Course Description
This practical course provides opportunities to further develop and enhance ASL-English interpreting skills (in both language directions) during simulated practice in the classroom and while doing volunteer interpreting in the community. Students will integrate their learning in a wide variety of setting/topic types and will participate, in both English and ASL, in reflective discussions and feedback sessions with their peers. They will continue to develop their skills for critically analyzing interpretations, with emphasis on identifying focus areas for improvement of their own work. They will regularly set goals and monitor their own learning.
Course Content
Course content will be guided by research, empirical knowledge, professional standards and best practice.
Interpreting across all linguistic registers and in both language directions
- Formal, large audience settings such as academic lectures, speeches, celebration ceremonies
- Stage settings such as dramatic performances, literary readings
- Small group, interactive settings such as staff or board meetings, workshops
- One-on-one consultative settings such as professional-client or teacher-student discussions
- Informal and intimate settings such as family gatherings, interactions among peers
Working with a co-interpreter
- Strategies for pre-assignment briefing and planning
- Effective contributions to the team whether in the lead or monitor position
- Techniques for turn-taking, requesting and providing feeds
- Strategies for sharing feedback and debriefing post-assignment
- Advocacy, diplomacy and team-building communication strategies
Advanced, ongoing skill development for producing effective interpretations
- Prediction and preparation
- Representation of co-constructed, contextualized meaning
- Letting go of source language form, prioritizing goals/function
- Creating target text that is clear and cohesive
- Managing the time constraints of simultaneous interpreting
- Using effective interaction management strategies as possible
- Deciding between, or combining, simultaneous and consecutive mode
- Applying all of the above in both English-to-ASL and ASL-to-English directions
Advanced, ongoing development of ability to analyze and critique interpretations
- Recognizing features of a successful meaning-based interpretation
- Incorporation of feedback from co-interpreters, consumers, mentors and peers
- Self-reflection and identification of focus areas/goals for one’s own development
Advanced, ongoing development of professionalism
- Assertive but respectful communication with others
- Ongoing awareness of own’s own positionality and related impact
- Advocating for what is needed for the interpreters’ process
- Punctuality, reliability, effort, enthusiasm
- Flexibility and patience with self, others, and circumstances
- Discretion, diplomacy, confidentiality
Learning Activities
The methods of instruction for this course will include some or all of the following:
- lecture/seminar
- small group work
- simulated interpretation practice
- interpretation practice in community
- course readings/videos
Means of Assessment
Evaluation is consistent with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. It will be based on a combination of individual and group work, and at the instructor’s discretion may include presentations, written assignments, papers, quizzes and/or exams.
This is a letter graded course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- advocate in a professional manner for supports necessary for the interpreters’ process;
- seek out and use preparatory materials and research to predict and prepare for an interpretation task;
- engage with consumers to determine goals, language use, and to seek and incorporate feedback;
- work effectively with a co-interpreter, using pre-, during-, and post-assignment strategies;
- adjust appropriately for working in a simultaneous or consecutive mode, or a combination;
- demonstrate ability to work across a wide range of linguistic registers;
- use interpreting strategies appropriate for performance/platform/celebration settings;
- use interaction management strategies appropriate for small group, interactive settings;
- critically evaluate the relative success/effectiveness of an interpretation;
- participate in advanced theoretical discussions and reflective seminars conducted in ASL and;
- reflect on one’s own interpreting skills and identify focus areas for ongoing development.
Textbook Materials
Coursepack and/or textbook purchase may be required; check with Douglas College bookstore.