(This schedule is subject to frequent changes and updates; please check back often.)

Contexting interpretive ‘work’ and de-personalizing feedback

Thursday, 22 August
Tuesday, 27 August
Thursday, 29 August

One of the greatest struggles of the professional signed language interpreting field is the difficulty practitioners have in depersonalizing work product. Let’s break that cycle; interpreting evaluation is a scientific process concerned with gathering data and scrutinizing equivalency of message from source to target, not adjectival commentary on the interpreter’s ‘goodness’ or ‘badness.’ Let’s do this.

Due 22 August: Student/teacher contract due (due by 11:59 pm)

Pre-assessment

Thursday, 29 August

Exam 29 August: Produce unrehearsed spoken language interpretation (source text in GoREACT class site; due by 11:59 pm)

Intralingual language development

Tuesday, 3 September
Thursday, 5 September
Tuesday, 10 September
Thursday, 12 September

Developing competent spoken English skills is something you’ve been working on for decades. Now let’s combine comprehension, context, and a little bit of brain muscle to create equivalency in an interpreting event.

Video 10 September: Video 1 (choose any from class text; submit in GoREACT)

Presentations 3, 5, 10, 12 September: In-class impromptu presentation

Interpreting in teams

Tuesday, 17 September
Thursday, 19 September

Because not all interpreters and interpretations are alike, our expectations are idiosyncratic: we need to be not only mentally (linguistically) but also socially and emotionally stable and prepared to work with others in producing interpretations and transliterations. Intepreting is a public activity; it’s done in the company of others. We’ll formally only spend a short time on this topic, but use what we find all semester long. Working in groups, after you’ve gone through all the readings, we’ll spend a class identifying the best practices we’ve found.

Presentations 19 September: In-class findings presentation

Organization and analysis of an interpreted text

Tuesday, 24 September
Thursday, 26 September
Tuesday, 1 October
Thursday, 3 October
Tuesday, 8 October

“Which road do I take?,” Alice asked. “Where do you want to go?,” the Chesire Cat replied. “I don’t know,” Alice answered. “Then,” said the Cat, “it doesn’t matter.” (Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland) Cognitive organization of a text can help interpreters mentally plan out (roadmap and signpost; Mindess, 2006) and know where the intent of a text or discourse is going.

Video 1 October: Video 2 (choose any from class text; submit in GoREACT)

Presentation 24, 26 September; 1, 3, 8 October: In-class impromptu presentation

Attending and listening

Thursday, 10 October
Tuesday, 15 October
Thursday, 17 October
Tuesday, 22 October
Thursday, 24 October

We’ll focus on… well, focusing. Listening for intent and context is more than just looking for signs that are recognizable. Listening and attending includes both how interpreters access source materials but then also convert messages through comprehension.

Video 22 October: Video 3 (choose any from class text; submit in GoREACT)

Presentations 10, 15, 22, 24 October: In-class impromptu presentation

Midterm evaluation

Tuesday, 15 October

Due Complete the midterm evaluation (due by 11:59 am)

Field trip

To be determined

We’re planning to visit the local chapter of Toastmasters to see what public speaking practice looks like. Fulfills one of the Community Exposure assignments we’re doing this semester.

Managing memory issues in an interpretation

Tuesday, 29 October
Thursday, 31 October
Tuesday, 5 November
Thursday, 7 November
Tuesday, 12 November

Human cognition is terribly unique and idiosyncratic and yet more understood now than every before. Understanding what the brain does during an interpreting event leads to better equivalent work product.

Video 24 March: Video 4 (choose any from class text; submit in GoREACT)

Presentations 5, 10, 12, 17, 19 March: In-class impromptu presentation

Constructing message and meaning

Thursday, 14 November
Tuesday, 19 November
Thursday, 21 November
Tuesday, 26 November
Thursday, 28 November
Tuesday, 3 December

This section is intended to focus on the DNA and morphology of message. Colonomos’ work point interpreters towards understanding the complex modular parts of what people say, the context, demography, history and etymology: everything that frames and shapes an intended message.

Video 3 December: Video 5 (choose any from class text; submit in GoREACT)

Presentations 14, 19 November; 3 December: In-class impromptu presentation

(Final) Post-assessment and other assignment submissions

Friday, 6 December

Exam Produce unrehearsed spoken language interpretation due by Friday, 6 December, 11:59 pm

Due Annotated bibliography due by Friday, 6 December, 11:59 pm

Due Toastmasters field trip observations due by Friday, 6 December, 11:59 pm

Due Community exposure(s) observations due by Friday, 6 December, 11:59 pm