Portable interpreting equipment
Tomasz Korybski · 2025
This chapter delves into the evolution and application of portable interpreting equipment (also known as tour guide systems, or bidule ) over the past century. Initially, it traces the technological advancements that have shaped portable interpreting devices, highlighting significant milestones and innovations. Building on existing research in the area, the chapter then examines the primary contexts and modalities in which portable interpreting equipment is utilised, while also addressing inherent limitations. These include technical, acoustic, and ethical constraints, among other user accessibility issues. Additionally, the chapter explores the role of portable interpreting equipment in the training of new interpreters, demonstrating its importance in the development of a comprehensive set of skills for interpreters. The relevance of tour guide systems is underscored and presented in a wider technological context. Finally, the chapter looks to the future. It indicates the presence of an existing research gap concerning the use of portable interpreting equipment and its impact on both the product and the process of interpreting and contemplates future application contexts for tour guide sets in a highly technologised environment.