Impact of Working Remotely on Cooperation Between Interpreters Working in the Same Booth: a Study of the Zoom Platform

Abstract

Remote simultaneous interpretation platforms are becoming increasingly popular for professionals working in the interpretation field. However, along with numerous benefits associated with time and costs, this technological innovation brought about challenges for interpreters who are increasingly often working remotely from their booth partners. This study focuses on the impact of remote work on cooperation between interpreters working in the same booth while using the Zoom platform. The objectives of the study were to examine the ways in which interpreters cooperate when working on the Zoom platform, explore the challenges faced by interpreters working on the Zoom platform, and discuss the impact of challenges faced by interpreters working on Zoom on the quality of interpretation. Data was collected from 14 participants, including students from the University of Nairobi's Centre for Translation and freelance interpreters. Data was gathered through questionnaires and observation of interpreters on Zoom. Interpreters reported on cooperation with booth partners, challenges faced, and the impact on rendition quality. Two participants interpreted a 15-minute speech on Zoom and then informed the researcher how they cooperated with their booth partners and what challenges they faced in the process. The researcher used content analysis to assess cooperation, challenges, and rendition accuracy. Two-thirds of the participants reported being satisfied or very satisfied with remote work, reflecting greater acceptance of technological innovations. Forty-one per cent of the respondents reported facing challenges when working on the Zoom platform, and three-quarters of the participants in the study revealed that challenges they encountered working on Zoom significantly affected the quality of interpretation. This resulted in challenges like omissions, delays, and interruptions during interpretation. Despite challenges encountered on the platform, most interpreters reported taking steps such as charging and testing their devices and establishing communication channels with their booth partners to mitigate challenges associated with remote simultaneous interpretation on Zoom. Based on the research findings, the study recommended that future research is conducted into how delegates cope with challenges in remote simultaneous interpretation, given their crucial role as the end-users, as well as in the challenges faced by interpreters providing interpretation services on other popular platforms such as Kudo, Interactio and Teams.