Kirk Hendrickson, COO and co-founder of Wordly, joins Found in Interpretation to discuss AI-powered simultaneous interpretation across 67 languages. In this honest conversation, Kirk addresses interpreters' biggest concerns: Is AI replacing you? How does Wordly actually work? And why the "pie gets bigger" for everyone. From United Nations events to enterprise meetings, discover how AI and human interpreters can coexist—and why they already are.00:00 Introduction: Meet Kirk Hendrickson and Wordly03:00 The Evolution of AI in Interpretation08:30 How Wordly Actually Works: Behind the Tech15:00 Friend or Foe? Addressing Interpreters' Fears22:00 Use Cases: Where AI Excels vs. Where Humans are Vital30:00 Quality Control and Accuracy in AI Translation38:00 The Future of the Profession: Co-existing with Machines44:00 Closing Thoughts and Advice for Future Interpreters

FRENCH EPISODE:

Camille Ogawa, interprète de conférence française installée au Japon depuis 1989, nous parle du marché fascinant et ultra-niche de l'interprétation japonais-français.Dans cet épisode, nous explorons :🎙️ Son parcours à l'ESIT Paris et formation au Japon📊 Le marché de l'interprétation : 95% japonais-anglais, le reste en niches🤝 Conseillère interculturelle : bien plus que simplement interpréter🌍 Missions exceptionnelles : délégations ministériales, visites en RDC, survols en hélicoptère🏢 Les trois circuits du travail au Japon : agences, business, académique🤖 L'IA et son impact réel sur l'interprétation (spoiler: la consécutive, c'est l'avenir)🌊 Son expérience du tsunami de 2011 et la résilience japonaise👥 L'ageing out de la profession et l'absence de jeunes interprètes japonais A

Sandy Gonçalves has spent over two decades as a Foreign Language Specialist at Cirque du Soleil in Montreal — and her story will completely reframe how you think about our profession.In this episode, Sandy walks us through what it really means to be an interpreter in one of the world's most unique and multilingual workplaces: a "city" of 2,000 employees, 75+ nationalities, and 23 shows running every night around the globe.

Gilda Boffa et Ayoub El Karoubi font partie de la toute première cohorte du DESS en interprétation de conférences de l'UQTR — un programme en ligne, à temps partiel, lancé il y a à peine un an. Dans cet épisode, ils nous racontent leur parcours vers l'interprétation, leurs raisons de choisir ce programme plutôt que les maîtrises d'Ottawa ou de Glendon, et ce que ça représente concrètement de suivre une formation universitaire en interprétation tout en travaillant déjà sur le marché. On aborde aussi la structure du programme, la place de la consécutive, le défi d'intégrer le marché canadien, et ce que l'avenir leur réserve.

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.