Holistic View of Interpreting: Sociocultural Model of Interpreting
Kimberly J. Hale, Tara Stevens, Folami Ford, Kirsi Majuri-Langdon
Abstract
We posit a new philosophical frame, the Sociocultural Model of Interpreting, as a framework from which we can understand who we are, the work we do (including the factors we must consider in crafting effective, respectful interpretations), the decisions we make, and the roles we play within those interactions and events. The model that we’re presenting is deeply rooted in the Justice, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility space. We are sharing this model at CIT as an opportunity to open dialog about the model in order to capture a wide range of perspectives regarding the model. This will help us better understand if the model represents interpreters’ (and interpreter educators’) current understanding of interpreting so that we can make refinements to the model before sharing it with a broader audience to use with ASL-English interpreting students. Now we would like to have a conversation about what interpreter educators think is critical for students to understand as they enter their first experience with learning about the profession of interpreting.
Purpose
We propose a model that focuses on helping students understand and successfully interact with the various identities and experiences of colleagues and clients. Now we would like to have a conversation about what interpreter educators think is critical for students to understand as they enter their first experience with learning about the profession of interpreting.
Three Learning Objectives:
Participants will:
- Compare and contrast the proposed sociocultural model of interpreting to their current understanding of interpreting
- Analyze a proposed sociocultural model of interpreting to determine areas for improvement.
- Suggest revisions to the model to capture a wider range of perspectives and understanding of the field
Download a copy of the Poster Here.
Sociocultural Model of Interpreting
Key Concepts
Culture – all messages are rooted in culture, which includes observable aspects as well as values, beliefs, and attitudes.
Communication – people have a message intent, and they share it with others. The message is understood through communication norms and co-construction of meaning.
Interpreter – The interpreter is not a neutral actor; they have agency, positionality, and identity that influence the communication, interlocutors, and the message.
Communication Participants – interlocutors, they have communication goals, agency, positionality, and identity that influence the communication, interlocutors, and the message.
Contextual Factors – all of this takes place within a specific setting with various contextual factors that impact the message.
Key Processes
Navigate the interaction – using social-emotional intelligence and “soft skills” to manage the way the interpreter enacts their role, such as interacting with participants and managing the flow of the message (i.e., turn-taking, pace, etc.).
Process and convey meaning – The processes, resources, and tools that the interpreter employs to comprehend the source message, co-construct meaning, then craft and render the message into the target language.
Monitor – attending to the impacts of the interpretation and interaction to determine the effectiveness.
Assess & Reflect – assessment, evaluation, and/or reflection on the interpretation and interaction decisions with the purpose of identifying how the interpreter can improve upon the rendering or the process in the future.
Share Your Thoughts
We’ve enjoyed chatting with you at CIT 2024 to get your perspectives on this work. We’d appreciate it if you’d take a few minutes to share your thoughts on this survey, and then share this page with a colleague so we can get perspectives from a wider range of interpreter educators.
If you’d rather share your perspective directly, you may contact any member of the team: Kimberly J. Hale, Tara Stevens, Folami Ford, Kirsi Majuri-Langdon.