United We Grow, winter edition
LEO's 6th International Virtual Conference
Location: Online
| Dates: December 1-2, 2022
| Time: 12-6 PM EST / 9 AM-3 PM PST (Dec. 1)
11 AM-5 PM EST / 8 AM-2 PM PST (Dec. 2)
Our theme for 2022 is United We Grow. We grow as a profession and as individuals contributing to this profession. Our winter edition will aim to expand on this vital concept, and talk about ways we can be more united and supportive of one another on a personal and a professional level.
Who is this for? Conference for Interpreters and translators, language company owners, court and hospital language service administrators.
Why join? Learn from expert speakers, get answers and be a part of discussion, network with the best in the industry and get inspired!
CEUs (numbers TBD below): ATA, DSHS, RID, CCHI, IMIA/NBCMI, AZ, CA, CO, DE, MD, MI, MN, MO, NB, NC, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI.
Bonus: Each attendee will get a free one-year digital subscription to our Media sponsor MultiLingual magazine
Can’t attend the live event? No worries, the recorded video of the conference will be available to everyone registered!
Questions? Check out our Conference FAQ.
Scroll further to review the agenda, sponsorship opportunities and to register.
Previous Conference Feedback
It was a wonderful virtual conference! I attended 4 of the 5 LEO conferences and learned a wealth of knowledge every time!
Lily Cheung
I found this conference to be very enlightening. I truly believe that “united we grow” and I am looking forward to getting more involved in this fascinating industry to help raise the bar in our profession.
Veronica FerreiraManager of the Linguistics and Cultural Services Department
I found the conference very motivating. Many of us freelancers work solo and rarely encounter colleagues in the field. It is encouraging to know there are many out there pushing to have our work recognized and pushing forward to advance our training.
Faviola Veloz
I really enjoyed the conference. I am not sure if this was intentional, but advocacy was a big theme, and I am leaving the conference inspired to apply some of the suggestions and advocate for improvements in language access and our profession.
Gabriela SiebachNCIHC Policy, Research & Education Committee | Chair
I loved the conference, and I cannot wait for the next one.
Liliana VesgaCMI
I am so fortunate to be part of something like this, amazing professionals in the language field that gave me so much hope, and I look forward to growing not only as a professional but as a human being. Thank you.
Laura Elisa Robles
Thank you for this excellent program! I deeply enjoyed getting to hear from these experts, and while I loved and miss going to conferences in person, these LEO conferences have kept me going, inspired, and encouraged.
Katherine Dzubinski
The LEO virtual conferences have been the most welcome channel of access to the community of interpreters because they are virtual, they are timely and discuss topics of great importance to the profession, and because they offer a community voice to the individual freelance interpreters like me. Thank you!
Susana Valdovinos
Extremely pleased with the conference and truly knowledgeable presenters who are not just professionals but also individuals that care about our industry and are advocating for it. Every presenter had something insightful, new and contributed greatly to making the conference a great source of information and education. What a great experience for interpreters as a community. Kudos to LEO!!
Volha Dubeshka
I continue to be impressed by the quality of the presentations and the affordability of the LEO conferences. Thank you for doing such a great job.
Donna Cicalese
An amazing conference from LEO, incredibly informative and instructional, looking forward to the next one.
Karla Montero
I really enjoyed LEO’s 5 conference. Extraordinary presenters. Please keep me informed on future events. I learned one of the most valuable tools to improve myself: Communicative autonomy.
Maria Shelledy
This was a great conference. I appreciate the quality and scope of the topics and the experience the presenters brought to the table. Thank you for making it happen.
Heidi Hobson
Great line-up. Absolutely loved the live captions.
Junqiao ChenChinese<>English Interpreter/Translator
I am thrilled to have attended and not missed this 5th International conference. Thank you, LEO, and to all the sponsors and presenters for this conference. For me, it’s more than just a comprehensive linguistic education. Informative, supportive, productive, inspiring, compassionate, relevant, professional, ethical, legal, and advocating. I had never been a professional interpreter as grateful and proud as I am now after my attendance at this conference. Let’s Go, Lingo!
Glen LubaoCertified Medical Interpreter
The conference generated insightful knowledge that continues to expand my skills and my professional qualifications. I really enjoyed it. Really informative and very engaging.
Fatima Correia
This was my very first conference and I absolutely loved it! Looking forward to the next one in December!
Heather Ridgeway
Once again, LEO’s Conference was for me a great learning opportunity, with excellent presenters/panelists. The presentation material was very current, insightful, and relevant to the profession.
Roxana Del BarcoMedical Interpretation Coordinator
This is my first virtual conference, and I learned a lot. I’m very impressed with all the panelists and presenters, and the very important information they presented. Thank you all so much!
Huangyih Liao
LEO 5th was my first experience with linguistic education online. It was perfect. There is so much I learned. I really like the way everything was presented; everyone was happy, smiling, willing to share what they know. I was amazed. Thank you to everyone the organized this online event and thank you to all the participants, they did fantastic.
Blanca Pacheco Villalba
Such great panels. I have learned a lot. It helped me to make my decision to stick with what I am currently doing.
Nannan Du
Thank you for the very informative and modern-style conference!
Suzanne HilalCCHI Certified Medical Interpreter
This was my 1st LEO conference… it was fantastic… top level panelists! Lord willing, I’ll be back in December for the next one.
Patricia Rozzo-Leadley
I recently became a Certified Healthcare Interpreter with CCHI, therefore this was the 1st CEU event I’ve attended, and I found it to be very educational, friendly, and very professional. I am very grateful to have been able to learn different aspects and important information related to my profession from all the panelists. I gained a lot of pertinent information and learned from the participants’ comments. I was very pleased and am very grateful!! Thank YOU!!
Laura Luisa Rodriguez
A very dynamic and thought-provoking conference. Thank you.
Alma KuhlemannTranslation Coordinator & Interpreter
This was a really beneficial conference. It helped me realize how important and challenging my profession is. I have been an interpreter for 20 years and it is something that I was looking forward to since I was a 7-year-old. Please keep providing these types of events. Looking forward to many more of them.
Vladimir SmolyanskiyLinguist and Cultural Adviser
The variety of panels and individual presentations was a hit. I enjoyed each and every session. Thank you for your dedication in providing excellent content and lively presenters.
Patricia NunezCertified Healthcare Interpreter™
This was my first LEO conference. The variety of expertise and experience of the panelists was fantastic, I learned so much about not only my own field, but about other fields within the domain of language access. It was encouraging to see so many people committed to growing these professions together.
Patricia Farrell
I am really glad that I attended! It helped me to understand and to get to know my profession on so many different levels, that we are a community that has a lot of work to do for the future of our profession and business. Thank you so very much.
Roberto Estrada CastroCCHI Certified Interpreter
Thank you, LEO, for the wonderful conference with a wealth of knowledge and tools to use as we continue to move into this new layer of interpreting. Panelists were knowledgeable and some “celebrities” within our profession. Thank you for the topics covered.
Bertha Cordero
It was my first time attending this conference and I loved it. The caliber of all the presenters was first class. Having subject matter experts elevates our profession too. I feel empowered to advocate and defend my profession even more. Thanks for making it happen.
Linda ZamoraFounder of Iberican Language Services
The conference was wonderful, and I am very grateful to LEO for bringing these topics to the forefront. For reminding us of our roles as advocates for the profession and for the LEPs we work with. It motivates me to continue, but it made me anxious. There is still so much work that needs to be done. From an educator standpoint, I know I can work with my students and apply some of the above, but there is still so much institutionalized discrimination that we need to fight against.
Gigi Sefchick
Thank you for providing such a great variety of knowledgeable presenters. The length of the conference was perfect and I enjoyed the virtual medium. (I think it is always better in person, but the conference was very well done) An additional benefit from a virtual conference is, while you can reach out to more presenters, you were able to keep the cost down.
Isabelle RyanProject Manager, Michigan Medicine
Thank you so much for the great conference and great content. This is my first LEO conference but won’t be my last for sure.
Ruba KhairiBusiness Advisor
Thank you for putting together such an impressive group of panelists and giving interpreters the opportunity to hear from them on such a wide range of topics. I learned a lot, felt motivated, and also gained perspective on areas of the field that I did not know much about. Thank you.
Cecilia MurachCertified Medical Interpreter at Johns Hopkins Medicine
Although lengthy (advantageous for obtaining CEUs), this conference was very informative and was the motivation I needed. This conference challenged me in the area I am least confident in which is advocacy for the profession and taking more initiative when promoting the profession. Danielle Meder was fantastic!!!
Joanna SmithInterpreter
It was a very, very informative conference! I really enjoyed the talk Mr. Bruce provided. All the presenters were fenomenal! I’m very pleased with all the information shared.
Dary OsorioInterpreter
I am beyond pleased with attending LEO conferences. This is the second one for me and the information learned is so valuable. I am grateful to be able to participate and learn updated information in the Interpreting industry. Thank you!
Rita DiazInterpreter at Optima Comunicationes
I truly enjoyed the virtual conference. More time for Carla and Bruce. They are a wealth of knowledge. Everything was well-organized.
Elisabeth Perez
I loved all the sessions, I found all of them very interesting, insightful, and inspiring on how to become a better interpreter in the profession and for the community. This was my first time attending a LEO International Virtual Conference and certainly it won’t be the last!!! Looking forward to seeing you next time. Thank you.
María MontesMedical Interpreter
This conference was absolutely phenomenal. Every presentation was very interesting and talked about relevant issues in our industry. It is such a pleasure to hear from such experienced and intelligent people.
Valerie Velez ToroCertified Medical Interpreter at National Institutes of Health
Previous
Next
Thursday, December 1
12:00-12:10 EST
OPENING REMARKS
Speakers: Jinny Bromberg, LEO’s Executive Director, Elena Polonsky, LEO’s SEO and Marketing Director
12:10-13:10 EST
WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
Let’s have an in-depth conversation about the future of our profession directly from some of the major industry organizations: CCHI, NBCMI, NAJIT, ATA and AAITE.
Panelists: Natalya Mytareva, CCHI Director, Gustavo Negrete, NBCMI Chair, Giovanna Carriero-Contreras, Chair of AAITE, Javier Castillo, Chair of NAJIT, Madalena Sánchez Zampaulo, ATA President
13:10-14:10 EST
WINNING IN COURT
The courtroom is an intimidating place. How do you win? How do you prepare yourself and your business in case you sue for an unpaid invoice? What do you do to put yourself in the best position possible in case you are sued and must defend yourself. In our presentation, we discuss what to expect in the courtroom, how you should prepare yourself for suing someone or being sued, and how to win in court.
Presenter: Bruce Adelson, Esq., Federal Compliance Expert
14:10-14:25 EST
15 MIN BREAK
14:25-15:00 EST
TRENDS AND MARKET DYNAMICS IN THE LANGUAGE SERVICES INDUSTRY
The language services industry is unique because it is an industry that is impervious to crises and never stops growing. While the world economy may see its ups and downs, the language industry continues to thrive because it facilitates something that is at core of all other industries: communication. In this session, participants will learn about the size of the market and why it continues to grow, the latest market trends, how to future-proof your business and set yourself up for success.
Presenter: Sarah Hickey, VP of Research at Nimdzi
15:00-16:00 EST
ORGANIZATION AND PRODUCTIVITY FOR TRANSLATORS
Being a language professional isn’t only about bridging the communication gap between source and target languages. If you’re working for yourself, you will also need to organize your resources and schedule and learn more about yourself in order to set realistic productivity expectations and build a sustainable language business in the long term. Rafa, Valeria and Tanya will share some of their decades-long experiences as language professionals and entrepreneurs to help brainstorm ideas on how to organize yourself and be productive in your daily tasks.
Panelists: Rafa Lombardino, Certified Translator and Voice Over Talent, Tanya Quintieri, Translator and Entrepreneur, Valeria Aliperta, Interpreter and Translator, Creative Copywriter
16:00-16:10 EST
10 MIN BREAK
16:10-17:10 EST
HOW TO GIVE AND RECEIVE FEEDBACK FOR PRODUCTIVE SKILL-DEVELOPMENT
The path to skill development and growing as a professional requires open, honest communication with your peers and yourself. However, interpreters can be unsure how to give and receive feedback. This session will model what types of questions to ask (and not), the process and strategies to use when giving and receiving feedback. Participants will walk away with a list of questions and considerations so they can be a valuable resource to their peers and help advance the quality of the profession.
Presenters: Danielle Meder, Director of Organizational Quality and Partner Support at Martti, ASL Interpreter, Rocio Trevino, CHI, Director of Language Services at Boostlingo
17:10-18:00 EST
CUSTOMER SERVICE: SETTING WIN-WIN BOUNDARIES AS A LINGUIST BUSINESS OWNER
Being your own boss does not mean only being good at what you do; it also means learning valuable business skills to stay afloat and customer service is one of them. In this presentation, participants will learn a unique approach to building relationships with clients and prospects using personality types.
Presenter: Marta Spirk, Certified Interpreter, TEDx Speaker and Business Mentor
18:00-19:00 EST
BREAKOUT ROOMS
Space in each room is limited to 20 attendees. To join one of the networking rooms, send the request Admin@LinguistEducationOnline.com, specifying the room you’d like to join and any questions you might already have for the room’s expert host. Conference registration and advance breakout room registration are required to join this exclusive opportunity.
Room 1, hosted by Scott Mirsky, Attorney
Topics to discuss:
- Tips for strong working relationships between LSCs and linguists
- What provisions should every linguist include in their contracts?
- Update on the current laws/regulations dealing with employee/independent contractor classification issues
Room 2, hosted by Bruce Adelson, Federal Compliance Expert
Topics to discuss:
- New Section 1557 Health Care Civil Rights Proposals
- How to Survive if You are Sued
- Ask a Lawyer Your Legal Question
Room 3, hosted by Jinny Bromberg, Certified Interpreter, Interpreter Trainer and LSC owner
Topics to discuss:
- How to start a business
- How to be successful in business
- Challenges and lifehacks
Room 4, hosted by Rafa Lombardino, Certified Translator, Subtitler, Voice Over Artist & Translation Instructor
Topic to discuss:
- Audiovisual translation (AVT)
Friday, December 2
11:00-11:05 EST
OPENING REMARKS
Speaker: Jinny Bromberg, LEO’s Executive Director
11:05-12:35 EST
LANGUAGE ACCESS AND THE LAW – WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Halfway through the Biden Administration now, the midterm elections are mostly behind us. HHS is finalizing new health care non-discrimination regulations that may have lasting impacts on language access now and in the future. What does it all mean? Join us as we bring back one of the most popular panel discussions of our conferences. Learn more about the changes coming out of Washington from our timely panel.
Panelists: Bruce Adelson, Esq., Federal Compliance Expert, Carla Fogaren, National Consultant on Equity and Language Access in Health Care
12:35-12:50 EST
15 MIN BREAK
12:50-14:20 EST
SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETING IN HEALTHCARE
We will explore when and why we might choose to employ simultaneous interpreting and how to negotiate its use with the other parties. We will also explore its potential in certain settings to result in effective interpreter performance and accuracy, especially with language-discordant families (e.g., English-speaking patient and LEP caregiver) and prolonged unilateral teaching sessions (CPR, extensive home care teaching, etc.) We will ultimately share the limitations of short-term memory in complex consecutive interpreting and how to improve both consecutive and simultaneous performance by understanding the role that long term memory plays with retention and recall.
Presenter: Andrea Henry, Interpreter, Researcher and CCHI Commissioner
14:20-15:35 EST
WHEN ADDITIONS AND OMISSIONS ARE NOT MISTAKES: EMPOWERING JUDICIARY INTERPRETERS
This presentation explores the types of omissions and additions interpreters can incorporate into their simultaneous and consecutive renditions while remaining faithful to the source language message in legal settings. In a language-neutral format, we will analyze the structure of discourse in legal settings within various contexts. Attendees will learn how to use their better judgment to deliver a fluid, coherent, and accurate rendition in any language.
Presenter: Janis Palma, Federally Certified Court Interpreter
15:35-15:45 EST
10 MIN BREAK
15:45-16:55 EST
THE SUBTLE ART OF COMMUNICATION: FROM INTERPRETING TO PUBLIC SPEAKING
This presentation will focus on the skills and strengths obtained in the interpreting profession and how we can leverage those skills and knowledge in other areas of communication, such as public speaking. It will pinpoint how to acquire skills in public speaking and apply it to presentations, one-on-one conversations, meetings with administrators, workshops, and other public speaking settings.
Presenter: Jorge Mejia, Medical Interpretation Coordinator at Natividad Hospital
16:55-17:00 EST
CLOSING
CEUs
ATA: 7 CEPs
RID: 0.7
Healthcare interpreting: 7 CCHI, 2 DSHS, 0.55 IMIA/NBCMI CEUs.
Court interpreting: 7.5 CIMCE in CA, 7 CEUs in DE, KY, MD, MI, NB, NC, OH, PA and WI, 12 CEUs in CO, 6.5 CEUs in MO, 10 CEUs in NM and NV, 6.5 general CEUs and 1 ethics CEU in OR, 7.8 CEUs in TN, 10.75 non-ethical hours in TX. Others pending.