Created by Digiterp Communications

with funding and support from

NE Minnesota Region III Low Incidence Project

and the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning

May 2003

Distributed in Collaboration with the

Region V RSA Project at the COLLEGE OF ST. CATHERINE
in partnership with SLICES, LLC.

License Information

The contents of this project were originally delivered on CD and were developed under a grant from the Minnesota Department of Children, Families, and Learning and with support from the NE Minnesota Region III Low Incidence Project. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Children, Families, and Learning , and you should not assume endorsement by the Minnesota State Government. Because it is a state funded project, it has an open copyright and maybe transferred to the hard drive of as many computers as wished. It is also allowable to burn your own CDs, provided they are not used for making a profit. When duplicating this resource, take care to give credit to those who created and produced this project.

Overview of the Project

This project is created with an understanding that most of our life is spent, not listening to or delivering monologues, but in dialogue with other people (and in listening to the conversations of others.) In my experience as an interpreter in a Middle School setting, what was clear to me was that, from a student perspective, the most important thing going on in a classroom was not the teacher?s lecture, but the conversation happening between two students in the corner. That it was the dialogue between students which helped form the relationships which students valued. This project offers an opportunity to see how conversation happens between two Deaf people who know each other well and to reflect on how what we see can be used in our interpretations for spoken English conversations. Given that a conversation with people we don’t know can be a challenging one to understand, this project makes use of digital technology to make your efforts more fruitful. First of all, monologues are offered for each signer to get a sense of their signing styles. As well, each video is presented in two speeds–actual speed and 3/4 speed. This way, you can watch the text at normal speed to see what you can catch–and then watch it in slower speed to see if you are able to catch even more. Additionally, there are outlines for each of the texts which you can go to for further support in your analysis and interpretation.Special thanks to Ketsi Carlson and Joshua Hottle for serving as language models. You will meet them below, but their willingness to be filmed and creativity in coming up with topics to talk about help to make this project both entertaining and informative. I hope that their monologues and dialogues can lead to new understandings and new ideas about language and interpretation.

Doug Bowen-Bailey, 2003

Suggestions for Working with These Texts

1. Watch texts for language use and comprehension.

In the monologues and dialogues, Ketsi and Joshua talk about many varied topics. Particularly, in the dialogues, it can be a challenge to understand some of what is being said. Use the 3/4 speed video to allow you to see more–and use the outlines for texts to help you in your analysis and comprehension.

2. Watch texts for discourse features.

Because the dialogues include interaction between signers, you can watch the texts for what features you see both with the person who is actively signing, and the person who is giving feedback. Notice how the signers sometimes overlap in what they say. Think about the challenges for interpreting interaction, and how some of these features might be included in interpretations of two hearing people in conversation.

3. Practice interpretations and analyze them for equivalence.

1. Select a source text—initially one of the monologues (Because of the interactive nature of the dialogues, doing this process with those texts may be more challenging.)
2. Create and videotape (or audiotape) an interpretation/translation of the text. (This process can happen consecutively, simultaneously, or a as a process of translation, depending on your skill level and area of focus. For a more detailed explanation of this type of “Scaffolded Approach,” download the free study packet for the Life in Parallel CD at http://www.digiterp.com/parallel.html.)
3. View/listen to your interpretation. (Be sure that you cannot see the source text.)
4. Create an outline/map of your interpretation. (See sample next page for outlining techniques.)
5. If necessary, watch interpretation again to complete outline or map.
6. View/listen to source text.
7. Create outline/map of that text. (Don?t begin outlining until the entire text is complete.)
8. If necessary, watch video again to complete outline or map. (At this point, use the outline of the text from CD for support if necessary.)
9. Write outlines/draw maps side by side to facilitate analysis.
10. Do analysis of equivalence of interpretation with source text. Begin with these questions in mind:
    

    a. Is the meaning of the target language the same as that of the source language?
    b. Is the message clearly understood by the audience for whom the message was intended?
    c. Is the form natural?(In assessing, it is important to look for patterns rather than one-time occurrences.)

The outline below is by no means the only way that text could be outlined or mapped. However, it does represent a way in which the main points and supporting details can be organized to show their relationship. The main points begin further to the left on the outline and the details are nested to the right underneath the points which they support. This is an attempt to focus more on the content of the text than on its form. That is, it focuses on meaning, rather than on what individual signs were used. With an outline of an interpretation done in a similar manner, then they can be compared and contrasted to see how equivalent the interpretation really is. In doing these outlines, you can also make notes and comments about the text or interpretation. In some of the outlines, I wasn?t able to tell what was being said. You will see editor?s notes which reflect my lack of clarity. Similarly, you can make notes in outlines for interpretations if there are sections that are unclear.These directions were developed for an Indepdent Study Packet in connection with the CD “Life in Parallel.”

A Sample Outline for Saying the Pledge

• Back in 5th Grade
  • Start school
  • 8:00 am
  • Bell rings
• Students pile into classroom
  • Take off their Jackets
• Beginning Routine
  • Everyday
• Lineup with Boy leading
  • By the flag
  • Singing
    • Cover my heart
  • I didn’t know what was sung
    • I wondered what it was about
  • Interpreter arrived after that
• Time went along
  • Got used to routine
• One Day
  • I was picked
  • Leader with flag
  • All the kids covered their hearts
    • I didn?t know what to do
  • Interpreter showed up
    • I copied from her
    • Wanted to memorize it
      • Kept learning it until I did
  • Next time call on me
    • I was ready to sign it
    • Something I still remember

For more direction, and updated suppport on this prcoess, see www.digiterp.com/parallel.html for more information. The process itself draws heavily on ideas and work described in two articles:

Ross, L. and Criner, S., “Equivalence Assessments: Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice,” in Swabey, ed. (2002) New Designs in Interpreter Education. Conference of Interpreter Trainers. http://www.cit-asl.org/proceedings.html

Winston, E.A. and Monikowski, C., “Discourse Mapping: Developing Textual Coherence Skills,” in Interpreters,” in Roy, ed. (2000) Innovative Practices for Teaching Sign Language Interpreters. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press. http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/IPTSLI.html

Meet the Signers

In these movies, Ketsi and Joshua introduce themselves. Be sure to take a look at these before moving on to the other monologues and dialogues.

Meet Ketsi Carlson

Ketsi provides a brief introduction of herself. (0:30) and (0:40)

Full Speed

3/4 Speed (Slow motion)

Outline of Text

• Hello
  • Name is Ketsi Carlson
  • Born in Korea
  • My family adopted me
    • Moved to Superior, WI
      • Northern corner of state
    • Lived there since
• For high school
  • MSAD (Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf)
    • In Minnesota
  • College
    • First Year
    • Pillsbury College
      • Southern Minnesota

Meet Joshua Hottle

Joshua provides a brief introduction of himself. (0:35) and (0:46)

Full Speed

3/4 Speed (Slow motion)

Outline of Text

•  Name Joshua Hottle
  • Name sign J-H at elbow
• I was born
  • Parents lived
    • Big Fork, Minnesota
  • That?s where I was born
  • Parents moved a lot
    • Kansas
    • Colorado
    • Oklahoma
    • Back to Minnesota
      • Deaf school
  • Graduate
    • Went to Gallaudet in Washington D.C.
    • Went to Bible college in Maryland
    • Back to Minnesota again
  • Seems I love Minnesota
    • Stuck in Minnesota

What Ketsi and Joshua do not say in their introductions, but is some added context, is that they are engaged to be married in May of 2003. Because of their familiarity with each other, there will be situations throughout the course of the video where added context will be provided either before the video or within the outlines to assist you in your comprehension and analysis.

Note on time codes: the first time is at regular speed and the second one is in 3/4 time. Ex: (0:35) and (0:46)

Saying the Pledge

Ketsi talks about her memory of having to say the pledge in school–when schedules meant that she generally was without an interpreter. (0:52) and (1:09)

Outline of Text

• Back in 5th Grade
  • Start school
  • 8:00 am
  • Bell rings
• Students pile into classroom
  • Take off their Jackets
• Beginning Routine
  • Everyday
• Lineup with Boy leading
  • By the flag
  • Singing
    • Cover my heart
  • I didn’t know what was sung
    • I wondered what it was about
  • Interpreter arrived after that
• Time went along
  • Got used to routine
• One Day
  • I was picked
  • Leader with flag
  • All the kids covered their hearts
    • I didn’t know what to do
  • Interpreter showed up
    • I copied from her
    • Wanted to memorize it
      • Kept learning it until I did
  • Next time call on me
    • I was ready to sign it
    • Something I still remember

Hawaiian Routines

Ketsi talks briefly about her experience working with Deaf students in Hawaii and the morning routines which they had at the school. (0:42) and (0:56)

Outline of Text

• Last summer
  • Work at Deaf School
    • Hawaii
  • Flew
  • Started Work
• First thing in morning
  • Impressive
• Kids lined up
  • Diverse appearances
  • Looking at girl in front
    • Beneath the flag
  • Leading signing
    • Pledge of Allegiance to flag
    • O, Say Can You See?
  • Look different than ours
    • Interesting to see
    • More picture like
    • No music
      • Ours (meaning at MSAD) with music
    • Theirs just from the heart
      • With Expression
    • Impressed me

Missing a Foster Brother

Ketsi talks about her experience of having a younger foster brother who arrived in her life when she was not prepared for him,. In her relationship with him, she learned something about love and growing up. (2:26) and (3:15)

Outline of Text

• When little
  • Looked up at older brothers and sisters
    • Thought about them going to college
  • Being all alone
    • I liked the idea
    • Being in control
    • Spoiled by parents
  • Excited to see them off
    • Have the house to myself
      • During junior year
  • Starting with Peter pressure
    • Clothes
    • Looks
    • Sports
  • One day, door opens in the in walks little boy
    • I ask who?
      • Mom says Foster brother
      • Disappointed
        • Thought would be the only child
        • He just talks and talks
      • I had instant attitude
        • “Don’t talk to me”
      • Went separate ways
      • Didn’t talk for days
        • Eat together than go off separately
      • Mom ask me to baby sit
        • Reluctantly agreed
        • Ask him what he wanted to do
          • He excitedly said biking
        • As a junior in high school
          • I preferred shopping
          • But accepted
        • He took off on his bike
          • I chased him down
          • Paranoid about his crashing
          • Got him to wear helmet
            • And elbow pads
            • Knee pads
          • He took off again
            • Screaming
            • Went on for hours
          • Parents arrived home
          • I was so excited
            • Went to room
            • Tried not to have anything to do with him
          • He kept bothering me
            • He stole my stuff
            • Wrecked my room
          • I held on
            • When I went to school
            • Glad to get away from him
              • Then started to miss
                • His mischief
                • His stories
              • I Came home to visit
                • He started to improve
                • Understood more language
                • Improve some more
            • I began to understand
              • About giving love
                • Before
                  • I held back
                  • Was selfish
                • But this boy
                  • Had no family
                    • I understood
                  • Giving him love
                  • Help us to share
                  • Helped us to get along
                  • He moved away
              • I will always miss my foster brother

Fitting in?  A Poem

Outline of Text

• Starts with sunrise
  • Walking
  • Seeing people enter auditorium
  • Notices man below with different expression
    • He doesn?t understand
    • He sits on bench
  • Sun at noon
    • Look around at the people screaming with joy
    • I am content
  • Notice man
    • He doesn?t understand
    • Something he can?t express
  • Ball bounces back and forth
    • Man takes his chance
      • Off the bench
      • Still doesn?t understand
    • He can?t express it
    • And tries to fit in, struggles,rejected
      • The people in the stands
      • Don?t understand
      • All of them can raise their hands
      • But not understand his inner confusion
      • They want to help, but can?t
    • Man keeps trying to ft in
      • Does the crowd encourage
      • Try to fit in with the man
      • They can?t understand his feelings•
    • Fitting in will never really happen
      • Because the two of us are too different

A Night in the Dorms

Joshua talks about his first time having the opportunity to stay in the dorms at the School for the Deaf and what activities he and his friends occupied themselves with through the night. (1:14) and (1:38)

Woodworking Class

Joshua talks about taking Woodworking at MSAD during his senior year and what project he undertook and finished, with a little help from his father. (1:27) and (1:56)

On the Basketball Court

Joshua talks about his experiences with basketball, particularly the challenges of communication while playing on the basketball team for a Bible College where he is the only Deaf player. (1:40) and (2:13)

Communication at College

Joshua talks about the differences between being in the Deaf World and attending a hearing Bible college. He also notes some difference between his hearing friends growing up and the students at the college. (1:13) and (1:37)

The Future of the Vikings

Joshua talks about some news reports about attempts to both sell Minnesota’s pro football team and efforts to keep it in Minnesota. (1:03) and (1:24)

Challenge for Riches: A Joke

Joshua tells a joke, full of rich classifier description, about an old man who hosts a party at his house in order to determine who he will have as an heir. (3:38) and (4:51)

Coming Soon

Click on image to download PDFs of Outlines for Texts

Coming soon