Professional Development Series
The Three P’s in Interpreting: Professionalism, Process & Presence Susanne Morgan Morrow Lauren Ridloff CEUs: .15 PS
Series overview A three-part series on issues that affect interpreters on a daily basis throughout their career. ● Webinar #1: The Professional Code of Conduct ● Webinar #2: The Process of Deciding ● Webinar #3: The Professional Presence
Webinar #2: The Process of Deciding
Decision -making
= POWER
-it is important for interpreters to understand ‘perceived power’ -automatic members of privilege
“...interpreters, by virtue of their ‘hearing heritage’ and the context in which they work, run a serious risk of behaving in an oppressive manner.”
Characteristics of Oppressed and Oppressor Peoples: Their Effect on the Interpreting Context by Charlotte Baker-Shenk http://www.interpretereducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Characteristics-of-the-Opressed_110314.pdf
It’s The Little Things
Mirror interpreting & shadow interpreting
Ethical Scenario #2 You are working as an educational interpreter with a middle school student. The Social Worker comes to you and says the student’s IEP meeting is coming up and asks if you have anything to add. You respond with the following: A. I am not allowed to comment.
B. I’ll write up some comments & share with you.
C. I will talk with the student’s mother & get back to you.
D. I would like to attend the meeting.
E. B & C
F. B & D
G. None of the above
H. Other
How you handle what happens AFTER an assignment can be just as important as what happens during the assignment‌!
After the assignment... ● confidentiality ● reflection on the event ○ identifying strengths & areas of improvement ○ problem-solving areas that were challenging ● connecting with a mentor ● consumer relations ○ if the client or paying agent contacts you directly ● providing feedback to the hiring agent ○ sharing any issues/concerns & positive experiences ● submit invoice in a timely manner with correct assignment details
Ethical Scenario #3 You have interpreted two appointments for a consumer in the past. At the end of this assignment the consumer & paying agent asks if you are available for the next appointment so they can book it on the spot. You respond with: A. I am not allowed B. Yes, I am to say. You must available. Go contact the ahead and book it. agency.
C. I am available but you’ll need to contact the agency.
D. None of the above.
Ethical Scenario #4 The assignment is scheduled from 9:30am-10: 30am (with a minimum billable time of two hours). After that job is completed a brand new job arises on-site. You are available and can accommodate. This job is also 1 hour in length. How do you bill for this assignment? A.
2 hours
B. 3 hours
C. 4 hours
D. Other
Webinar #3: What is professional presence?
Mind your ABCs! ● Appearance ● Behavior ● Communication
Attire You Only Have 7 Seconds To Make A Strong First Impression
● ● ● ● ● ●
Color Soft patterns Layers for versatility Fresh and fashionable Neat, groomed Comfortable so mindset is on work, not on appearance
● “Iffy” articles of clothing or shoes ● Would your grandparent approve? ● Heavy jewelry ● Look AT ME! ● Sneakers ● Long nails
A Day in the Life of a Freelance Interpreter 9:00 am: Doctor’s appointment 12:00 pm: Graduate class 4:30 pm: Museum of Natural History tour 7:45 pm: Awards show
Decisionmaking is a THREE step process:
before during after
Behavior (Presence)
1
before
● Introduce self to consumer(s), other hearing participants ● Be prepared and confident (discuss logistics), explain process if needed ○ role of the interpreter in that environment ● Stow away belongings to avoid making “noise” or cause interruptions
Behavior (Presence)
2
during ● ● ● ●
Posture Minimize distractions Be cognizant of space and proximity Acquire an impartial yet warm demeanor
Professional Presence: During ● Mode: consecutive vs. simultaneous ● Checking in with the consumer(s) ● Checking in with team
● Handling conflicts as they arise ● Reviewing strategies for conflict resolution post-assignment
‘Port Talk Language choices--be culturally concise ● “hearing” ● voicing Examine your accent ● inappropriate NMS ● signing with flourish (pinky/thumb included)
Behavior (Presence)
3
after ● Share observations, thoughts, concerns -review what worked/what didn’t work ● Want good feedback? Ask precise questions ● Demonstrate appropriate business practices
Ethical Scenario #5 Your consumer is an educator at a prominent art museum. She is giving a tour in ASL to the public. You are voicing for her when a passerby interrupts you, asking what you are doing and if he can participate in the tour. You handle it in the following way: A.
Ignore the request
B. Acknowledge the person & return to your work
C. Interrupt the tour to Inform the consumer
D. Other
Task #5 - Provide interpreting services that reflect awareness and sensitivity to culturally and ethnically diverse groups.
● 5.1 Differences between culture and community ● 5.2 Culture as related to behavior and communication in various settings ● 5.3 Rights and privileges related to membership and non-membership in cultural groups ● 5.4 Personal perspectives and how these influence the interpretation outcome ● 5.5 Protocol and procedure in various settings
Culture ‌the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations‌
www.webster.com
What is viewable to the lay person: -Facial expression -Gestures -Body language
What is only understood by members of a culture: -Inherent politics/hot topics -Politically correct terms/signs -Non-manual markers w/linguistic intent -Deaf culture etiquette
Membership
Deaf CODAs Family Members Professionals
within a community
Social
Political
Attitude Audiological
Linguistic
Social -School for the Deaf -Deaf family -Deaf events
Audiological -Hearing Loss
Political
Attitude
-Advocate -Member of organizations
Linguistic -Use ASL -Signing customs & etiquette
What constitutes cultural membership vs. community membership?
Key Takeaways from The Three Ps ● Know the CPC ● Examine decision making process before, during and after an assignment ● Acknowledge the power and privilege of your position and move on ● Mind your ABCs
Professional Development Series
Evaluation:
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