An Activity in the Interpreting Skills Series
As of 2022, the Interpreting Skills Series was a 19-credit-hour, four-course series covering interpreting skills and theory in the ASL-English Interpretation BA program at the University of Northern Colorado.
The Interpreting Skills Series highlighted that discourse analysis involves the interpreter examining the structure, purpose, and cohesive features of a message to understand how meaning is constructed across stretches of language larger than individual sentences. Drawing on the work of Witter-Merithew, this approach emphasized that interpreters must attend to elements such as register, participant roles, interaction goals, turn-taking patterns, and cultural expectations to grasp the speaker's communicative intent fully. Within ASL–English interpreting, Witter-Merithew’s research underscored that effective discourse analysis equips interpreters to interpret not only what is said, but also why and how it is said, thereby supporting the production of interpretations that are semantically accurate, pragmatically appropriate, and culturally aligned. This method served as a foundational tool for interpreters, ensuring that both Deaf and hearing participants have equitable access to the deeper layers of meaning embedded within the discourse, thereby promoting clearer communication and more successful interaction.
Overview
In Interpreting Skills & Theory I (INTR 245), students were introduced to discourse analysis through Lesson 3: Interpreting as a Cognitive Process. Students examined the stages interpreters go through as they work to generate effective interpretations.
Activities included in-class practice activities to support the development of listening, predicting, chunking, semantic awareness, and working memory skills, as well as the process of generating consecutive interpretations of interactive texts.
Learning Objectives
In Interpreting Skills & Theory I (INTR 245, Lesson 3), the following learning objectives address this introduction of discourse analysis:
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Discuss the cognitive stages associated with the interpreting process.
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Identify interaction/contextual factors and message/discourse factors that exist within a text and the implications of those factors for interpreting.
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Demonstrate the ability to apply discourse analysis processes to prepare for delivery of a consecutive interpretation.
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Demonstrate the skills associated with active listening (inclusive of notetaking), prediction, chunking, semantic awareness, and short-term memory.
Materials
In Interpreting Skills & Theory I (INTR 245),
Witter-Merithew, A. (2002). The meaning of texts: Understanding the meaning of texts and reinforcing foundational skills through discourse analysis.
Cokely, Dennis (1992). Chapter 6: Miscue Causes, Interpretation: A Sociolinguistic Model, (pp. 123-156), Linstok Press, Inc., Burtonsville, MD.
Cokley Model for Deaf Interpreters by Jimmy Beldon – 5:06 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1ToQZE4LR0
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Activities & Assignments
In Interpreting Skills & Theory I (INTR 245),
Text and Situational Analysis Activities - Analysis of discourse events
This was further built on in Interpreting Skills & Theory II (INTR 345) through 7 discourse analysis assignments.
Discourse Analysis Assignments - Analysis of interpreted discourse events produced by experienced interpreters
The purpose of engaging in an analysis of the discourse event that comprises the interpreted interaction was to:
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Increase students' exposure to a range of settings and discourse types.
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Enhance their ability to identify specific discourse factors and assess their influence on the communicative event and the interpreted process.
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Provide students with the opportunity to observe the work of experienced interpreters and explore the strategies they employ to manage a range of discourse factors.
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Assess the effectiveness of the interpretation.
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Apply students' observations about the application of role-space and DC-S to the interpreting process.