Workshops

A Better Understanding of "Vital Signs" for Your Deaf Client and His/Her Doctor

Intermediate
Trilingual

Physicians must identify patients with life threatening conditions who require treatment or hospital admission. However the initial evaluation may not indicate a clear etiology. Rather than determinate a specific diagnosis, the physician should implement other evaluations. All the symptoms and complaints should be considered and a complete history should be obtained. Associated symptoms may reveal an underlying medical condition that must be addressed.

This is a unique way to understand the role of the interpreter because the course will expose the audience from the chief complain all of the way to the getting out of the medical facility including anatomy, legal issues among others. This presentation offers strategies for trilingual interpreters to develop and increase their Spanish language proficiency by raising awareness of language features and their implications for interpretation in the medical situations and encompass a wide variety of settings, from routine office visits to emergency rooms...so let's find out what you should know to be prepare to use "vital signs" for your deaf client and his/her physician...all that are in your hands so you just need a better understanding of Vital Signs for your deaf client and his Doctor.

CDI Training

Advanced
CDI

The workshop is designed to give Deaf ASL interpreters a better understanding of translation of text, mirror/monologue, contact signing to ASL, ASL to contact signing, and English to ASL. We will learn to identify, read and translate signs and gestures. We will work on our ability to notice details as well as non-manual signals. Also discussed will be characteristics of signs and the challenges they present for accurate interpretation.

Conceptually Accurate Interpreting

Advanced
Educational

Often, prosody is difficult for interpreters to master. As interpreters, we can improve ourselves in this area through selective watching and shadowing techniques. Once interpreters have overtly learned about prosodic features in ASL, they are more able to recognize and use them when mingling with the Deaf community, thus becoming more well-rounded.

Consecutive Interpreting Practice for Trilingual Interpreters

Intermediate
Trilingual

Consecutive interpreting refers to the process of waiting until the completion of a message in the source language before rendering the message into the target language. Several issues arise around the decision to utilize consecutive interpreting including knowing when and how to use it in one's interpretation, dealing with note taking strategies, and knowing how to effectively utilize one's short-term and working memories. For trilingual (ASL/English/Spanish) interpreters, this means being completely comfortable with working in three languages and being able to remember information in three languages. This workshop for trilingual interpreters will provide an overview of theories relating to consecutive interpreting and its effective use in our work. Workshop participants will have opportunity to practice using consecutive interpreting between one or more of the following language combinations: Spanish and ASL, Spanish and English, and English and ASL. Memory skills development and note taking techniques will also be discussed and practiced.

DECIDE: A Model for Approaching Ethical Decision-Making (Interview Testing Preparation)

Intermediate
Ethics

This presentation provides the framework of DECIDE to aid in making solid ethically-based decisions. With the addition of a mechanism to test interpreters' ethical decision-making knowledge and skills, interpreters are finding that what had previously been thought of as a more intuitive process is difficult to articulate. This framework provides the foundation to externalize and articulate the decisions needing to be made to arrive at a sound ethical decision. This framework ensures a well-rounded approach to stakeholder analysis and helps interpreters to consider all factors involved replacing the "intuition" that is commonly referred to as being made by experienced interpreters. While this workshop will aid interpreters in preparing for the NIC Interview process, it is also invaluable to interpreters to make ethical decisions for their career!

The Different Hats of Interpreting Working in Pre K-12

All Levels
Educational

This workshop introduces the participants to the variety of roles of interpreters in the educational setting. These different "hats" are explored to provide a full understanding of what should be expected for those currently working in education, but also appropriate for those who are interested in trying it in the future. This workshop is designed to enhance basic awareness and provides strategies to help the interpreter gather specific, pertinent information prior to starting an assignment within public education, identify differences of educational and non-educational expectations, and learn how to prepare for this situation. Workshop participants should be open to exploring these differences.

Ethical Decision Making and the Ripple Effect Part 1 & 2

Intermediate
Ethics

This workshop is designed to introduce participants to healthy and effective ethical decision making strategies based on the Code of Professional Conduct. Participants will view real world scenarios that will provide the basis for small and large group discussion. Discussions will include possible and constructive ethical choices and the effects these choices have on all consumers involved as well as the profession as a whole. The presenters follow the philosophy of providing a collaborative and safe learning environment in which all levels of interpreters feel comfortable actively participating.

Expanding the Message

Introductory/Intermediate
Educational

There is certainly a need for "chunking" the message into manageable pieces. However, there is also a need for knowing when and how to expand and clarify a message in order to bridge cultural gaps and reach semantic equivalency. This six-hour workshop is designed to help participants not only recognize the need for expansion, but also develop the skills necessary to expand a message appropriately when the need arises. We will look at how the "Bi-Bi" philosophy affects the need for expansion and cultural bridging. Participants will have the opportunity to learn the theory behind expansion, and have opportunities to put those new skills into practice. Participants will practice these techniques in small groups in a safe environment. We will also introduce some self-evaluation techniques that will help establish goals and adjust performance accordingly. Participants will have the chance to network with other interpreters to establish study groups for continued practice if desired.

Guilty Litany Plea-Text Analysis

Introductory/Intermediate
Legal

Target Audience: Interpreters working in legal settings; a workshop for interpreters working in legal settings. We will explore the roots of undue process and the implications on our interpretation. An in depth text analysis of a standard guilty litany plea will be done in small groups. Educational Objectives: (List specific observable actions by participants that will demonstrate comprehension and integration of information presented). Participants will formulate a better understanding of due process and its implications on our interpretations in legal settings. They will integrate the information on due process and apply it to the guilty litany plea. Participants will demonstrate comprehension by doing a written text analysis of a standard guilty litany plea agreement for review by peers and instructor. Participants will interpret their final text analysis for their peers and instructor for feedback.

Interpreter Round Table

  • Bobbie Beth Scoggins - NAD President
  • Chris Wakeland - Sorenson
  • Janet Bailey - Purple
  • David Myers - DHHS Director
  • Chris Grooms - TSID President
  • TBA - TAD Representative

It Takes Three to Tango: Clarification Tools in Video Relay Interpreting

Intermediate
VRS

Have you ever been interpreting a VRS call and felt as if you needed more information, but did not know how to ask? This workshop will explore how the callers and interpreter work together to build an accurate interpretation. Participants will benefit from discussing and practicing various clarification approaches that are necessary during video relay calls (e.g. confirming information, asking for repetition, asking for more information, coordinating turns, etc.) Join us for this discussion of research and best practices in interactive interpreting.

Lost in the Desert of Deafness

Introductory
Religious

This workshop will share some perspectives on how the Deaf world "sees" God. The hearing world often fails to understand the amount of spiritual angst that the deaf suffer. As a person who lost his hearing at the age of 6 and struggled for many years with poor self- and God- concepts, I can share from experience as well as from Scripture to help the attendees to appreciate the difficulty involved in accepting one's deafness as a spiritual gift rather than a spiritual curse.

  • To help interpreters for the deaf to understand how the deaf "think" spiritually.
  • To encourage interpreters to make God "real" and relevant to the deaf audience.
  • To encourage interpreters to help the deaf to develop spiritual leadership skills.

A presentation on the spiritual challenges that Deaf people face, how those challenges affect their concepts of self and of God, and how interpreters can help make God real and relevant to their deaf audience; for all interpreter levels.

M&M's (Mouth Morphemes) - Can't Live Without 'em!

All Levels
Educational

You want me to do that with my mouth? Let's identify and use the most common missing link of ASL. This presentation will involve the what, why, when and how of this often neglected element. This workshop topic will enhance your current interpreter skills and assist in overcoming this challenging aspect of ASL. Suitable for interpreters at any skill level and will include presentation, examples and brainstorming sessions to give participants hands on experience and receive feedback.

Medical Interpreting: Protocol and Procedures

Introductory/Intermediate
Medical

Ever wondered about the confidentiality of conversation in with a Deaf patient in the waiting room? Have you been asked to wait in the examination room with the Deaf patient? Are you tired of telling the physician to address the Deaf patient directly? Do you start sweating with the doctor asks the Deaf patient what medications they are taking?

While many interpreters work in medical settings, few have had training that prepares them for the variety of situations that they face. If you have an interest in medical interpreting, but lack experience and/or confidence, this is the place for you. If you currently work in medical settings, but want to learn some tricks to make your job easier, please join us. Medical interpreting is a specialized area, and requires specialized skills. While some very basic medical signs will be discussed, this workshop will focus more on best practices in regard to protocol and procedures for medical interpreting, and ways to prepare for medical assignments. The presenter will explain how to navigate the medical arena so that you are more prepared to function in these settings. Role play scenarios and sight translation will be used to give interpreters some medical interpreting practice.

Mentoring LAW: Listening, Asking, & Waiting

Intermediate
Mentoring

This presentation will focus on the fundamentals of the mentoring process: listening, asking, and waiting. While it is most beneficial to mentors, it is also essential for working interpreters wishing to determine performance gaps and identify root causes for those gaps. Attentive listening, quality questioning, and using appropriate wait time are the tools that provide an avenue to self awareness and can provide illumination to root causes buried deep and beyond visible grasp by external observer of the interpreting process. This presentation provides a foundation for mentoring relationship development based on a process called Mentoring LAW. Participants will be provided with a presentation on the tools and techniques enabling them to participate and engage in discussions to assist in transferring the information to their own experiences. Upon completion of the foundational component, participants will be divided into small groups and provided with an opportunity to incorporate the LAW into the mentoring dialogue.

My Spanish is Excellent but I Don't Sound Like a Native

Intermediate/Advanced
Trilingual

A discussion and identification of the patterns in grammatical errors made by non-native speakers (NNS) of Spanish in the following areas:

  • the meaning and subtleties of and shades of meaning of the verbs ser and estar
  • prepositional phrases utilizing por and para
  • use of the reflexive se,
  • the ir+a construction to substitute for the true future tense

In addition to the above grammatical features, attention will be given to the lack of language nuances and paralinguistic features exhibited in the speech patterns of NNS giving the impression to the native speaker/recipient that their speech is rehearsed, memorized, derived from textbooks, unnatural and sometimes sounding almost "robotic" with a bothersome incorrectly punctuated rhythm lacking prosodic flow. Developing the art of including nuances in discourse is crucial in establishing trust with the consumer/client, delivering an equivalent message in interpretation and opening entry into the Spanish speaking community.

Outside the Box: Interpreting without Glosses

All Levels
Educational

...Refresh... Revitalize... Renew... To Rethink... Revise... and Redo... This s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g workshop is geared to challenge any daring or timid interpreter to explore working outside the box and have fun experimenting with expansion techniques for richer interpretations. All participants are asked to identify strategies for breaking form and making appropriate semantic choices - all by avoiding glosses. Process time will be championed.

Signs, gestures, movements, and "acting" will be employed - techniques derived from International Signs interpreting, where the interpreter has a limited pool of sign vocabulary, yet must render the message faithfully and complete.

Come take a creative journey to our destination: the target message.

Processing Skills and the CDI

Intermediate
CDI

This workshop is geared towards Deaf Interpreters who are interested in pursuing training beyond the required 16 hours set by Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Participants will be oriented on various interpreting models (Colonomos, Gish and Gile) commonly used within the ASL/English Interpreting field and participate in group discussion/activities on how components of the models discussed can be effectively utilized in DI-interpreted work. Group activities and discussions will be conducted to assist in successful synthesis of the information covered.

Pulpit to the Pew-Visual Imagery of Religious Interpreting

All Levels
Religious

Genesis to Revelation! This presentation will focus on visual imagery, enhanced classifiers, and a conceptual review pertaining to religious bible interpreting. What are the Deaf consumers expectations of you as their religious interpreter? Are you including all the ASL elements needed? Let's utilize what is needed and maximize what you already know to enhance this unique specialization of interpreting.

This workshop is suitable for interpreters at any skill and bible level and will include lecture, group discussion/participation and demonstrations.

Sight Translation from Printed Texts for Trilingual Interpreters

Intermediate
Trilingual

Sight translation refers to the process of translating a printed text into a spoken text without the benefit of time. For trilingual (ASL/Spanish/English) interpreters, sight translation often refers to documents that need to be translated from Spanish or English into ASL. There are several challenges in doing sight translations, including the fact that printed language has a different structure than spoken language, a different cadence, and different patterns. This workshop will provide a general understanding of sight-translation techniques, including back translations, idiomatic (literal vs. figurative) language, illocutionary force, and multiple-meaning words. Additional topics will be considered such as bilingual/multilingual and bicultural/multicultural competence and sociolinguistic competence. Workshop activities will include working from printed Spanish into American Sign Language and printed English into American Sign Language.

Social Studies in a Post 911 World

All Levels
Educational

Have you ever struggled with how to interpret politically and emotionally charged topics like terrorism in our post 9/11 world? Since September 11, 2001, interpreters in the educational system have had to deal with a host of new and difficult concepts like never before in the history of interpreting. A wider variety of countries and organizations are now being discussed in classrooms across America. How can we, as educational interpreters, keep up with this ever changing world in which we live?

In this workshop, “Social Studies in a Post 9/11 World”, Alaina Webb and Kelly Bothel will discuss challenging concepts like terrorism, Al- Qaeda, Department of Homeland Security, Ground Zero, hijacker and suicide bomber among others. In addition, they will cover a plethora of the most current and politically correct country signs. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to apply these new concepts in a non-threatening environment through the use of break-out groups, games and other hands-up activities. Participants will leave with a better understanding of how to handle these difficult concepts in a more conceptually and visually appropriate manner.

Spanish Tenses & the Trilingual Interpreter - Why it Doesn't Sound Right

All Levels
Trilingual

Grammatical components (verb conjugations) will be the basis for the body of this presentation, which will study aspects and shades of meaning influenced by tense markers of verbs or their conjugated forms. The following tenses will be discussed: Conditional (Potencial Simple), Conditional Perfect (Potencial Compuesto), Present Subjunctive (Presente de subjuntivo), Imperfect Subjunctive (Imperfecto de subjuntivo), Future (Futuro) and the Ir+a construction for the true future. Specific troublesome and stem changing verbs will be used in the paper/pencil exercises.

Start the Music

Advanced
Music

We will discuss text analysis as well as explore the possibilities of interpreting and transliterating songs. We will discuss the individuality of songs and how to form an interpretation of each song you do.

Texas Court Interpreter Certification: How to Become Certified and/or Become a Mentor

Introductory
Legal

This workshop will outline the process to become Texas court certified, will describe what situations require the use of an interpreter holding Texas Court Interpreter Certification or Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf SC:L, and will delineate the requirements to become a court interpreter mentor.