Another summer is upon us, and while summer 2020 is not going to be like any we have experienced before, one thing is sure to remain the same: interpreters are going to be looking for summer opportunities for professional development.

My own CPD plans for the summer fell through, sadly, when the co>lab peer training camp that I had planned to attend in Toronto in late July was cancelled due to the current health crisis. I look forward to the day when the public health situation improves to the point where we can all meet up again for some on-site practice.

In the meantime, my own training plans have taken an exciting turn, and that is what I want to tell readers about today.

This summer, a colleague, Lucy Findlay, and I are teaming up to offer what we believe is a first in interpreter CPD. We will be running a two-in-one course that offers both intensive English training for current or aspiring retouristes and hands-on interpreting exercises that will help keep you on your game in these complicated times. To keep it all as close to life as possible for the conference interpreter crowd, we are placing the whole thing in the context of international diplomacy. Meet Diplomatic English for Conference Interpreters.

Lucy will bring along her experience of teaching English for Diplomacy at the University of International Studies in Rome, while I will put participants through their paces with a series of interpreting exercises that will get them flexing their retour muscles in high-level interpreting scenarios.

It being 2020 and things being what they are in the world today, the course is going to be held fully online (was there ever any doubt?). We have decided to spread the sessions out over the summer to avoid the “Zoom fatigue” that might arise from trying to stuff a bunch of virtual sessions into the traditional week-long intensive format typical of on-site interpreter CPD courses. The added benefit of this approach is that participants will be able to achieve so much more over their summer-long CPD journey!

Have we whetted your appetite? If so, head on over the course website to get the details and find out how to sign up, or write us at CPDforinterpreters@gmail.com for more information.

Hope to see you online this summer!