Learning objectives 

After attending this webinar, the participant will be able to:  

1. Understand the origins of conference interpreting and the evolution of remote platforms (RSI).

2. Understand the standards for conference interpreting and compare and contrast RSI and video remote interpreting with those.

3. Assess use cases and best practices for RSI in different settings, including community, medical, legal and general business.

#1 An Overview of remote simultaneous interpreting

Live session delivered: May 13, 2020, 11:30-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Katty Kauffman, Conference and Court Interpreter, Member of AIIC and TAALS

Attend this webinar and get a bracing dose of information from an expert in conference interpreting. You’ll learn how RSI got started, how it works today and what’s happened to RSI since COVID-19. You’ll have a good sense of whether you—or your interpreters—are skilled enough to perform it, the equipment you’ll need, tech issues you’ll face and important decisions to wrestle. Finally, you’ll hear the real deal about RSI—the good, the bad and the ugly. So make your decisions—but first, attend this webinar!

Learning objectives 

After attending this webinar, the participant will be able to:  

1. Identify the skill set and technical equipment needed to perform RSI successfully.

2. Understand what types of communicative events are most suitable for RSI.

3. Evaluate and explain the differences between RSI hubs and platforms.

#2 RSI — A new work environment for a different world

Live session delivered: May 27, 2020, 11:30-12:30 p.m. ET
Presenter: Silvana G. Chaves, Conference Interpreter and Sworn Translator, Owner of Estudio Chaves & Asoc.

With the COVID-19 outbreak interpreters are seeking new work opportunities. Remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI) sounds like the magic formula to reach out to a larger client base. But it is not. RSI is a different setup solution ―relatively new― to provide video remote interpreting (VRI) in simultaneous mode. So before you embark on this journey, make sure you carry the right luggage with you!

During the webinar, we will answer these questions for you:

1. What skill set and technical equipment do I need to cope with RSI successfully?

2. Why do conference interpreters have an edge in RSI?

3. What types of communicative events are most suitable for RSI?

4. How do I train my brain to get started in RSI?

5. RSI hubs or platforms: which is the best option?

But if you have other questions, we will be glad to answer them too!

Learning Objectives 

After attending this webinar, the participant will be able to:  

1. Describe recent trends in legal interpreting as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Give three examples of best practices when providing remote simultaneous interpreting.

3. Explain how experienced interpreters are adapting their skills to deliver court and legal interpreting remotely.

#3: Court and Legal Interpreting in Times of COVID-19 – Where have we been, and where are we headed?

Live session delivered: June 10, 2020, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Aimee Benavides, Federally and California Court Certified Interpreter; Tamber Hilton, Federally and Virginia Court Certified Interpreter; Ernest Nino-Murcia, Federally and Iowa Court Certified Interpreter

As courts and legal professionals have scrambled to pivot to remote delivery of court and legal services, the interpreters who support them have also been working to adapt and innovate. Aimee, Ernest, and Tamber are freelance Spanish court interpreters based in the United States, in California, Iowa, and Washington, D.C., respectively. They will share trends and experiences related to legal interpreting during these times of crisis; solutions and lessons learned derived from their practices; and will also present tips and suggestions to help chart a way forward for the field of remote court and legal interpreting. Please join us for what we expect to be an exciting and dynamic presentation by these three committed interpreters. 

Learning objectives 

After attending this webinar, the participant will be able to:

1. Describe RSI services from the client's perspective.

2. Explore strategies to help their clients become RSI-ready.

#4: It Takes two to tango! Guiding interpreting clients through RSI

Live session delivered: June 24, 2020, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Maha El-Metwally, MA, Conference Interpreter and Interpreter Trainer, Member of AIIC and ATA  

Many interpreters have been performing remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI) during the pandemic. And yes, that learning curve is steep. But where are our clients in all this? Clients often have no idea how RSI works best or what they should do to have a successful RSI experience. Then again, many court, medical, community and business interpreters aren’t quite sure what to tell them. But conference interpreters have a long history of educating clients—and have many lessons to share. In this webinar, a senior conference interpreter will explore how to diplomatically educate clients about RSI to ensure a positive experience for all as they move their meetings to the virtual realm. After all, it takes two to tango! 

Learning objectives 

After attending this webinar, the participant will be able to: 

1. Contrast and compare major platforms for RSI used in schools and community services.

2. Explain these options to clients, interpreters or colleagues.

3. Describe the adjustments that practitioners, service providers and language service providers need to make to provide effective RSI in school and community settings while accounting for budgetary and logistical limitations.

#5: RSI for Schools and Community Events – Do You Need a Fiat or a Cadillac?

Live session delivered: July 8, 2020, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Giovanna Carriero-Contreras, Owner of CESCO Linguistic Services  

COVID-19 changed everything. Overnight, face-to-face interpreting was gone. OPI (over-the-phone interpreting) is not enough. People are in three locations now—for example, the parent, the teacher and the interpreter. Video remote interpreting (VRI) is almost useless unless people are in two locations (for example, doctor and patient together with the interpreter somewhere else).  

So what about RSI? Remote simultaneous interpreting is the only effective way to give a public talk without your interpreter interrupting all the time. If you are a community interpreter, chances are you’ve been exposed to simultaneous interpreting, especially in educational settings. But the way we deliver services has also changed. One size does not fit all. Join us to learn the landscape of RSI options. Whether it’s a big platform like KUDO, an affordable platform such as Zoom, or several phone lines to interpreters of different languages—the choices come with different price tags. Interpreters, interpreter service providers as well as schools and community services need to understand how these different modalities work.  

Learning objectives 

After attending this webinar, the participant will be able to: 

1. Identify best practices for remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI) in healthcare, and understand how to compensate for difficulties.

2. Examine scenarios within healthcare where RSI may be appropriate.

3. Understand additional barriers that may arise due to remote communication, and explore solutions to overcome them.

*Please note that there is a $20 processing fee for RID CEUs. RID CEU application instructions were emailed to attendees of the live session the day after the webinar.

#6: From Remote Consecutive to Remote Simultaneous Interpreting – Can Healthcare Play Along Too?

Live session delivered: July 22, 2020, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET
Elena Langdon, MA, CT, CoreCHI, Founder and Partner, Seven Sisters Interpreter Training & Consulting
Liz Essary, MCI, CHI, Founder and Partner, Seven Sisters Interpreter Training & Consulting
This webinar was approved for 1 CCHI CE hour, 1 ATA CEP, 0.1 IMIA/NBCMI CEU and 0.1 RID CEU*. Certificates were issued only for viewing the live session.

These days we hear a lot about remote work, but for healthcare interpreting this tends to mean telephonic or video interpreting -- and it's been a reality for decades. How can remote simultaneous interpreting (RSI) apply to a setting that has been leading the way in remote consecutive interpreting? In this webinar we will explore how RSI might be deployed in the healthcare field in a manner that adheres to the established protocols -- and at times even enhances communication and access. Starting from the perspective of signed languages, and lessons learned from remote consecutive, we will look at the challenges and possible solutions for the future of the medical interpreting profession.