You plan a trip to the city abroad and you want to find local guide-interpreter who would arrange you a tour in English around local attractions. What requirements should be imposed to such guide?
First of all, it is desirable for such guide-interpreter to know English well as native or as main foreign language. Fortunately, in many foreign countries English is either the main or one of the main languages.
Especially, if it is a question of some famous city or large tourist center. Secondly, it is desirable that he had experience of conducting excursions in English on subject that is interesting for you.
A lot of things depend on, whether we speak about usual sightseeing tour around local sights, or you wish to order some special theme excursion: for example, to musical or literary places.
Anyway, it is better to discuss all your wishes in advance, including duration of excursion and how profound it has to be.
There can be another situation. You fly to the city abroad, and you would like to visit tour which is conducted in the language you don’t know. That’s why you need local interpreter for interpretation of the tour guide.
As for organization, when such excursion are conducted for one person or for small group of tourists, the most different variants are possible, depending on the country and local traditions and customs.
On the one hand, for the guide, who conducts this tour, presence of interpreter will be a stirring factor. On the other hand, it will be additional opportunity to take rest while the interpreter speaks.
But not all guides are used to work together with interpreter.
As for interpreter, in this case he doesn’t need to know all details. The main thing for him is to interpret accurately everything tour guide will tell into your language, without distortions and with minimum admissions.
Besides, it is necessary to consider the fact that because of time spent for the interpretation (including inevitable questions and specifications), duration of excursion can increase from one and a half to two times. And if time, allowed for excursion, is fixed, the tour guide will tell you one and a half-two times less useful information. Even if he is interpreted by superinterpreter
