If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
– Nelson Mandela
Why did we choose interpreting as a profession? Isn’t that pointless in today’s modern world?
Interpreting in a world in which children start learning foreign languages in school seems unnecessary to some. In Europe, many schools offer English, German, French, Dutch or Spanish as second languages. And even in the past, Germans started learning English or French in school. Therefore, many German employees speak English – especially if they work in higher positions. Wouldn’t it be possible to simply speak English during international conferences? Sure. Yet, there are several reasons why you shouldn’t.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”, is what Nelson Mandela once said. And there is so much truth in his words. Our native language is our means of communication that we feel most comfortable with. We speak it fluently, do not have to think about each and every word or grammar structures. In a nutshell: In our native languages, we say, what we want to say and not what we are capable of saying. And that is why interpreting services are still important in today’s globalized world.
Even if someone has learned a language for several years, if they speak it fairly well, if they understand it well, it is still more challenging to listen to and process a speech that is given in a language which isn’t our native language. The concentration used to processing what is said is significantly higher when listening to foreign languages. The same counts for speeches that we are supposed to give in a foreign language – especially if we are not used to give speeches or not used to give them in any other language than our native. And that again is why interpreting services are still important in today’s globalized world.
To take this burden off your customers’, employees’ and participants’ shoulders during conferences, conventions, meetings or fairs, offer interpreting services. We are delighted to help. Having interpreters, simultaneous or consecutive interpreting, at your events will allow all participants to speak their native languages while we ensure smooth communication despite language barriers. The small ear piece that your participants will wear allows for speeches without notes and discussions in which everyone can say what they want to say. On our end, we will make sure that what is meant is also said in the foreign language.
To show what conference interpreting is all about, the German Association of Conference Interpreters (VKD) made this video. Happy watching!