Conference interpreting deals with the translation of oral communication, i.e. re-stating what is said in one language into another instantaneously. It should not be confused with translation which deals exclusively with written texts.

Meetings, press conferences, events and international conferences are regularly attended by people from different countries, making it the job of an interpreter to enable them to understand what is being said.

This is usually carried out via a soundproof translation booth where the conference interpreter relays the speech to listeners via headsets. Conference interpreters usually specialise in a few languages but mostly translate into their mother tongue.