Sign to Spoken English (ASL3370)

Course Schedule

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

Contexting interpretive ‘work’ and de-personalizing feedback

Thursday, 8 August
Tuesday, 13 August
Thursday, 15 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 8 January: Student/teacher contract due (due by 11:59 pm)

Pre-assessment

Tuesday, 13 August

Exam 13 January: Produce unrehearsed spoken language interpretation (source text in GoREACT class site; due by 11:59 pm)

Intralingual language development

Thursday, 8 August
Tuesday, 13 August
Thursday, 15 August

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 20 January: Video 1 (choose any from class text; submit in GoREACT)

Presentations 15, 20, 22, 27, 29 January: In-class impromptu presentation

Organization and analysis of an interpreted text

Thursday, 8 August
Tuesday, 13 August
Thursday, 15 August

“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 10 February: Video 2 (choose any from class text; submit in GoREACT)

Presentation 3, 5, 10, 12, 17 February: In-class impromptu presentation

Attending and listening

Thursday, 8 August
Tuesday, 13 August
Thursday, 15 August

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

Presentations 19, 24, 26 February; 5 March: In-class impromptu presentation

Midterm evaluation

Tuesday, 13 August

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

Thursday, 8 August
Tuesday, 13 August
Thursday, 15 August

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, 8 August
Tuesday, 13 August
Thursday, 15 August

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 21 April: Video 5 (choose any from class text; submit in GoREACT)

Presentations 26, 31 March; 2, 14, 16, 21 April: In-class impromptu presentation

(Final) Post-assessment

Thursday, 15 August

Exam Produce unrehearsed spoken language interpretation (source text in GoREACT class site). Due by Friday, 24 April, 11:59 pm.