Consecutive Interpretation

Consecutive interpretation is a mode of interpretation in which the speaker pauses every few sentences for the interpreter to render the segment into the target language. The interpreter typically takes notes during each speaker turn and delivers the interpretation immediately after.

Consecutive interpretation is the standard mode for:

• Medical encounters (patient intake, informed consent, discharge planning).
• Legal proceedings (depositions, client interviews, USCIS interviews).
• Business meetings, negotiations, and 1:1 conversations.
• Most parent-teacher conferences and IEP meetings.

Consecutive interpretation is generally less cognitively demanding than simultaneous interpretation and does not require teams of interpreters for engagements under 2 hours. It does, however, roughly double the meeting duration since each segment is heard twice (once in source, once in target).