With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, many professions have been radically transformed, and some have simply ceased to exist. In the case of Idiomáticus, we’re talking about translation, of course. From the perspective of research in Information Technology and applied linguistics, the problem of written translation is considered “solved” for AI. Naturally, there are particularly sensitive areas where humans are still involved in the translation process, such as legal or medical translation, but those fields are becoming fewer and further between.
However, when it comes to spoken or simultaneous interpreting, the situation isn’t so simple. In the process of interpersonal communication, words convey only about 30% of the information, while we “extract” the remaining 70% from the speaker’s tone, gestures, facial expressions, the context of the situation, and our knowledge of it and the world in general. Therefore, no matter how accurately an automatic translator renders your speech, it is not yet capable of replacing a flesh-and-blood interpreter for the following reasons:
The Interpreter Acts as an Intercultural Mediator
As an interpreter in Valencia, I frequently work with clients from Anglo-Saxon countries. Despite political differences, various international disputes, and other issues, these clients are united by certain cultural specificities that set them apart from Spaniards. For example: a different perception of time – compared to the Mediterranean culture, everything is always urgent for them; a different perception of the surrounding reality – they may think that Spain is a vacation country where people only dedicate themselves to having fiesta; and different norms of upbringing and values – for instance, a functional relationship in a professional context is more important than the underlying human one, while here it’s the other way around.
For these reasons, a direct, literal translation of words between speakers from different cultures can lead to misunderstandings, at the very least. That’s why, when I work as an English-Spanish interpreter in Valencia — a city where the number of people from non Spanish-speaking countries has recently increased significantly — I actually serve as an intercultural mediator.
Here’s a real-life example from my practice: A client, who I was interpreting for over the phone, was waiting for more than 15 minutes in a doctor’s waiting room. I hear her irritably say in English, “I’ve been waiting for 15 minutes!” Luckily, the people at the reception desk didn’t understand English, so she handed the phone to them for me to translate. I said to them in Spanish: “The client is visiting a doctor in Spain for the first time and is worried about whether she has done everything correctly — if she notified the correct person of her arrival and if she’s sitting in the correct waiting area. Could you please let her know how much longer she might have to wait and if this is the right room?”
The woman at the reception desk had perceived the client’s tone as irritated, but after hearing my words, she understood that the client was anxious, not angry (that might not have been strictly true, but we need a positive outcome, not a literal translation!). She informed me that the client would be called next and that she shouldn’t worry. I, in turn, translated to the client that the clinic sincerely apologized for the delay, explaining that the doctor strives to listen attentively to every patient, so she shouldn’t worry and would be called next. As we know, no one at the reception desk apologized, but that wasn’t the important part. What mattered was that the client calmed down, waited, and was indeed called in about 5 minutes later.
How do you know when you can step outside the bounds of a literal translation and start to “freestyle”? Many years of experience working with people from different cultures and with varying communication styles helps interpreters develop a kind of intuition. This intuition suggests us when the literal meaning is crucial and when the priority is resolving a communication problem. Furthermore, knowledge of psychology, particularly the principles of assertive communication, is also vital.
The Interpreter Helps the Client Understand Their Context
When I work as an interpreter in Valencia, I often notice that clients lack knowledge about the reality surrounding them. In this case, I’m not just talking about people from Anglo-Saxon countries, but foreigners in general. For example, a client from the U.S. got a ticket for driving in the city center simply because she didn’t know that only residents registered there were allowed to enter.
Clients from Poland weren’t aware that banks in Spain only see clients in the mornings. Due to this lack of understanding, they planned their appointments in the city incorrectly and had to postpone their bank visit until after the weekend. A client from Ukraine didn’t know how to register her residency (the padrón) in Valencia, which meant that the countdown for her residency period in Spain didn’t start upon receiving her residence card, and she lost months that won’t count towards her residency status in the country.
Clients are often unfamiliar with essential concepts they need to grasp: NIE, padrón, seguridad social (social security), TIE, SIP, cita (appointment), and so on. In such cases, a spoken interpreter in Valencia becomes more than just a translator; she becomes a window into a different reality, a source of knowledge that allows the client to put the puzzle pieces together into a complete picture — in other words, a consultant.
If you don’t speak Spanish and have encountered situations where Spaniards completely misunderstood what you were trying to say, you will surely relate to my story. If you need the services of an interpreter in Valencia or a relocation consultant, please reach out; I’d be happy to help you!