Foundations of Practice

The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:

• Interpreting is a practice profession.
• Multi-faceted and multi-sensory observation skills are cornerstones of practice in human services.  The purpose of observation is to be more effective in responding to others.
• Observation is dynamic and continuous, formal and informal. These skills include observing, recording, interpreting and reporting.  They improve through practice and reflection.
• Effective observers have a clear focus, purpose and intention.  They conduct themselves in a legal, ethical and respectful manner.
• Accurate observation requires awareness of personal values and filters, preconceptions and biases.
• Observation of, and reflection on, the self-in-action are integral to on-going practitioner development.
• Competent practitioners consider different hypotheses when interpreting their observations. Their conclusions are tentative and open to reflection, review and revision.
• Context and events are linked, thus contextual factors need consideration when observing, recording and interpreting.
• The manner in which observations are recorded, reported and used, influences interpretation of the material collected.  Choice of language needs careful consideration as it influences others’ perceptions and interpretations.
• The observer’s presence and behaviour affects the situation being observed.
• Field observations recordings form critical links between coursework and practice.  What is observed becomes substance for discussion and reflection.
• Study and observation of skilled practitioners provide insight into roles, responsibilities and contexts of practice.
• The task of interpreting requires mastery of foundational skills including closure techniques, prediction skills, memory, and multi-tasking.
• The Demand Control Schema provides useful constructs that allow for reflective dialogue about interpreting work, with the goal of improving effective and ethical decision-making.