Found in Interpretation Podcast

Alain Breton and Brian Bickford, Conference Interpreters

Found in Interpretation is a bilingual podcast dedicated to exploring the multifaceted world of conference interpretation. Hosted by seasoned interpreters Alain Breton and Brian Bickford, each episode delves into the challenges, triumphs, and evolving dynamics of the interpreting profession in both English and French. From dissecting the nuances between remote and on-site interpretation to unpacking the cognitive demands placed on interpreters, Alain and Brian offer valuable insights drawn from personal experience and industry expertise.

  1. Ep. 66 - Sign Language Interpretation with Sharon Neumann Solow — History, Training & the Five Steps

    13 mai

    Ep. 66 - Sign Language Interpretation with Sharon Neumann Solow — History, Training & the Five Steps

    In this episode of Found in Interpretation, we welcome Sharon Neumann Solow — ASL interpreter, trainer, author, and pioneering figure in sign language interpreting with over 60 years of experience.Sharon began interpreting at 15, pulled out of high school to work at a university doctoral program — with no formal training and no roadmap. What followed was a career spent building the profession from the ground up: becoming one of the first professional ASL interpreters, then one of the first trainers, and eventually a multi-award-winning educator with a legal interpreting specialist certificate and an Emmy-nominated PBS appearance to her name.In this episode, we cover:How Sharon got started at 15 as a CODA (child of deaf adults) with no training and no precedentThe history of ASL and its roots in French Sign Language (LSF), via Laurent Clerc and the founding of Gallaudet UniversityWhy ASL and British Sign Language are mutually unintelligible despite sharing a spoken languageIconic vs. abstract signs — and what sign languages around the world have in commonThe fake interpreter at Nelson Mandela's funeral — and what it did for the certification debateHow signed and spoken language interpretation compare: simultaneous vs. consecutive, team intervals, physical fatigueThe silo between signed and spoken language interpreting agencies — and why it's a missed opportunitySharon's new book, Powerful Interpreting: Build Your Skills in Five Steps (2025) — 40 years in the making, and relevant to all interpreters, not just ASLCareer opportunities for multilingual interpreters (trilingual ASL/English/Mexican Sign Language, International Sign, and more)How remote work and COVID changed everything — and why closed captioning is not a replacement for interpretersThe book: Powerful Interpreting: Build Your Skills in 5 Steps by Sharon Neumann Solow, available here: https://www.aslinterpreting.com/ic_store/powerful-interpreting-build-your-skills-in-5-steps/

    1 h 2 min
  2. Ep. 64 - From Hospital Corridors to Remote Booths: Tech, Sound & the Interpreter's Toolkit

    8 mai

    Ep. 64 - From Hospital Corridors to Remote Booths: Tech, Sound & the Interpreter's Toolkit

    What does a decade as a hospital interpreter in Georgia and New York have to do with sending microphones to speakers in Lima? More than you'd think.In this episode, Alain and Brian sit down with Laura Holcomb — interpreter, trainer, and founder of String and Can — whose winding path through healthcare interpreting, a Glendon master's degree completed from a coffee farm in rural Brazil, and the chaos of early remote platforms eventually made her one of the most practically-minded voices on remote interpreting tech working today.They cover a lot of ground: why good sound is a non-negotiable professional standard and not a nice-to-have, the case for sending microphones to your speakers before an event (and who pays for them), the open-back headphone debate, the chain of custody problem in hybrid and institutional settings, acoustic shock and what interpreters can actually do about it, and whether video back channels are an asset or a distraction in the remote booth.Laura also shares an honest reflection on what it's like to enter the conference interpreting field as a trainer before having a solid interpreting runway of your own — and why, looking back, that shaped her career in ways she didn't expect.Topics covered:Healthcare vs. conference interpreting: two worlds that rarely meetBreaking into a market as an outsider (and why Brazil was harder than expected)Building a small, quality-focused remote interpreting businessMicrophone logistics: why Laura sends them, how she prices for it, and what she asks about portsOpen-back vs. on-ear headphones for long interpreting daysEthernet, second screens, printers: the remote interpreter's minimum viable setupAcoustic shock: peaks, prolonged exposure, and the limits of decibel limitersVideo back channels: useful booth simulation or cognitive overload?When to fire a client over sound conditionsGuest: Laura Holcomb — interpreter, trainer, and founder of String and CanFound in Interpretation is a bilingual podcast about conference interpretation, hosted by Alain R. Breton and Brian Bickford.Like, share, and subscribe to help us keep finding great guests.

    1 h 27 min
  3. Ep. 63 - Interpreting among penguins — life as an interpreter on an Antarctic expedition ship

    22 avr.

    Ep. 63 - Interpreting among penguins — life as an interpreter on an Antarctic expedition ship

    What if your office was an expedition ship in Antarctica, and your colleagues were marine biologists, ornithologists, and geologists? For German conference interpreter Luisa Bach, that's not a fantasy — it's her job. In this episode, Luisa takes us inside a world that very few interpreters ever experience: working aboard expedition ships in Antarctica and the Arctic, interpreting for scientists and tourists while navigating Drake Passage swells, driving Zodiac boats, protecting penguins from overeager passengers, and watching whales surface right next to her boat.In this episode:How Luisa discovered and landed her dream job on an expedition shipWhat the interpreting booth looks like on a ship — and what happens when the seas get roughWhy only 100 people are allowed ashore in Antarctica at the same time The difference between the Arctic and Antarctica as working environments Living and working with the scientists you interpret — 12 hours a day, 40 days straightLearning to drive a Zodiac boat as part of the jobThe wildlife you encounter — penguins, whales, orcas (which are actually dolphins), polar bearsWhy AI is already replacing her subtitling work for German broadcasting Why this kind of interpreting job is safe from AI — for nowLuisa Bach is a German conference interpreter based in Berlin. She works across simultaneous interpretation, speech-to-text interpreting, and subtitling for German broadcasting. She is a regular expedition interpreter for Hurtigruten Expeditions, working in both Antarctica and the Arctic.

    51 min

À propos

Found in Interpretation is a bilingual podcast dedicated to exploring the multifaceted world of conference interpretation. Hosted by seasoned interpreters Alain Breton and Brian Bickford, each episode delves into the challenges, triumphs, and evolving dynamics of the interpreting profession in both English and French. From dissecting the nuances between remote and on-site interpretation to unpacking the cognitive demands placed on interpreters, Alain and Brian offer valuable insights drawn from personal experience and industry expertise.