French simultaneous interpreter in Tbilisi

French interpreting in Georgia occurs in several clear contexts: events of the Francophonie organisation and European structures, negotiations of French investment and engineering companies, presentations of the wine and tourism sector, and the visits of French-speaking patients and citizens to clinics, the notary and the court. Each of these situations requires a different format, equipment and preparation. This page considers every format of French interpreting and describes how we choose the interpreter, how we prepare and what the organiser should take into account.

Simultaneous interpreting from the booth: French specifics

The simultaneous format, where the interpreter interprets in parallel from a booth into headphones, reveals one technical particularity with French: a French sentence is on average longer than a Georgian one and the information density is different, so an interpreter interpreting from French into Georgian usually lags 2-3 seconds behind the speaker, while when interpreting from Georgian into French, on the contrary, the text needs "compressing" so that the French version keeps up with the speaker. This means that at least two interpreters work on French simultaneous interpreting in 20-30 minute rotation, which meets the international standard, and this is not a luxury but a condition of quality. Before the conference the interpreters study the speakers' presentations, so that they know the terminology, abbreviations and figures in advance.

Consecutive interpreting: negotiation, visit, ceremony

The consecutive format, where the speaker pauses and the interpreter interprets, is used in a French context most often at business negotiations, official visits, contract signing ceremonies and press conferences. French business culture attaches great importance to protocol: forms of address ("Monsieur le Directeur", "Madame la Ministre"), the courteous formulas of opening and closing and respect for hierarchy must be rendered by the interpreter as exactly as the content. Our French interpreters know this protocol and, where necessary, advise the Georgian side in advance which wording will be appropriate for the French partner. In consecutive interpreting the interpreter takes notes and renders a 3-5 minute segment in full, which rules out the risk of losing meaning in long negotiations.

Francophonie events and international organisations

Georgia is an observer member of the International Organisation of La Francophonie, and every March the month of Francophonie is celebrated in Tbilisi: lectures, film screenings, scientific conferences where French-speaking speakers meet a Georgian audience. The Council of Europe, one of whose official languages is French, regularly holds seminars in Georgia, and French and Belgian experts take part in EU projects. At such events the interpreting is often two-way and the subject specialised: human rights, judicial reform, local self-government, cultural heritage. Our interpreters know the terminology of these fields, and we ask the organiser in advance for the agenda and materials, so that the interpreting is at expert level.

Business negotiations with French companies

The interest of French companies in Georgia covers energy, infrastructure, the hotel industry, wine import and the banking sector, and in Tbilisi the France-Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Industry holds regular business events. At a negotiation the interpreter must command not only the language but the business context too: French business terminology ("chiffre d'affaires", "appel d'offres", "cahier des charges", "délai de livraison") requires an exact Georgian equivalent, and financial data must be carried over so that the French system of decimal and thousands separators (comma and space) causes no misunderstanding. Before the negotiation we ask for the draft contract or the presentation, so that the interpreter creates a terminology base, and where necessary the same interpreter follows the client through the whole project cycle, which ensures trust and consistency.

Wine, tourism and gastronomy: specialised vocabulary

France is a wine country, and French visitors expect specific, professional vocabulary at Georgian wine cellars, qvevri wine tastings and tourist tours. An interpreter who cannot render "maceration", "tannin", "oxidative ageing" or "autochthonous variety" in French with the correct term (macération, tanins, élevage oxydatif, cépage autochtone) cannot "sell" the story of Georgian wine to a French sommelier. The same applies to gastronomic tours, where the French names of dishes, techniques and ingredients are simple at first glance but in reality are subject-matter knowledge. We have separate interpreters for the wine and tourism sector, who have experience of working in this field and work at trade fairs (including in France, accompanying the Georgian stand at international wine fairs).

Medical accompaniment for French-speaking patients

A French, Belgian or Swiss patient at a Tbilisi clinic, or a Georgian patient having an online consultation with a French doctor, needs an interpreter who commands medical terminology in both languages and at the same time maintains delicacy. In medical interpreting the interpreter interprets in the first person ("I have pain" and not "they say they have pain"), adds nothing and omits nothing, even if what the patient says seems insignificant to the doctor, and protects confidentiality under a signed agreement. Often such accompaniment is remote, by video call, which is especially convenient for a preliminary consultation with a French clinic before the patient decides to travel. Our medical interpreters study the patient's translated history before the consultation, so that they know the terminology in advance.

At the notary, in court and at the consulate

A French citizen who buys real estate, marries or draws up a power of attorney in Georgia needs an interpreter at a Georgian notary, because the notary is obliged to make sure that the party understands the content of the document. In this case the interpreter is recorded in the notarial deed and signs it, so this work can only be done by an interpreter registered with a notary. At court proceedings in which a French-speaking party or witness takes part, the consecutive format is used, and the interpreter maintains complete impartiality and renders what was said without explanation or softening. During a visit to the consular service of the French Embassy an interpreter is rarely needed, because the consulate has Georgian-speaking staff, but when declaring the intention to marry or drawing up a civil status record the Georgian party sometimes wants accompaniment.

The "whisper" format (chuchotage) for small groups

When only one or two French-speaking participants at an event need interpreting, a full simultaneous system is excessive and the consecutive format holds up the rest of the audience. In such a case the interpreter sits beside the listener and interprets simultaneously in a whisper, which in French professional terminology is called "chuchotage". This format is suitable for supervisory board meetings where there is one French member, for tours of a factory or site where the group moves around, and for official dinners where a booth is impossible. The whisper format is as tiring for the interpreter as simultaneous, so two interpreters are assigned at an event longer than two hours, and for more than three listeners we switch to a portable transmitter system, which preserves sound quality and protects the interpreter from straining the voice.

Press conferences and the media

At a press conference of a French minister, ambassador, investor or cultural figure the interpreting is public: journalists write down and quote the interpretation directly, so the interpreter's wording effectively becomes an official statement. In this format the interpreter studies the text of the statement in advance (if it exists), preserves the speaker's tone and renders figures, names and dates with particular care. Microphone technique is important too: clear articulation, a steady pace and the correct distribution of pauses, so that the interpretation is usable for television editing. During visits by representatives of the French media to Georgia we do the reverse, interpreting Georgian respondents' interviews into French, and we also prepare the subsequent transcription and subtitles of the recording.

Academic lectures and trainings

Tbilisi State University, Ilia State University and other higher education institutions regularly invite French professors, experts in law, economics and the humanities, and within European projects French-speaking trainers prepare civil servants, judges and representatives of local self-government. Academic interpreting contains its own difficulty: the lecturer often uses complex, multi-level sentences, quotations, theoretical terms and authors' names, which must be rendered in their established Georgian form. Our interpreters study the presentation and bibliography before the lecture, and at the question and answer session provide two-way interpreting, so that the Georgian students' questions reach the lecturer exactly.

Engineering sites and production visits

Projects for hydropower plants, water supply systems and transport infrastructure with the participation of French engineering companies require frequent technical visits, where a French engineer inspects the site together with Georgian colleagues. During such a visit the interpreter works on the move, in a noisy environment, in protective equipment, and must command technical terminology ("turbine", "vanne", "débit", "ferraillage", "coffrage") instantly, without a dictionary. Before the visit we ask for the project's technical documentation, so that the interpreter studies the terminology of the specific site in advance, and in multi-week projects the same interpreter follows the team, which ensures trust and speed of communication between the engineers.

Telephone interpreting for urgent cases

Sometimes there is no time for planning: a French partner calls unexpectedly, a French-speaking tourist comes into a hospital, or French documents urgently need clarifying at customs. For such cases we have a telephone interpreting service, where the interpreter joins the call as a third party, within minutes during working hours. This format lacks visual contact and is not suitable for a long negotiation, but for urgent communication it is irreplaceable. In medical emergencies the interpreter passes the doctor's questions directly to the patient and interprets the answers immediately, and after the call ends, where necessary, prepares a short written summary that is attached to the patient's record.

The interpreter's ethics and impartiality

The international ethical code of interpreting rests on three principles: accuracy, confidentiality and impartiality. The interpreter renders everything that was said, including what the speaker may think unfavourable, and adds nothing on their own initiative. If something is unclear, the interpreter asks for a repetition rather than filling in their own guess. At a negotiation the interpreter is not an adviser to either side, even if one side hired them, and we confirm this in advance so that expectations are correct. Explaining cultural context ("in France this phrase is perceived more formally") is permissible, but only openly, in the presence of both sides, not as a separate hint to one side. These principles are familiar to French partners and determine trust in the interpreter.

Remote interpreting and the time zone

Paris, Brussels and Geneva are two hours (in summer) or three hours (in winter) behind Tbilisi, which is a convenient window when planning remote meetings: Tbilisi midday is Paris morning. On Zoom, Teams and similar platforms we carry out simultaneous interpreting via the built-in channels, and consecutive on the shared call. In the case of Quebec the time difference is 8 hours, and such meetings are usually scheduled for Tbilisi's evening hours, which we take into account when planning the interpreter's availability. The quality of the remote format depends on the technology: the interpreter works with a wired internet connection, an external microphone and headphones, and a technical test is held before the meeting so that the audio is clean on both sides.

Who our French interpreters are

French interpreting with us is entrusted to interpreters who either have experience of studying or working in France, Belgium or Switzerland, or many years of practice in French-speaking organisations. For simultaneous interpreting we have a separate group with experience of working in the conference booth, because the simultaneous skill differs from consecutive and requires separate training. By specialisation (law, medicine, technology, wine) we match the interpreter to the subject of the event, and for a multi-day project we keep the same team, so that the terminology and style do not change. Every interpreter works under a confidentiality agreement.

Equipment and logistics

For fully fledged simultaneous interpreting a soundproof booth, a transmitter system and headphones for the number of participants are set up in the hall, which our technical partners provide; at small meetings (10-20 participants) a portable "whisper" system is enough, which needs no booth and is set up in an hour. A technical inspection is held one day before the event: sound insulation, the booth's angle of view to the stage, power source and backup connection. We ask the organiser for the programme, the list of speakers and the presentations at least two days in advance, and if the event lasts several days, the team of interpreters and the rotation schedule are set in advance.

Which format in which case

• international conference with 50+ participants: simultaneous from a booth, two interpreters
• seminar or training with 10-30 participants: simultaneous with a portable system or consecutive
• business negotiation or contract signing: consecutive, subject-matter interpreter
• visit to the notary or court: consecutive, interpreter registered with a notary
• medical consultation: consecutive, medical interpreter, on site or by video call
• wine tasting or tour: consecutive or "whisper", interpreter who knows wine terminology
• urgent telephone call: telephone interpreting, immediately during working hours

Frequently asked questions