The talk goes into Spanish; which way do questions go?
“English into Spanish only,” says the request. It then says the audience will ask questions in Spanish and the speaker needs to receive them in English. The message itself introduces an additional direction. Before quoting, flag the contradiction and ask what each session should cover; do not settle the whole job as one-way or treat the reverse direction as accepted.
This guide proposes a text assistant trial to prepare that query from a fictional request and agenda. It includes a session worksheet, a manual reference and a measurable pilot. The trial has not been run and no results are attributed to AI. The interpreter decides service feasibility and conditions; the assistant only prepares a draft.
Four decisions to keep separate on the worksheet
The European Commission describes consecutive interpreting as delivery after the speaker and simultaneous interpreting as interpreting while the speaker talks. Neither mode by itself specifies the languages or direction needed. On the proposed sheet, record the spoken language, the language needed by the recipient, the mode and the covered session separately.
Pronto Translations asks clients to distinguish event times from the hours when interpreting is expected and to consider audience questions. Nova Translate requests language direction, format, programme and equipment requirements among other details. These are those providers’ published lists, not universal conditions or a staffing calculation for your meeting.
- Write “English → Spanish” when that direction is documented. The label “English-Spanish” alone does not define every turn.
- Separate the talk, Q&A, breaks and other activities. An overseas participant’s presence does not establish contracted coverage of the whole day.
- Leave mode, technical resources, professional team and availability open to assessment when not agreed. Do not infer a booth, platform or interpreter count from the languages.
- Identify who supplies the programme and materials, their version and what is missing. An announced file is not a received file.
Fictional case: “one direction only”, with questions going back
All documents, times and names in this case are invented. P1 is the request: “English into Spanish only for the event. The presentation will be in English. Afterwards, audience questions in Spanish for the speaker: she needs them interpreted into English and will answer in English. Do not interpret the coffee break.” It does not specify whether her replies should also be interpreted for the audience.
A1 is a provisional agenda supplied by the organiser. Its times are indicative; no date or time zone is agreed, mode defined, quote accepted, team booked or materials received. P1 does not mention A1’s workshop.
| Session | Declared activity | Documented languages | Coverage still to clarify |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:00–10:40 | Speaker presentation | Speech in English | P1 requests English → Spanish; conditions remain open |
| 10:40–11:00 | Questions and answers | Audience in Spanish; speaker replies in English | P1 requests questions into English; confirm full scope and resolve “only” |
| 11:00–11:20 | Coffee break | Conversations unspecified | P1 excludes coffee-break interpreting |
| 11:20–12:00 | Workshop in Spanish | Speaker participation unconfirmed | P1 requests no coverage of this session |
Manual reference: a scope query, not a booking
For the presentation, retain P1’s requested English → Spanish direction and A1’s indicative slot. Do not turn it into confirmed availability or an agreed mode. For questions, cite the express Spanish → English request and its conflict with “English into Spanish only”; ask for joint confirmation instead of silently choosing one phrase.
The speaker’s replies are expected in English, but interpreting them into Spanish is not expressly requested. Ask whether the audience needs this and whether it belongs in the assignment. Do not mark it approved because it seems logical. Retain the coffee-break exclusion; unconfirmed workshop participation does not itself extend the service.
A draft query could read: “P1 limits the assignment to English → Spanish but also asks for questions to go from Spanish into English. Can you confirm both directions during Q&A and interpreting the replies into Spanish? P1 excludes the coffee break. A1 adds a workshop absent from the request: is it outside the assignment? We need to settle the date, time zone, hours, mode, technical resources and materials before assessing delivery.” This is a manually written reference for the fiction, not observed output or a sent message.
The trial instruction and errors to reject
Copy only fictional P1 and A1 into a text assistant. If you choose Claude, its documentation suggests allowing uncertainty and checking claims with citations. That is a review guideline, not a guarantee of detecting the direction change or preserving exclusions.
“Prepare a provisional sheet by session, including activity, spoken language, requested target language, quote and source document, exclusions, contradictions and open question. Distinguish request, programme and acceptance. Retain the conflict between one direction only and questions into English. Do not infer interpreting replies or workshop coverage; do not extend coffee-break coverage. Do not choose mode, equipment, staffing, price or availability. Do not translate speeches, book, send messages or confirm service. Name each specific missing detail.”
Reject output saying “everything is English → Spanish,” “replies are already included,” “the workshop requires coverage,” or “the service is booked.” Check each direction against P1 and each activity against A1. Correct arrows do not establish that a viable service has been organised.
A pilot that tests the direction change
First complete the sheet manually. If it handles your assignments, keep that procedure. The trial’s hypothesis is that AI may help organise differently worded enquiries, not replace professional interpreting or decide staffing.
Compare its draft with the manual reference. In a fictional copy of P1, replace only the first sentence “English into Spanish only for the event” with “English into Spanish for the presentation; Spanish into English for questions.” That contradiction should disappear, while interpreting the replies remains open. In another copy add “include the replies into Spanish”: it should record an explicit request without turning it into acceptance or adding the workshop. These are proposed tests, not results.
- Count omitted or invented directions, lost exclusions, added sessions and unauthorised confirmations.
- Record the full effort of preparing input, checking and correcting against the manual sheet. Generation speed does not establish savings.
- Retain input, programme version, errors and corrections. Return any draft mixing a request with approval for review.
- Before quoting, the professional reviews scope, subject, materials, hours, breaks, mode, technical resources, team and availability. AI text does not decide those conditions.
From a manual assistant to an integration for your work
The manual trial involves copying fiction and reviewing text. Connected automation would require checking permissions, programme formats, versions, job identifiers and approval responsibilities. Compatibility with your email, calendar, meeting platform or job management system has not been demonstrated.
Adaris can assess a defined development project to combine authorised requests and programme versions, link questions to sources and prepare a sheet for review. Scope, feasibility, acceptance and a quote are agreed case by case. This is a custom software and AI integration proposal, not an existing Adaris interpreting application.
Use only the fictional documents here. Do not paste private programmes, unpublished speeches, access links or real personal or commercial data without permission and appropriate use, access and retention conditions. You can describe your workflow to Adaris without sending client material. Commercial support is in Spanish.
Related services
Sources
Does the programme change after a quote is requested?
Describe how you record languages, sessions and approval. We can assess a defined internal tool for your workflow; commercial support is in Spanish.