human interpreter. For businesses, legal cases, medical consultations and other professional situations, an over-reliance on apps can result in miscommunication or misunderstanding — or even costly mistakes. Here’s why you still can’t do without experienced interpreters.
Accuracy Beyond Words
Translation apps commonly use machine algorithms and literal transcriptions, which may not always interpret nuances of context or idioms, technical terms. Whereas, high grade interpretation services providers are conversant in both languages at a deep level, so meanings, tones and purposes of the original message are retained. This is essential in the legal, medical and corporate world where accuracy is a matter of course.
Cultural and Contextual Awareness
Culture and language are intertwined; one side cannot be separated from the other. Subtle cultural context, in-jokes or even humor don’t work when you rely on apps which can lead to embarrassing and sometimes offensive mistakes. Good interpreters also introduce cultural intelligence to their task, so that meaning is culturally accurate and appropriate.
Real-Time Problem Solving
When doing an on-air discussion, the conversation can always take turns. [sic!] The same cannot be said about simultaneous interpreters who are experienced enough to “switch gears” with immediacy, to ask for immediate clarifications, and to parse on the fly complex sentence structures or technical jargon such as military abbreviations or drug names. Translation apps, by contrast, tend to trip up on real-time conversations —especially rapid fire or multi-sided ones.
Confidentiality and Professionalism
Qualified interpreters learn to treat confidential information, like legal documents, medical history or corporate plans, with respect and ethics. Apps can be risky, causing data to be saved or processed on servers outside and with less privacy protections.
Building Trust and Credibility
Trust is critical in business, corporate law or medicine. Clients, collaborators and stakeholders are going to be far more comfortable with an app that comes from a human, rather than one fraught with bugs. With a human interpreter we provide clarity, empathy and professionalism that bonds relationships from one language to another.
Conclusion
Although translation apps work for casual language challenges, they do not deliver the nuanced and accurate results interpreters offer with a true appreciation of cultural context. That is why it makes sense to invest in a professional interpreting service, so that you can have confidence and be understood correctly within your user base as a company. For business conferences, legal submissions and medical consultations, there is still no more reliable option than a high-quality interpreter for accurate multilingual communication.