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/

In this special listener-requested episode of Found in Interpretation, Alain and Brian break down the top 10 reasons why event organizers and clients should send documents to their interpreters as early as possible — and why "confidentiality" is not a valid excuse.Topics covered:- How interpreters use agendas and PowerPoints to prepare- Why glossary-building depends on client documents- The particular challenge of scripted speeches read at high speed- Confidentiality and the interpreter's code of ethics- Why interpreters are part of your event team- The truth about AI speech translation accuracy (spoiler: ~46% average)Whether you're an event planner, a client, or an interpreter looking for talking points to share with clients, this episode gives you the full picture.🎙️ Found in Interpretation is co-hosted by Alain Breton and Brian Bickford.👍 Like, share & subscribe — and send us your topic suggestions!#ConferenceInterpreting #Interpretation #EventPlanning #LanguageAccess #Interpreters #FoundInInterpretation #Translation

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.

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.

What does the future look like for translators and interpreters in the age of AI? Ben Karl — President-elect of the American Translators Association and ATA-certified French to English translator — joins Alain and Brian to talk about professional associations, certification, the upcoming ATA conference in San Francisco, and what it takes to build a resilient language career today.Whether you're a translator, an interpreter, or a student just starting out, this episode is packed with practical insights on why community matters, what AI cannot replace, and how to level up your expertise in a rapidly changing profession.In this episode:How Ben went from going it alone to becoming ATA President-electWhy professional associations are only as strong as their membersThe value of certification — not just for clients, but for yourselfATA's conference in San Francisco (October 28–31, 2026) and what to expectHow interpreters fit into the ATA — and why the interpreters division is the largest in the organizationATA's strategy to promote human expertise in the age of AIJoachim Lepine's standing-room-only session at the last ATA conferenceLanguage access rights in the United States under a changing political landscapeWhat Ben would tell a 25-year-old starting a language career todayBen Karl, MBA, CT is the President-elect of the American Translators Association (ATA). He is a certified French to English translator, copywriter, and founder of BK Translation LLC. He has been an ATA board member since 2021 and holds an advanced Chinese proficiency certificate.

What does it take to truly master interpretation? In this episode, Laura Burian and Julie Johnson, both professors at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, share the knowledge behind their online courses on consecutive note-taking and mindfulness for interpreters.As the Middlebury Institute faces closure, these two courses will be taken offline on June 30th, 2026. If you've ever wanted to sharpen your note-taking skills or learn how to stay calm under pressure, now is the time.⚠️ Use discount code FOUND2026 to enroll at a reduced price — valid through June 1st, 2026.🎓 Enroll before June 30th, 2026:🔗 Note-Taking for Consecutive Interpretation: https://www.middlebury.edu/institute/academics/degree-programs/translation-interpretation/program-details/note-taking-consecutive-interpretation🔗 Mindfulness for Interpreters: https://www.middlebury.edu/institute/academics/degree-programs/translation-interpretation/program-details/mindfulness-for-interpreters📖 Resources mentioned:🔗 "River Flow" article in La Linterna del Traductor: https://lalinternadeltraductor.org/n30/wellbeing-and-optimal-performance.html🔗 Peak Performance study interviews (HKBU): https://www.youtube.com/@peak-performance-hkbu/videos🔗 Laura's TEDx Talk on interpretation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zTLg-Ax2M4In this episode:Why the Middlebury Institute is closing — and what it means for interpretation education. How consecutive note-taking works and why it's becoming a lost skillThe role of memory, attention, and brain wiring in note-taking. What mindfulness really means for interpreters under pressure. How to manage stress before, during, and after an assignment. Letting go of perfectionism without sacrificing quality. The physiology of stress — and how breathing can reset your nervous system.Why awareness is the foundation of great interpretationLaura Burian is a professor of Chinese/English translation and interpretation at the Middlebury Institute. She is the creator of the Note-Taking for Consecutive Interpretation course and an accomplished violinist.Julie Johnson, EdD is a professor at the Middlebury Institute and creator of the Mindfulness for Interpreters course. She has delivered mindfulness workshops for interpreter associations and courts internationally.Found in Interpretation is hosted by Alain Breton and Brian Bickford.📩 Contact us: found-in-interpretation@gmail.com

Anna Kerod started her career as a biologist in St. Petersburg. Thirty years later, she's one of the UK's leading legal interpreters — specializing in commercial arbitration and litigation involving multi-billion dollar disputes. In between: 17 years on a massive oil and gas project in Kazakhstan, drilling rigs, minus-42 winters, and more acronyms than you can shake a stick at.In this episode, Alain and Brian talk with Anna about what it really takes to build a specialized interpretation career, what happens when a court case turns on the meaning of a single word, and why she believes the era of the generalist interpreter is over.In this episode:- How Anna went from biology to oil and gas interpretation in the 1990s- What it's like to interpret on a drilling rig in Kazakhstan — in full PPE- The transition from in-house to freelance and into commercial litigation- Being called as a witness for language-related matters in court- Why specialization is her top advice for interpreters facing AI- ISO certification, AIIC, ITI — what actually matters to clients- Common law vs. civil law and what that means for interpreters- How legal interpreters get paid — contracts, reading-in time, and cancellationsAnna Kerod is a simultaneous interpreter (Russian A, English B) with 20 years of experience. She is Vice Chair of the Institute of Translators and Interpreters (ITI) and a member of AIIC. She is based in Brighton, UK.Found in Interpretation is hosted by Alain Breton and Brian Bickford.📩 Contact us: found.in.interpretation.podcast@gmail.com

What really happened inside the booths at the Nuremberg Trials?

In this episode, we sit down with Elke Limberger-Katsumi, creator and curator of the exhibition "One Trial, Four Languages," to explore the pioneering interpreters who made simultaneous interpretation possible at Nuremberg in 1945 — and why their story still matters today.We discuss how interpreters were recruited and screened, the birth of simultaneous interpretation, the role of IBM, the yellow and red light system, and the emotional toll on interpreters working through some of history's darkest testimony.🔗 One Trial, Four Languages exhibition: www.1trial-4languages.org🔗 Association managing the project: www.profession-of-interpreting.org🔗 AIIC (International Association of Conference Interpreters): www.aiic.org🔗 AIIC on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aiic🔗 World of Interpreting (Conference Interpreting - Past, Present, Future): https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-of-interpreting🎙️ Found in Interpretation PodcastHosted by Alain Breton & Brian Bickford