Read the (Virtual) Room

Workshop Description:
Working as an interpreter has always been about people—understanding them, connecting with them, and helping them communicate across language barriers. Remote interpreting adds new layers to these human dynamics, requiring interpreters to read people, build trust, and manage relationships through screens.
When you're interpreting remotely, you're not just focusing on interpreting the message—you're navigating personalities, cultural differences, and communication styles in a completely different environment. You might be dealing with someone who's uncomfortable on camera, participants who talk over each other more easily, or moments where you need to step in to clarify or mediate when things get tense or confusing.
Every remote session brings its own interpersonal challenges. Maybe it's a participant who goes on mute and disappears, cultural misunderstandings that are harder to catch and address, or those moments when you need to intervene to ask for clarification. Success in remote interpreting comes down to your ability to read the room (even when the room is virtual) and adapt your approach to each unique group of people.
This workshop focuses on the human side of remote interpreting. We'll explore strategies for building rapport across screens, managing group dynamics when everyone's in different locations, and knowing when and how to intervene to keep communication flowing smoothly while respecting everyone's communicative autonomy.

Educational Objectives:
Interpreters will learn

• Navigate Communication Styles: Understand how different personalities and communication approaches play out in virtual settings and how to work with them effectively.

• Apply Interpersonal Strategies: Use specific techniques and approaches for challenging situations where your people skills and cultural awareness are key to helping everyone communicate successfully.

Presenter Bio:
Danielle Meder is a nationally certified ASL interpreter with over 17 years in VRS and video remote interpreting as an interpreter and operations leader. She completed the Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting program at RIT-NTID in 2017. Danielle is a licensed trainer and co-author of The Remote Interpreter International for Cross Cultural Communications. Danielle is passionate about advocating for quality and effective language access, supporting the advancement of interpreter training for spoken language interpreters, and supporting the communicative autonomy of all! Currently, Danielle works for Equiti, a language solutions organization.

Disclaimer:
Should you require any accommodations, please contact us at info@signlanguagestudiosllc.com. This event upholds nondiscriminatory practices and encourages a learning environment of mutual respect and free from bias. Sign Language Studios is an Approved RID CMP Sponsor for Continuing Education Activities. This program will offer 0.2 PS CEUs, at the Little/None Content Knowledge Level.

For a full refund, contact SLS.