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2023 Free Webinar Series
This webinar series covers important interpreting resources for language professionals in 2023.
We hope you enjoy this FREE webinar series, delivered by experts from the fields of conference, legal, community and medical interpreting.
Certificates are only issued to attendees of the live sessions.
Learning objectives
After attending this webinar, attendees will be able to:
Describe sight translation from the point of view of the receiving audience.
Discuss the complexity of sight translation in light of institutional realities and the needs of LEP populations in community settings.
Identify strategies to address complex sight translation requests.
Recognize techniques for oralizing a written text for sight translation purposes.
#1 Sight Translation: From the Point of View of Receivers
Live session delivered: April 12, 2023, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenters: Laurence Ibrahim Aibo and Cristiano Mazzei
Sight translation is one of the modes often used in community settings. This mode requires the oralization of a written text to make sure that the receiver(s) of the sight translation can engage with its content. While the NCIHC provides guidelines about the type of materials that are adequate for sight translation in healthcare settings, there are few guidelines in other community settings.
Interpreters viewing the webinar will be encouraged to think about sight translation from the point of view of the receiving audience, which will help them to think critically about the complexities of the task and make informed decisions about effective delivery strategies.
Presenters Laurence Ibrahim Aibo and Cristiano Mazzei are seasoned interpretation instructors both in academic and professional development settings. The webinar includes a Q&A session with the presenters at the end.
This webinar has been approved for the following CEUs: 1 ATA CEP, 1 CCHI CE hour, 1 OCCI CEU, 0.1 RID CEUs, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs (available to live attendees only).
Learning Objectives
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Understand the importance of deliberate purpose-driven practice.
Employ strategies to gain the most from their practice time.
Gear their practice towards a clear objective and goal.
#2 Practice with a purpose!
Live session delivered: May 10, 2023, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Carola Lehmacher-Richez, FCCI
We often hear that practice makes perfect. But is that true?
How can deliberate practice help you reach the next step in your career?
Explore the importance of regular purpose-driven practice for interpreters. Practicing with a purpose is absolutely critical for reaching desired results and career goals. Whether you are studying alone or with a study buddy, preparing for an interpreter certification exam or simply working to improve your interpreting skills, it’s essential that you spend your time strategically.
Carola Lehmacher-Richez is a federally certified court interpreter (FCCI) for Spanish and a registered court interpreter for German for the State of Georgia.
This webinar has been approved for the following CEUs: 1 ATA CEP, 1 CCHI CE hour, 1 OCCI CEU, 0.1 RID CEUs, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs
Learning objectives:
After attending this webinar, the participant will be able to:
1. Troubleshoot the most common tech problems encountered in remote interpreting in healthcare.
2. Identify ways to communicate to all parties clearly and efficiently how to address tech issues.
#3 Interpreter Tech Support in Remote Healthcare Settings
Live session delivered: June 14, 2023, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: James Cech, BEI III
How comfortable are you interpreting remotely while navigating tech issues? This webinar will offer strategies, tips, and solutions to address one of the thorniest aspects of the remote interpreting experience: communication through technology. Clients and consumers use VRI and OPI equipment with varying levels of understanding and experience, which means the interpreter is now expected to be the language expert in the room AND understand how the technology works.
We will analyze real-world scenarios experienced by interpreters in healthcare. We’ll address common tech problems and the frustrations everyone in the encounter experiences as a result. This knowledge will help you manage the situation like a pro.
This webinar has been approved for the following CEUs: 1 ATA CEP, 1 CCHI CE hour, 1 OCCI CEU, 0.1 RID CEUs, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify a wide range of idiomatic expressions and cultural references.
2. Develop appropriate strategies for interpreting figures of speech, such as idioms and cultural references.
3. Engage in meaningful self-paced practice activities.
#4 Interpreting Idioms and Cultural References
Live session delivered: August 9, 2023, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Yuliya Speroff
Healthcare interpreters invest a significant amount of time in learning medical terminology and the ins and outs of the US healthcare system—and rightly so. However, interpreting encounters in healthcare settings are not all dense medical jargon—they involve real people speaking real language, which may include small talk, stories, jokes, idioms, and cultural references. Idioms can contain key messages such as descriptions of a patient's progress or lack of it and speakers’ attitude to the situation. This 1-hour interactive webinar will equip participants with strategies for dealing with idioms and cultural references encountered during interpreting assignments. Participants will also be provided with suggested resources for further practice and study of idioms.
This webinar was approved for the following CEUs: 1 ATA CEP, 1 CCHI CE hour, 1 OCCI CEU, 0.1 RID CEUs, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs.
#5 Best Business Practices for Freelance Interpreters: Dos and Don'ts
Live session delivered: September 13, 2023, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Diana C. Holland
The success of freelance work needs strategy, consistency, and dedication as much as any other type of work or venture. Freelance interpreters often struggle to find their voice and understand how to set boundaries, define strategies for productivity, and navigate a world that at times is very business-like, and at times is very informal. This webinar will present tried-and-true suggestions and recommendations on how to effectively address those situations—and how to alertly avoid pitfalls that can make or break any freelancer who has a vocation for service.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand why best practices are the foundation for success
2. Gain clarity on the ‘non-negotiables’ and the ‘maybes’ of good business
3. Self-audit and reflect on own inventory of best practices to plan for success
This webinar is approved for the following CEUs: 1 ATA CEP, 1 CCHI CE hour, 1 OCCI CEU, 0.1 RID CEUs, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs.
About the presenter:
Born and raised bilingual and bicultural in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Diana empowers bilinguals to monetize their language skills. With more than 35 years of experience as a professional interpreter, Diana is a CMI-Spanish, a CHI-Spanish, and a CoreCHI-PTM, and also holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business, and a Master of Arts in Psychological Studies. As a trainer since 2007, Diana’s business, Sanchez-Vega Communications, provides comprehensive healthcare and education interpreter training, specialized career coaching for bilinguals, and translations in multiple languages. Diana resides in Nashville, TN, and enjoys volunteering and building 3,000+ piece jigsaw puzzles in her downtime.
#6 Language Access Rights: A Must-Know Topic for Interpreters
Live session: October 11, 2023, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Carol Velandia
Language access rights are essential for establishing communication autonomy and effective communication among persons with Limited English Proficiency. Interpreters are the means to fulfill these rights and it is imperative that they become familiar with the history of multilingualism in the United States as well as the laws governing language access. This 1-hour webinar will provide attendees with the knowledge and practical tools to take appropriate action when language access rights are violated.
Learning Objectives:
1. Analyze the existing biases surrounding language diversity in the United States.
2. Understand the benefits of providing language access in community settings such as healthcare and educational settings, including fostering inclusivity, enhancing cognitive development, and promoting global citizenship.
3. Identify effective strategies and best practices for promoting language access.
This webinar is approved for the following CEUs: 1 ATA CEP, 1 CCHI CE hour, 1 OCCI CEU, 0.1 RID CEUs, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs.
About the presenter: Carol G. Velandia Pardo CHI, PMP, MBA, LMSW is a University of Maryland Graduate Professor, language access advocate, award winning curriculum developer and short film maker, and the founder and CEO of Equal Access Language Services. She developed the Interprofessional Curriculum: Effective Inclusion through Language Access, which will be taught to three different schools at the University of Maryland in Spring 2024. As a social worker, interpreter, academic, and entrepreneur, Carol’s mission is to make Language Access a priority for public and private services and expand the concepts of Cultural Competence and Diversity Equity and Inclusion by adding this critical concept as a key component. She is promoting a cultural shift that will drive the effective inclusion and outcomes improvement, as well as the equal access of Limited English proficient persons in public and private services, which in turn, will drive the growth of businesses and organizations and the improvement of our healthcare, justice, and education systems.
#7 What Role do AI and MT have in Language Access?
Live session: November 8, 2023, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Dr. Bill Rivers
This webinar will explore the current state of the art in AI and MT technologies as they relate to language access in healthcare. Building on the specific legal requirements for language access, we will discuss how language technologies are addressed in Federal laws and regulations, as well as the potential pitfalls associated with the use of such technologies. Current civil rights complaints, regulatory actions, and peer-reviewed research on language technology and language access will underpin the presentation.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the underlying Federal laws and regulations requiring language access in health care.
2. Recognize the uses and limitations of AI and MT in healthcare language access.
3. Articulate the value of human interpreters and translators in language access for healthcare.
This webinar was approved for the following CEUs: 1 ATA CEP, 1 CCHI CE hour, 1 OCCI CEU, 0.1 RID CEUs, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs.
Dr. Bill Rivers, Principal, WP Rivers & Associates, has more than 30 years’ experience in language advocacy and capacity at the national level, with significant experience in culture and language for economic development and national security, language access, and publications in second and third language acquisition research, proficiency assessment, program evaluation, and language policy development and advocacy.
#8 Interpreting for Gender & Sexual Diversity
Live session: December 13, 2023, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Kelly Henriquez
Significant mental health disparities have been documented within LGBTQIA+ communities, many of which are the direct result of stigma. Interpreters can and do contribute to this stigma, even inadvertently. This webinar will examine common assumptions about gender and sexuality, as well as how these biases can affect the application of interpreting ethical principles. Attendees will ultimately develop a personalized action plan for how they can provide ethical and affirming interpretation services to diverse communities.
Learning Objectives:
After attending this webinar participants will be able to:
1) Outline the mental health disparities experienced by the LGB, trans, gender nonconforming, and intersex communities, as well as how interpreters can contribute to these disparities.
2) Identify common assumptions about gender and sexuality, as well as how they can affect the application of interpreting ethical principles.
3) Create an action plan for how the interpreter will provide ethical and affirming interpretation services to diverse communities.
This webinar is approved for the following CEUs: 1 ATA CEP, 1 CCHI CE hour, 1 OCCI CEU, 0.1 RID CEUs, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs.
Kelly (Grzech) Henriquez is a dual-certified Spanish medical/healthcare interpreter in Richmond, Virginia. Kelly began her career in language services as a Bilingual Patient Advocate at a local safety net clinic and has since been interpreting on-site in both medical and mental health facilities. During the pandemic, she began her YouTube channel for interpreters in an effort to provide free and accessible continuing education. Shortly thereafter, she also became a medical interpreter trainer with Americans Against Language Barriers (AALB) and was recently recognized as the 2023 AALB Interpreter Educator of the Year.