Full course description
This is an 8-lesson course—designed for independent study--that provides aspiring and working interpreters with the opportunity to enhance their application of two linguistic features during the interpreting process—cohesion & prosody. Each of these linguistic features are part of what creates message coherence and linguistic cues that help guide receivers of a message to the meaning and intent of the message. Both ASL and English employ a variety of linguistic features/devices to create cohesion & prosody and these features will be explored in this course through analysis of ASL and English texts, and applied during interpretation of ASL to English and English to ASL texts.
Research in the field of sign language interpreting provides evidence that, in particular, novice interpreters struggle with consistently conveying cohesion & prosody in interpretations. There are consequences for consumers as a result—both in terms of how they are perceived as speakers and in terms of the quality and accuracy of messages they receive through interpretation. Participants in this self-instructional course will consider some of that research to gain insight into these consequences and consider why improving both knowledge of and skills related to cohesion & prosody are important for working practitioners.
The course schedule provides for approximately 2 hours per lesson of knowledge and skill development activities over the 8 lesson period of time. Participants of this course will be guided through an analysis various ASL and English texts through structured practice activities—inclusive of advance preparation techniques (prediction and/or topic research), review of structured questions about the text (which sets the stage for what will be discussed in the text before viewing the text), viewing of the text at regular or slower speed to enhance comprehension, analysis of English and ASL texts for specific linguistic features (particularly those relating to cohesion & prosody), and use of an answer keys for review, self-correction, and reflection. Interspersed with the practice activities are short presentations about different topics relating to message cohesion & prosody. Participants will also have the opportunity to practice interpreting the ASL and English texts and to and to compare/contrast their performance with sample interpretations generated by experienced, certified interpreters. The course concludes with resources the participant can use to continue their skill development beyond the course. Progress through the course will be assessed through lesson quizzes. Overall learning will be assessed through pre- and post-test outcomes.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
As a result of completion of this course, participants will:
- Adopt a common set of definitions for the key terms associated with message cohesion & prosody so that interpreters can use a common framework for discussing features of ASL and spoken English.
- Consider some of the scholarship in the field of sign language interpreting that discusses the implications of message cohesion & prosody for interpreters.
- Explore the meaning and implication of message cohesion & prosody in interpretations from ASL to spoken English and from spoken English into ASL.
- Analyze ASL and spoken English texts for the purpose of comprehension and to isolate specific language features that contribute to message coherence and prosody.
- Accurately identify and label specific language features that contribute to message coherence and prosody in ASL and spoken English.
- Interpret ASL and English texts and self-assess performance to determine effective application of language features associated with cohesion & prosody.
- Compare and contrast the interpreting performance of experience interpreters, and personal performance as it relates to the application of linguistic features related to cohesion & prosody.
This self-paced course is designed for independent learners who wish to explore the material at their own pace. There is no facilitator or instructor, and no feedback will be given on assignments. All course materials are provided, allowing participants to manage their own learning experience. Completion is flexible, enabling learners to progress according to their individual schedules and goals.
This course is structured into lessons that are designed to take 2-3 hours each to complete. The anticipated length of the course ranges from 16 to 24 hours. Participants will have up to 120 days to complete the course, otherwise they will automatically be removed and required to re-enroll.