So You Want to Be An Interpreter

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So You Want to Be An Interpreter

• Chapter 1 Communication
• Outline

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Communication Outline

• The Importance of Communication
• The Communication Process
• Communication in Action
• Message Construction
• Speaker/Signer Goal
• The Context of Message Conveyance
• Degree of Directness
• Powerful/Powerless Speech
• Responsible Language
• Linguistic Register

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The Importance of Communication

• Why is communication important?
• What is the purpose of communication?
• Interpreters are professional communicators
  therefore
• it is important for us to understand the
  communication process
• Interpreters must understand the nature of
  communication and their role as a mediator of
  communication between two people.

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The Communication Process

• How do we communicate?
• Communication is interactive and dynamic
• Multiple and overlapping messages are
  simultaneously sent and received
• Fact In English,
• only 6 of meaning is in words,
• 39 in vocal intonations and
• 55 in gestures, body language and facial
  expressions.

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Contextual Environment

• The physical location where the interaction is
  taking place and
• The personal history each participant brings to
  the event
• Environmental noise can distract the
  communicators
• External noise flickering of overhead florescent
  light a persons incessant coughing etc
• Physiological noise biological factors i.e.,
  illness, exhaustion, heat or hunger
• Psychological noise what ones thinking i.e.,
  internal stress, personal judgments of the other,
  random thoughts etc.

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Communication in Action

• Communication is imprecise because of the human
  element involved communication is done with
  other people
• No guarantee the receiver will decode the message
  the sender intended
• Effective communicators must develop a variety of
  interpersonal skills and sensitivities that
  enable them to interact with other people in
  satisfying ways
• What kind of pre-interpreting skills do you think
  interpreters need to become effective?

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Group Activity 1

• Group in 5s. Create a circle facing each other.
• Discuss pre-requisite skills your group think is
  required of interpreters. Your group will have 10
  minutes to discuss.
• Each person in the group write down a skill on
  post-it note (at least 5 skills).
• Post your skill that is similar with others on
  the board.

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Prerequisite skills for interpreters

• To think analytically
• Listen effectively
• Express self clearly in signed, spoken and
  written form
• Have excellent people skills
• Wide range of experience knowledge and language
  skills
• Understand the meaning behind the message and
  recognize if someone is deliberately being vague

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Pragmatic Rules

• who made the statement
• The location in which it was said
• The tone of voice and the accompanying non-verbal
  behaviors and
• The relationship between the sender and receiver
• Pragmatic rules are numerous and complex.
• Watch video on nuances of language utterance

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Message Construction

• Speaker goal
• Context of the message conveyance
• Degree of directness
• Use of powerful/powerless speech
• Responsible language and
• Linguistic Register

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Speaker/Signer Goal Activity 2

• Why do we speak? What kind of purpose or goals
  are there for the speaker?
• Each group have 10 minutes to discuss and list at
  least 5 goals and write them on the board.
• If one group has a similar goal, just place a
  mark next to the goal.
• See Fig 1-1 p. 110 for list of Speaker Goals.

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Context of Message Conveyance The Who and
Where

• Who
• Status may be obvious i.e., judges robe or
  invisible chief surgeon wearing street clothes
• Social and cultural norms dictate how we speak
  i.e, how would you as a tourist speak to a border
  patrol?
• Cultural norms vary i.e., looking someone in the
  eye
• Where
• i.e., If the discussion was in private or public
  changes the dynamics and influences the message

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Degree of Directness Clarity

• Factors that determine direct or implicit
  communication
• Goals of the speaker
• Context of the interaction
• Cultural norms of politeness
• If it is impolite to ask for a specific gift
  directly, the speaker will hint Ex Girlfriend
  whose birthday is coming up to boyfriend, Oh I
  would love to have a copy of this music CD
• or if someone broke the rules and asked outright,
  may hedge. My sister asking my 2 year old nephew
  if he threw the meatballs on the floor, He
  answered, Oh no, I dropped them.

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Four Types of Implicit Language

1. Equivocal language signs or phrases that can be
   interpreted in more than one way to mislead
   someone i.e, telling a friend that her hairdo is
   different rather than it is weird.
2. Euphemistic language socially acceptable phrases
   instead of blunt, descriptive ones i.e., rest
   room rather than bathroom
3. Abstract language verbal shorthand i.e., I
   have to clean the house today without listing
   what was done. Also lexical jargon i.e, calling
   marijuana, weed, maryjane, etc.
4. Passive voice statement where the person or
   thing performing the action is not overtly stated
   i.e., The car was wrecked does not tell us who
   crashed the car

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Powerful/Powerless Speech The credibility of a
Message

• Powerless Speech see Fig 1-2 p. 1.17
• hedges
• hesitations,
• intensifiers
• polite forms
• tag questions and
• Disclaimers
• Speakers who consistently incorporate these
  features come across as uncertain and lacking in
  confidence
• As a result, people view them as less credible
  and believable.

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Powerful Speech

• Powerful
• I need an appointment with Mr. Choy, preferably
  sometime today or tomorrow.
• I asked for this appointment today because I need
  to discuss the terms of our contract.
• (From Fig 1-3 p. 1.19)

• Powerless
• I kinda need to see Mr. Choy-umm I dont want to
  impose butumm,, if its not too much trouble,
  maybe I could see him er soon?
• Thank you so very much for meeting with me today.
  I really appreciate it. I uh..sorta need to
  discussuh.. the terms of our contract if thats
  okay with you.

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Responsible Language Accountability

• I, YOU, and IT statements
• If one uses I statement shows personal
  responsibility i.e., when our discussions become
  overly emotional, I feel uncomfortable.
• It Statements are often used in an attempt to
  avoid responsibility i.e., It isnt right to get
  so upset.
• You statements can place negative judgment on
  the person addressed i.e., You make me feel
  uncomfortable when you get too emotional
• See Fig 1-4 p. 1.21

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But Statements

• When the word but is used to join two
  statements, the second statement cancels or
  limits the statement that precedes it.
• It is a really good class, but I always get bored
  about halfway through.
• You have been a good employee, but I am going to
  have to let you go.
• Shes been a good neighbor, but I am glad to see
  her moving.
• But statements are frequently used as a
  strategy when a person is trying to soften the
  actual message being delivered and/or to avoid
  personal responsibility for the content of the
  message.

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Linguistic Registers Degree of Formality

• All languages have registers to allow speakers to
  modify language in order to convey levels of
  formality or degree of familiarity between
  participants.
• Register determines
• Turn-taking and interaction between sender and
  receiver of message
• Complexity and completeness of sentence
  structure
• Choice of vocabulary
• Use of contractions
• Volume of speech or size of signs
• Rate (speed) of speech or signs
• Clarity (diction, enunciation etc) of signs or
  speech
• Speaker goals
• Use of fillers and hesitations and
• Allowable topics of discussion
• See English examples p. 1.23

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Group Activity 3

• Arrange yourselves in 5 groups, each group in a
  circle facing each other.
• Each group will be given a register to discuss,
  you will have 25 minutes
• Frozen
• Formal
• Consultative
• Informal or Casual
• Intimate
• Discuss the following
• 1. Kinds of setting,
• 2. Possible Vocabulary and Sentence
  structure-give 1 or 2 examples,
• 3. Turn-taking rules if any,
• 4. Rate and volume of speech/signs
• 5. Speaker goals
• One person will write down what the group have
  discussed and post it on the board.

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Frozen Formal Consultative Informal Intimate
Sermons M C Panel Party Private
Court Debate Classroom Dorm 2 person
Lecturer Drs office Home Coded secret message
Athletic events
Situations
Characteristics
Usually borrowed from English Usually on stage Variety of places Various places In private areas
Unchanging Not frequent Standing or sitting Usually in public places Hidden
Limited eye contact Less eye contact More eye contact More expressive Smaller sign movements
Limited variations Signing is big and clear slower Signing is usually at regular pace Signing is faster paced Use of coded messages
Usually no FS Less FS FS new words More complex use of slang signs More abbreviations NMS
Standing Didactic signing Standing Use of honorific pronouns Question Answer format More feelings shared More feelings shared
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Homework Assignment

• Read Chapter 1 Communication
• Read thought questions and answer questions 1 and
  2 p. 1.41 Due next class
• For extra credit (10 points)
• With a partner, create a 5 minute dialogue on
  videotape with both of you using two different
  registers. Make a list of the things you notice
  between the two presentations Share your
  findings at the next class.