Professional interpretation services in 75+ languages
When a meeting, conference, or legal proceeding needs to work across languages in real time, the stakes are different from translation. There’s no going back to edit a paragraph. The interpreter has to get it right as it happens, in the room, on the phone, or over a live stream, and the logistics around that have to work just as well as the language does.
Multilingual Connections provides professional interpretation services in 75+ languages plus ASL, across three formats: onsite interpretation, telephonic and video interpretation, and remote simultaneous interpretation. We handle the language and the logistics, from booth setup and equipment rental for onsite events to equipment-free cloud-based delivery for virtual ones. Whatever your setting, we’ll help you find the right format and make sure it’s supported end to end.
Interpretation services for every setting
Onsite interpretation
We provide onsite interpretation services that cover in-person meetings, conferences, legal proceedings, HR events, and community settings where a physical interpreter presence is required. We provide both consecutive and simultaneous onsite interpretation, including full booth setup and equipment rental for simultaneous work, so you’re not sourcing hardware from a separate vendor. Our interpreters are selected for language pair, subject matter expertise, and the specific demands of the setting they’re walking into.
Telephonic and video interpretation
Our telephonic and video interpretation services connect you with a professional interpreter by phone or video within minutes, without scheduling in advance. It’s the right fit for appointments, customer service interactions, medical calls, HR conversations, and any situation where you need accurate spoken language support quickly. No setup, no equipment, no lead time beyond the call itself.
Remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI)
The remote simultaneous interpretation services deliver real-time conference-quality interpretation for virtual events, webinars, and hybrid conferences without the booth and equipment that onsite simultaneous interpretation requires. Interpreters work remotely via cloud technology, and attendees listen on their own device in their chosen language. RSI typically runs 30 to 40 percent less than traditional onsite simultaneous interpretation, making it the cost-effective option for organizations running multilingual virtual events.
ASL interpretation
ASL interpretation is available both onsite and remotely via video for Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants in conferences, legal proceedings, HR and business meetings, public events, and any setting where ADA accommodation or accessibility compliance applies. Our ASL interpreters are credentialed professionals matched to the context and content of your event.
Professional interpretation services
As Chicago’s leading translation and interpretation company, Multilingual Connections offers effective and reliable interpretation services in over 75 languages plus ASL (American Sign Language). By leveraging cutting-edge technology and culture expertise, our global network of professional interpreters is available all over the world. We offer flexible solutions to clients of any size across all industries, including legal, medical, business, marketing, market research, export & trade, and more.
- Conferences
- Events
- Focus groups & in-depth interviews
- Webinars
- Phone calls
- Employee training
Consecutive or simultaneous interpretation? How to choose
If you’re not sure which type of interpretation your event needs, here’s the practical difference.
Consecutive interpretation means the speaker pauses after short segments while the interpreter relays what was said in the target language. It works well for smaller meetings, depositions, interviews, medical appointments, and settings where a natural back-and-forth conversation is taking place. It doesn’t require special equipment and suits situations where a slight time delay between languages is acceptable.
Simultaneous interpretation happens in real time with no pause between the speaker and the interpreter. It’s what you need for conferences, large presentations, and events where the audience can’t wait for each segment to be relayed before the speaker continues. Simultaneous interpretation is cognitively demanding enough that interpreters typically work in pairs and alternate every 20 to 30 minutes. Onsite, it requires a booth and wireless receiver equipment, which we provide and manage. For virtual events, RSI delivers the same real-time quality without the onsite setup.
If you’re still unsure which fits your event, we can help you decide before you book.
Industries and settings we support
Interpretation needs look different depending on the context, and we work across a wide range of them.
Legal teams rely on us for depositions, hearings, and client meetings where precise, real-time spoken language accuracy is part of the professional and legal record. Market research teams book us for multilingual focus groups and in-depth interviews, where an interpreter who understands research methodology makes a measurable difference to session quality. HR and training teams use our interpretation services for multilingual employee training, onboarding sessions, benefits meetings, and company-wide communications that need to reach a workforce that speaks more than one language. Marketing and global trade teams bring us in for conferences, trade events, and international business meetings. And cultural institutions, including museums and community organizations, use our interpretation services for public programming, guided experiences, and community engagement work in multiple languages.
Why choose Multilingual Connections for interpretation services?
- Multilingual Connections was founded by a linguistic anthropologist, and that perspective shapes how we approach interpretation: with attention to context, cultural nuance, and the real-world dynamics of the settings we work in
- Full logistics support for onsite events: booth setup and equipment rental are included in our onsite simultaneous interpretation service, so you’re not managing a separate equipment vendor
- Equipment-free RSI for virtual events, with a hybrid option available for clients who want traditional headsets and receivers alongside remote interpreters
75+ languages plus ASL, with interpreters selected for language pair, subject matter expertise, and event type - Named client proof: the Threadline team called our interpretation work “high fidelity”; the Field Museum has trusted us for multilingual public programming. We’ve also supported interpretation work for organizations including Uber and Allstate Research
- Operating since 2005, with experience spanning legal, research, marketing, HR, and cultural institution contexts
Don’t take our word for it! Hear what our clients are saying.
Request a quote
It all starts with a first connection. Tell us how our international network of linguists and dedicated project managers can help!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are your legal interpreters court-certified?
For proceedings that require it, yes, we match you with a court-certified interpreter for the relevant jurisdiction. Not every legal setting requires certification specifically, a client meeting has different requirements than a deposition or courtroom appearance, so it’s worth telling us upfront what kind of proceeding it’s for.
What if our participants speak different dialects or regional variants of the same language?
This comes up more than people expect, especially with languages like Arabic, Spanish, or Mandarin that vary significantly by region. We match interpreters to the specific dialect or regional variant your participants actually speak, not just the language name, since an interpreter fluent in one variant can still miss meaning in another.
How far in advance should we book an interpreter, especially for a less common language?
For common languages and formats, turnaround can be quick, telephonic interpretation doesn’t require advance scheduling at all. For onsite events, RSI, or less common languages and dialects, earlier is better, since sourcing the right interpreter takes longer when the pool of qualified people is smaller.
Can you support an event where attendees need several different languages at once?
Yes, this is common for larger conferences and multi-market events. We can staff multiple interpreters covering different language pairs for the same event, whether that’s several onsite booths running in parallel or multiple RSI channels for a virtual audience to choose from.
Do you provide ASL interpreters on short notice, or does that need more lead time?
It depends on location and timing. Video ASL interpretation can often be arranged relatively quickly, similar to phone interpretation. Onsite ASL for a specific date, especially somewhere with a smaller pool of qualified interpreters, benefits from more lead time.
Featured services
Onsite
interpretation
Accurate, in-person interpretation services for your next multilingual meeting, training, conference, appointment, or court proceeding
Telephonic
interpretation
On-demand phone interpretation services available 24/7. Support in more than 75+ languages is only a phone call away.
Remote
simultaneous
interpretation
Going virtual? Remote simultaneous interpretation (RSI) delivers qualtiy interpretation services at a fraction of the cost.