1. Government Interpreting: Strategies in a Field of Jargon
Stephanie Casper Results/Discussion
Introduction
In the land of jargon and acronyms,
Washington DC, it is important to know
which strategies are most effective when
interpreting in a government setting. The
research shows five key strategies were
utilized in this interpreted event. The
following data shows that in a formal,
federal government presentation the
interpreter preferred a descriptive,
thorough approach.
Conclusion
Limitations:
• Small sample size
• Perspective on Jargon
• Interpreter’s style and schema
Recommendations
• Study a diverse sample of
interpreters
• Involve participants questioning
their reasoning behind strategies
Literature Review
• Pochhacker (2004)
• Culture influences speech. ”What
needs to be said or remain unstated
depends on the language and culture
in question” (p. 135)
• Smith and Trope (2006)
• Power creates psychologically distant
perspectives creating abstract thought
and speech. (p. 579)
• Judd and Brauer (2002)
• Perception of power dynamics
influences if concrete or abstract
language is used.
• Walker and Shaw (2011)
• Specialized settings call for interpreters
with specialized skills and knowledge.
A thorough, descriptive approach is an
expansion strategy (Moody, 2011). It’s linked
to the goal of making implicit English explicit
in ASL. Because a specific Deaf audience is
not targeted, the interpreter uses multiple
strategies to reach a broad range of the
Deaf community. This research is applicable
to any interpreter but has strong implications
for interpreters working in formal, federal
government settings. When a setting does
not allow for clarification or consumer
interaction, it is important interpreters know
the best strategies for clear communication.
The data shows this interpreter preferred a
more thorough, descriptive approach.
§ It is clear the interpreter preferred a descriptive thorough approach when
possible.
§ Formal Register
§ Diverse/unknown audience
§ Unable to ask for clarification
§ Strategy one was found accompanied by acronyms, signs, and omissions
§ Efficiency
§ Government Culture
§ Fingerspelling was never accompanied by a descriptive word or phrase.
§ Interpreter has background knowledge in legislative areas
§ Fingerspelled jargon can be labeled as medical jargon
Methodology
• YouTube video: Senator Rand Paul
giving a speech on the Senate floor
• Transcribed the jargon into an Elan
file
• Assessed and categorized strategies
utilized
• Analyzed data and applied literature
to find reasoning behind findings.
References
Guinote, A., Judd, C. M., & Brauer, M. (2002). Effects of power on perceived and
objective group variability: Evidence that more powerful groups are more variable.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 708–721.
Moody, Bill (2011) "What is a Faithful Interpretation?," Journal of Interpretation: Vol.
21: Iss. 1, Article 4.
Available at:
Pöchhacker, F. (2004) Introducing interpreting studies. New York, NY: Routledge.
Smith, Pamela K., and Yaacov Trope. "You Focus on the Forest When You're in
Charge of the Trees: Power Priming and Abstract Information Processing."
PsycEXTRA Dataset 90.4 (2006): Web. 18 Apr
Walker, Jamie and Shaw, Sherry (2011) "Interpreter Preparedness for Specialized
Settings,"Journal of Interpretation: Vol. 21: Iss. 1, Article 8.
Available at:
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