Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>The contribution describes the main features of “liaison interpreting,” as this practice has been described in the literature, using a range of relevant sources.</jats:p> <jats:p>After a preliminary distinction between conference and liaison interpreting, which is a more broadly defined modality of interpreting, the main fields in which liaison interpreting is requested are provided: in business settings; in meetings between a society's legal, medical, educational, and welfare institutions and its immigrants who speak a different language; in a whole host of less formal situations in tourism, education, and cultural contacts.</jats:p> <jats:p> Given the great variety of applications, a review of all the labels attributed to liaison interpreting is offered, namely, ad hoc interpreting, face‐to‐face interpreting, escort or business interpreting, court or courtroom interpreting, public service interpreting, three‐cornered interpreting, contact interpreting, community interpreting, and dialogue interpreting. All these labels, however, refer to the same <jats:italic>discourse</jats:italic> format, which is dialogue‐ and interaction‐based. </jats:p> <jats:p>Finally, the contribution describes all the main features and all the cultural, social, ethical, and psychological implications that this type of triadic, face‐to‐face interaction implies.</jats:p>