Chuchotage or whispered interpreting is one kind of simultaneous interpretation, used only in very specific circumstances.

The interpreter, positioned next to the listener, conveys the speaker's utterance simultaneously interpreting in a low voice what is being said, directly next to the listener's ears. This technique is therefore not suitable if the people who need interpretation are more than two, or if there is more than one language for which interpretation needs to be provided.

There are great inherent concerns connected to whispered interpretation, due to the noise factor and the uninsulated environment where the interpreter has to work. The interpreter may distract other participants with his or her voice and might be hindered in his or her work by not being able to listen fully to what the speaker is saying.

Partly to find a solution to these problems, it might be envisaged the use of "bidule" or tour guide system, a portable device used to reproduce the functioning of the simultaneous interpreting technical system usually found in booths. This kind of portable devices might be used only provided that some conditions are respected:

• short meetings (max 2-3 hours),
• limited number of participants,
• 2 transmission channels: one from interpreters to participants, the other from speakers' microphones to interpreters' earphones,
• compliance with IEC 914 standards.