Transcript So Interpret

So You Want to Be
An Interpreter?
Chapter 1: Communication
Outline
Communication Outline
 1.1 The Importance of Communication
 1.2 The Communication Process
 1.3 Communication in Action
 1.4 Message Construction
 1.3 Speaker/Signer Goal
 1.3 The Context of Message
Conveyance
 1.5 Degree of Directness
 1.5 Powerful/Powerless Speech
 1.6 Responsible Language
 1.7 Linguistic Register
The Importance of
Communication
Why is communication important?
What is the purpose of communication?
Interpreters are professional communicators
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
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.
Contextual Environment
 The physical location where the
interaction is taking place
 The personal history each participant
brings to the event
 Environmental noise can distract the
communicators:
 External noise: flickering of overhead
florescent light; a person’s incessant
coughing, etc.
 Physiological noise: biological factors i.e.,
illness, exhaustion, heat or hunger
 Psychological noise: what one’s thinking
i.e., internal stress, personal judgments of
the other, random thoughts, etc.
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?
Group Activity 1:
 Together in groups of 5 or more, create a circle facing
each other.
 Discuss pre-requisite skills your group thinks is required
of interpreters. Your group will have 10 minutes to
discuss.
 Each person in the group: write down at least 5 skills on
their own paper.
 Designate a person from your group to write on the
board the skills you had in common with the others in
your group.
 Once the skills have been written on the board,
compare/contrast each group’s results.
Prerequisite skills for interpreters:
1. To think analytically
2. Listen effectively
3. Express self clearly in signed, spoken
and written form
4. Have excellent “people skills”
5. Wide range of experience; knowledge
and language skills
6. Understand the meaning behind the
message and recognize if someone is
deliberately being vague
Pragmatic Rules:
 Who made the statement?
 The location in which it was said
 The tone of voice and the
accompanying non-verbal behaviors
 The relationship between the sender and
receiver
 Pragmatic rules are numerous and
complex
 Watch video on nuances of language
utterance
Message Construction
 Speaker goal
 Context of the message conveyance
 Degree of directness
 Use of powerful/powerless speech
 Responsible language and
 Linguistic Register
Speaker/Signer Goal Activity 2:
 Why do we speak? What kind of purpose or goals are
there for the speaker?
 Each group has 10 minutes to discuss, list at least 5
goals and write them on the board.
 If one group has a similar goal that is already written
on the board, just place a check mark next to the
goal to signify your group’s agreement.
See Fig 1-1 page 7 for the list of
“Speaker Goals”
Context of Message Conveyance
The “Who” and “Where”
 Who:
 Status may be obvious i.e., judge’s 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
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 says to her 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 asked my 2-year old nephew
whether or not he threw the meatballs on the floor.
He answered, “Oh no, I dropped them.”
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, Mary-Jane, 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.
Powerful/Powerless Speech:
The credibility of a Message
 Powerless Speech: see Fig 1-2 page 13
 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 (less believable)
Powerful Speech

Powerful
1.
2.

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
page 14

Powerless
1.
2.
I kinda need to
see Mr. Choyumm… I don’t
want to impose
but…umm,, if it’s
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 discuss…uh.. the
terms of our
contract… if that’s
okay with you.
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 isn’t 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 page 15
“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.
 She’s 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.
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
 Allowable topics of discussion
 See English examples - page 17 graph
Group Activity 3:


Arrange yourselves in 5 groups this time, each group facing
each other.
Each group will be given a register to discuss, you will have 10
minutes
1. Frozen
2. Formal
3. Consultative
4. Informal or Casual
5. 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 note what the group discussed and write it on
the board.
Formal
Consultative
Informal
Intimate
Sermons
MC
Panel
Party
Private
Court
Debate
Classroom
Dorm
2 person
Lecturer
Dr’s office
Home
Coded
secret
message
Frozen
Situations:
Athletic events
Characteristics:
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
More
More feelings
shared
Usually
borrowed
from
English
Standing
Didactic signing
Standing
Use of honorific
pronouns
Question
&
Answer
format
feelings
shared
abbreviatio
ns & NMS
Homework Assignment:
 Read Chapter 1: Communication
 Read and answer questions 1 and 2 on page 31 in
chart form - Due before class Thurs, August 25th
 For extra credit (10 points) Due before class Thurs,
August 25th :
 With a partner, create a 5 minute dialogue on a video
recording, with both of you using two different registers
for the same topic. Share your findings in class on
Thursday. For discussion, ask the class members to make
a list of the differences they notice between the two
renditions or “presentations.”