4.1 This practice is intended for all stakeholders of interpreting services.

4.2 Interpreting Services Stakeholders:

4.2.1 Customer-The person(s) or entity that pays for the interpreting services.

4.2.2 Requester-The person(s) or entity that places the order for interpreting services.

4.2.3 End User or Consumer-All persons communicating through an interpreter.

4.2.4 Interpreting Services Provider-The person(s), interpreter(s), organization, or language services company (LSC) arranging for the provision of interpreting services including, but not limited to, selecting, contracting, scheduling, invoicing, and paying the interpreter.

4.2.5 Interpreter-Person who performs the interpreting service.

Note 1: The above categories of stakeholders are not mutually exclusive.

4.3 Characteristics of Interpreting-Interpreting is a professional activity resulting in an immediate and final oral/signed rendition of the message from the source language into the target language. It does not serve the same purpose as, nor should it be compared to, a written translation or a scripted voice-over. Interpreting is performed in real time (simultaneously), immediately after a speaker pauses to allow for interpreting (consecutively), or as an oral or signed rendition of a written document (sight translation).