1. We have all been there…
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2. Until a lawyer dares utter the words every interpreter dreads to hear…
Your Honor, we were just informed that the next witness …

3. “… is going to need the services of the Court Interpreter”

4. What if I can’t remember stuff?
Are those TV cameras?
OMG!!!
That’s the lawyer who asks convoluted questions!
What if I can’t remember stuff?
Hyperventilating
HELP!!!
That’s the witness from hell!
Three jurors speak perfect Spanish!
What if I make a mistake?
I’m not wearing my lucky underwear!
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5. If this is you…
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

6. Some of the Most Common Pitfalls
“Consecutaneous” ≠ consecutive
Omissions: beginning, middle and end
Leaving in source language
Reformulation problems
Too many notes
Not enough notes
Very slow responses
Inaccuracy with names & numbers

7. How Do We Deal with these Pitfalls?
Remember
A.I.M. ?
A- ATTEND
I- INSCRIBE
M- MEMORIZE
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8. Being there… Understanding Original is essential.
Interpreters Mantra #1:
“You cannot interpret
what you do not understand”
Being there…
Understanding Original is essential.
It’s not the words, it’s: The Meaning,
Familiarity with subject = Routinization.
Ambiguity inherent in language, context is everything
Linguistic and Extra-linguistic knowledge

9. Learn your idioms: How does this help? Understanding interpretation
Intra-lingual interpretation
Inter-lingual interpretation
Interpreters
Mantra #2:
1st Intra-Lingual
2nd Inter-Lingual

10. Black-Belt Interpreters Best Kept Big Secret
WORDS OF wisdom:
You cannot interpret
What you do not Understand
Understanding interpretation
Intra-lingual interpretation
Inter-lingual interpretation
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de la mora solutions inc. 10 10

11. E legance E conomy P recision The“Pee” Scale

12. Dissecting Consecutive:
Part I
Q: The Question
It’s a formula
Mental templates
Familiarity
Prediction

13. formulaic questions and commands!
Do You Speak Legalese?
Let’s practice common
formulaic questions and commands!

14. Your Honor, the prosecution rests Adjudication withheld
My client invokes the fifth
If you test positive, you will be violated
We move to suppress
The Government will move for a 5K motion
He has been charged with assault and battery
The defendant waives extradition
He requested a Nelson Hearing
She entered a plea of no contest to burglary of a conveyance
We will invoke the sequestration order
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15. Consecutive Interpretation
Improve your AIM
Attend
Sorry, you must pay
Inscribe
A picture is worth a 1000 words

16. Part II A: The Long Answer
A story
Mental pictures: “the movie” 16

17. Inscribe: Note-taking
There isn’t “just one right way” of doing it!

18. Why Take Notes?
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19. Inscribe: Note-taking 101
Take notes in the source language
Divide page in half
Take notes vertically
Make notes simple and concise
(Write main ideas, trigger words)
Draw, make your own symbols
Practice, practice, practice 19

20. Note-taking Indentation and ‘/’ Showing continuing ideas
Showing relationship
I was attending a meeting, on Saturday, June 15, in California, when I got the call about his death.

22. Claudia’s “Bookend” Approach

23. The Rule of Three Three-Chunk Approach
Items can be easily recalled from our short term-memory in chunks of 3

24. Almost every utterance can be divided
into 3 chunks
Now, Mrs. Hudson, on October 22, 2007, did you at some point see your son leave your room, number 16, carrying three bottles of beer with him?
1st chunk: Now, Mrs. Hudson, on October 22, 2007
2nd chunk: did you at some point see your son leave your room, number 16
3rd chunk: carrying three bottles of beer with him?

25. The “Rozan Method” Jean-François Rozan (1956)
Placement of ideas on page
Indentation & note vertically
Common abbreviations
Symbols: math, science, Greek letters, arrows, punctuation marks, your own symbols
Lines: negation, relationship, repetition, emphasis, direction
*Notes are an aid to memory not an end to themselves

26. Other Recommendations (Andrew Gillies, 2005)
Notepad should:
Be large enough but small enough
Plain pages, faint grid lines or margin line
Have a firm back (support)
Notes Should be:
Taken vertically
Organized into chunks- clearly marked
Writing utensils should:
Write quickly
Not smudge
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27. Claudia’s Practical Advice:
Bring extra writing supplies
Get background specifics
Use margin wisel
Write the FIRST and the LAST word of utterance: The “Bookend” approach
Take simple and concise notes (“trigger notes”)
Unleash your creativity: draw!
Write ALL numbers down
Use lots and lots of abbreviations and symbols
Use arrows and lines
Develop your own arsenal of symbols
Practice, practice, practice

28. …but above all
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29. Now, drawing your attention to Saturday, November 9, the day of the incident, when the money was allegedly removed from the safe in the office, did you call your employer before or after John told you the $6,500 was missing?
Fundamentals of Court Interpretation

31. Consecutive Interpretation
Improve your AIM
Attend
Sorry, you must pay
Inscribe
A picture is worth a 1000 words
Memorize
Chain it together

32. The Chain Method “A chain is as strong as its weakest link”
Visualization
The Linking Rules:
It is all about you
Size does matter
Go ahead be silly

33. Do you have good memory? Is it “good memory” or is it
visualization + attention?

34. Visualize
See the story and become part of it 34

35. Claudia’s Practical Advice:
Bring extra writing supplies
Get background specifics
Use margin wisel
Write the FIRST and the LAST word of utterance: The “Bookend” approach
Take simple and concise notes (“trigger notes”)
Unleash your creativity: draw!
Write ALL numbers down
Use lots and lots of abbreviations and symbols
Use arrows and lines
Develop your own arsenal of symbols
Practice, practice, practice