AmeriVox – Grupo de Práctica

Who are we?

We are a group of interpreters from the Americas who have created a space for colleagues from all over the world. Our group is open to interpreters who have at least one of the four official AmeriVox languages (PT, EN, FR, ES) as their A, B, or C languages and who agree to engage in feedback-based deliberate practice to hone their interpreting skills regardless of their experience (as we believe in continuing education and constant improvement).

We provide a platform (Zoom meeting) where interpreters can hear live or (rarely) pre-recorded ‘real life’ speeches on a given topic every month. We invite speakers, ask for materials, organize participants etc. Our practitioners can then use the speeches to provide interpretation on a backchannel they arrange with a partner where they can hear each other and provide each other feedback.

For every speech, we also provide relay interpretation in Zoom to make sure our colleagues can practice in any of the four main spoken languages of the Americas (English, French, Portuguese and Spanish). So, for example, if the speech is in Spanish, there will be interpretation into English, French and Portuguese.

The first step to participate is to sign up using our web form. We provide a link to the form in a message we send every month to our mailing list (those interested in being included can contact us by e-mail or social media, all of which can be found below).

In the sign-up form, colleagues can tell us if they already have a colleague they have arranged to practice with, or if they’d like us to pair them with another colleague ourselves.

Our sessions are held the fourth Saturday of every month and take the form of a mock online conference centered on a specific theme. They include live speeches (two a month) in PT, EN, FR or ES, individual feedback rounds, and extra time for a live-interpreted group discussion on thematic content, interpreting challenges and techniques in a fun-filled, supportive setting.

Who can join us?

Professional interpreters or second-year grad students. Sign language interpreters are also welcome!

What languages do we offer?

English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

All other oral and signed languages are welcome, but interpreters must come with a partner.