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TrIn 3102: Consecutive Interpreting

Weeks 13-15

4/ 19, 4/26, 5/3 2006

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What is due this week?

• Turn in lab assignment to your lab instructor---assessment (6 questions) of your videotaped legal role play

• Lab #5 analysis of activities from reading text – 20 pts.

• Thought questions for readings From Russian into English and Simultaneous Interpretation

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Lecture Agenda/Goals1. Introduction to the skills

needed for simultaneous interpreting

2. Suggestions to practice simultaneous interpreting

3. Skills/exercises to be done individually and/or outside of a classroom setting

4. Group review of essay topics for the final exam

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Historical Perspective

• The simultaneous interpreting technique was originally introduced by court interpreters during the Nuremburg trials conducted after World War II.

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Simultaneous Interpreting• The simultaneous mode of interpreting is typically used

when the person who requires an interpreter is not participating directly in the communication. Example: a defendant in a criminal trial listening to witness testimony. It is called simultaneous interpreting because the interpreter does not wait for the speaker to finish before beginning to interpret into the other (or target) language, but rather interprets simultaneously, lagging at least a few words behind the speaker. In such cases the interpretation is usually unidirectional, i.e., from language A to language B but not vice-versa.

• Interpretation is normally consecutive when the person requiring the interpreter participates directly in the communication, e.g., when testifying. Consecutive interpreting is usually bidirectional, i.e., from language A to B and vice-versa.

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Simultaneous Interpreting

• Most frequently used for large conferences or meetings, simultaneous interpreting requires that the linguist "translate" what the speaker is saying, as they speak. Thus, the interpreter is both listening and speaking at the same time. This takes intense concentration; simultaneous interpreters often work in teams, taking breaks every 30 minutes or so. Simultaneous interpreting generally requires equipment such as microphones, headsets, and, in some instances, booths.

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Courtroom vs. Conference Interpreting

• The conference interpreter has license to improve the SL message when converting to the TL. The court interpreter must retain every element of meaning, conserving “legal equivalence.”

• Simultaneous interpreting is used for jury selection, motions and objections by counsel, rulings by the court, side-bar conferences, arguments before the jury and jury instructions.

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Strategies• Prediction or “guesstimates” are about what

is to occur, based on knowledge of the world, of the language and culture, and of the subject matter. The more the interpreter knows, the better s/he can predict.

• Two types of prediction: 1) language prediction based on knowledge of the syntax and style of the SL and TL 2) sense expectation based on the interpreter’s familiarity with the speaker and his objectives as well as the situational context

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Strategies• Decalage: French word for lag time

between the auditory reception and mental processing of the SL and the oral delivery of the SL message into the TL. The amount of lag time or delay depends on:– the nature of SL text– the interpreter’s knowledge– the situation– fatigue

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Strategies

• Self-monitoring: listen to your speech without being distracted by the sound of your own voice. Attend to the SL message using as much prediction as possible to decrease lag time.

• Queuing: technique of lagging behind in the processing of information during heavy load periods of dense messages delivered rapidly. Catch up occurs during the pauses and hesitations of the speaker.

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Suggestions for Practice

• Contact ACEBO company in Monterey, California. They have practice tapes and instructional materials for interpreter training (mainly for the courts and medical, consecutive and simultaneous). Their numbers are FAX: 408-455-1541 PHONE: 408-455-1507

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Skills and Exercises• Practice abstraction of ideas with

paraphrasing• Practice prediction strategies (build a series

of glossaries by subject area)• Decrease reaction time (in preparation for

listening and speaking at the same time)• Dual-task training to deal with 2 different

messages at once• Practice shadowing (listening and speaking

at the same time within the same language)

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Skills and Exercises

• Use headphones connected to your radio or TV set and try to do some interpreting when the news or discussion programs are on. You can put a cassette recorder next to you and record your voice, so you can check afterwards what you produced.

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Skills and Exercises• The best choice of recorded material

depends on the format of what you're going to be interpreting. Try to find a radio or TV broadcast with a similar format: phone-ins or discussion groups if it's going to be a round-table discussion or a dialogue (handling an exchange between 2 or more voices on your own takes a bit of getting used to); newscasts or correspondents' reports if it's going to be one long speech by one speaker.

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Skills and Exercises• Practice shadowing the news in, say, English,

and then shadowing and/or interpreting the news from your other language. It is more efficient if you record the news in both languages and practice from the tapes. Try to lag a full thought behind the speaker. This is helpful in your second language, as it improves your pronunciation, enunciation and speed. The purpose of shadowing is to help you later retrieve from memory words and phrases associated with the subject matter and in the language into which you will be interpreting. REPEAT the exercises until you can repeat without omitting any words.

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Skills and Exercises• What do you do when you encounter a term

that you don't know?– In the real world, you have to make something

up or miss it out. Repeat the last thing you understood in slightly different words. Catch up with the speaker when you can follow him again. Just keep talking and remain coherent. He who panics is lost.

• Talk to the speaker beforehand. – It helps you get used to his voice. Pump him for

as much information as possible. A copy of the speech/transcript would be nice, because then it's just sight translation with a bit of acting.

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Skills• Part of 'official' training is supervised

simultaneous interpreting. You slowly learn how to cope with listening and thinking and talking at the same time, you learn how to cope with specific problems of your language pair. If you feel you have missed something absolutely essential you might also simply admit your problem to your listeners by saying, "The interpreter apologizes but s/he simply didn't understand the last few sentences. Please ask the speaker to repeat them." Do that when it is so essential that without this remark the listeners will not understand the rest.

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Training the Speaker to Use a Simultaneous Interpreter

Your presentation is going to be reproduced simultaneously by one or several interpreters into one or several foreign languages. In order to make sure that your audience gets the full benefit of your "performance," please consider the following points to ensure your interpreters can do justice to it.

• 1. Speak slowly, and pause between sentences, and/or after you've made a point. ==> Especially if you are reading your presentation. Interpreters cannot "think up" words and appropriate expressions in the target language as fast as you can pronounce them. They may need to use more words than you to express the same thing, especially if you've had time to review and polish your speech, and they are doing it in a split second. They will need time to catch up with what you are saying, and can only do so when you pause.

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Training the Speaker• 2. Beware of your accent. Try to speak in as

neutral an accent as possible, and/or slow down. ==> Whether you are a native speaker of English or not, your interpreters might have difficulties if they can't understand your accent. They may be from a different area, or a different English-speaking country, or they may themselves be non-native speakers of English.

• 3. Check with the interpreters all throughout during the presentation. ==> Make sure everything is fine (the speed of your delivery, the sound system, ...) Remember to do so regularly during the whole presentation.

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Training the Speaker• 4. Speak loudly, clearly, and close to the

microphone. ==> Make sure your interpreters can hear you well. If you don't have a lapel mike, and move away from the podium, chances are they will not be able to hear and understand what you are saying, and will not be able to translate anymore.

• 5. Repeat questions from the audience. ==> Interpreters cannot hear the audience, and will not be able to translate the question to the rest of the non-English speaking audience, or simply might not be able to understand your answer. Even if there is a microphone in the audience, it might be difficult for the interpreters to hear it.

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Training the Speaker• 6. Remember these guidelines throughout

the whole presentation. ==> Once you are caught in the delivery of your presentation, it is very natural to not remember these guidelines. Do consider adding flags at regular intervals in your notes to remind you of them. ("INTERPRETERS?!", or "SLOW DOWN!" in red in the margin at the bottom of each note page, for example.)

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Group Study for Final Exam

• In groups with your class materials, review the following terms and concepts:1) What happens in the

internalizing stage and integration stage in the process for change model? (Week One)

2) Review your introductions3) Strategies for success in

Simultaneous Interpreting4) List the assessment criteria of

a successful interpreting job

5) Purpose of deportation, exclusion, rescission or bond determination

6) Purpose of pre-/post-interview sessions in mental health

7) Challenges in mental health interpreting

8) Explain decalage, privileged communication (definition & importance)

9) List 6 error types of interpreters and causes for each

10) Review Code of Ethics

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Lab Goals for Week 13

• Practice role plays that require process management: speakers that talk too fast, or do not pause or use high and/or low register

• Practice simultaneous interpreting skills and sight translation

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Lab Activity 1: multiple parties

• In groups of 4 use the lab scripts “Immigration Court Hearing” to practice interpreting for multiple parties where the interpreter works for 2 people at the same time (2 mins. per group)

• As a lab group, discuss and compare techniques and issues regarding multiple party interpreting encounters

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Lab Activity 2: shadow & SI practice exercises

I. In pairs in order to practice the English vocabulary for the final sight translation from Spanish to English (to be taped next week), take turns shadowing as your partner reads “Physical Changes During Pregnancy.” (lab p. 145)

II. Now take turns interpreting simultaneously as your partner reads the same article aloud.

• 2 minutes per student per activity

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Lab Activity 3: simultaneous interpreting exercise

• Use simultaneous techniques to interpret the “Psychiatry” dialogue Lesson 16 as 2 other students role play (pp. 66-68)

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Assignment for Week 14: Final

• Final sight translation (50 pts): Come prepared to record on your audiotape and the lab instructor’s audiotape

• Final role play interpreting (100 pts.): Come prepared to record on your videotape which you will take home to view for your personal written assessment (50 additional pts)--due May 3.

• Study slides 28-30 and write take-home essay

• Study final exam questions (slide 31)

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Take-home essay (part of final written test)

   [Please type or print and double space your essay -which you will attach to your test next week.]

The following is taken from the article Communication through Interpreters in Healthcare: Ethical Dilemmas Arising from Differences in Class, Culture, Language and Power. Using the principles of the code of ethics we have discussed in class, how would you assess this interpreter’s ability to follow or maintain his or her role? What factors might be influencing this situation? [slides #28-30]

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Situation (take-home)

There may be a problem of anemia and the possible linkage to gastrointestinal blood loss. The physician is initially most concerned that the patient should understand the association between her feelings of “weakness” and the anemia. Later in the meeting, he introduced a more complex explanation that linked anemia with her loss of blood, and her darkened stool with her use of an anti-inflammatory medication.

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Dialogue (take-home)• Doctor: She’s anemic and pale, which means

she must be losing blood.• Interpreter (in Cree): This is what he says about

you. You are pale, you have no blood.• Doctor: Has she had any bleeding from the

bowel when she’s had a bowel movement?• Interpreter (in Cree): When you have a bowel

movement, do you notice any blood?• Patient (in Cree): I’m not sure.• Interpreter (in Cree): Is your stool ever black or

very light? What does it look like?• Patient (in Cree): Sometimes dark.

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Final Exam Questions

1) What happens in the internalizing stage and integration stage in the process for change model? (Week One)

2) Review your introductions

3) Strategies for success in SI

4) List the criteria to assess a successful interpreting job

5) Purpose of deportation, exclusion, rescission or bond determination

6) Purpose of pre-/post-interview sessions in mental health

7) Challenges in mental health interpreting

8) Explain decalage, privileged communication (definition & importance)

9) List 6 error types of interpreters and causes for each

10) Review Code of Ethics

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Tentative Schedule for Weeks 14-15

• Provide students with preparation for final videotaped interpretation

• Provide students an opportunity to have their interpretation (100 pts) and sight translation (50 pts) skills evaluated and to provide feedback on performance

• Complete an assessment of the students knowledge through a written final test (50 pts)

• Have the students assess their own interpretation of the final dialogue and provide a written assessment of that dialogue and sight translation (50 pts)

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Week 14• Lecture:

– Written final test (50 pts)– ALL ASSIGNMENTS DUE

(except your personal assessment paper of final interpreting and sight translation)!

– Your personal improvement goals (from the beginning of the semester) will also be discussed privately with your lab instructor next week. Did you accomplish what you set out to do (in January) in order to improve your interpreting skills?

• Lab: – Record final sight translation

(instructor and student cassette recorders)—50 pts

– Videotape final dialogue as interpreter—100 pts

– Take your videotape home and write a personal assessment of your final dialogue (you will be given a guide to follow)–50 pts

– Next week bring your completed assessment and your videotape to turn in to the lab instructor for the 100-pt. final interpreting evaluation.

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Week 15• In lecture room (7:30-

9:00pm)– Spring Food Fest (May 3,

2006)– While sharing memories and

good food, fill out the course evaluation form and leave it inside the envelope provided…….with our THANKS!

– Ask questions of Faith and Joe concerning the summer translation course (pls. register ASAP), the legal and medical specialty courses offered next fall, your certificate status, etc.

• In lab room (6:00-9:00pm)– Each student meets with

lab instructors to discuss final interpretation based on your assessment paper (50 pts) and how many personal goals were met.

– Turn in your assessment paper and video taped role play to your lab instructor

– The results of your final oral and written evaluations and videotapes will be mailed to your designated home or work address.

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Thank you for a great semester!!