Information on Sexual Harassment

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS January, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

Information on Sexual Harassment
http://www.de2.psu.edu/harassment/

Originally created in 1995 by Professor Nancy Wyatt as a supplement to a course on gender and communication, this must-click resource offers extensive information on every conceivable aspect of sexual harassment. From the legal definitions of terms like “quid pro quo harassment” and “hostile work environment”, to an overview of how the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) works, to summaries of important court cases, this site makes the legalese comprehensible. The scope of the site is most impressive; the issue is presented from a variety of perspectives. Victims of sexual harassment will find guides for reporting and documenting the behavior, as well as contact information for relevant state agencies. Those accused of sexual harassment will find an overview of the complaint process and steps for defending themselves. Managers and supervisors will find a variety of resources for creating and enforcing sexual harassment policies and arranging training for employees. And those with a more theoretical bent will find pages of psychological theories attempting to explain the phenomenon and a history of sexual harassment legislation. There’s even a discussion of international perspectives on the issue. Extensive links to outside sites and an annotated bibliography provide fuel for further research. Whether you are a victim of sexual harassment, have been accused of it, are interpreting a meeting about it, or developing policies about it, this website is a fast, user-friendly way to begin.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS February, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary. By Mark McCutcheon. Checkmark Books, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5926-8. $22.95.

How do you look up a word when you know its meaning, but you don’t know the word itself? You get out your Descriptionary. Unlike a regular dictionary, this fantastic resource is arranged by subject. Twenty-four broad categories (including Animals and Insects, Electronics, Finance, Food and Drink, Medicine, Sports, and Weapons, to name a few) are further broken down into subcategories, which then list relevant terms alphabetically with their definitions. For example, if you wanted to find the name of that little plastic or metal bit at the end of your shoelace, you would just need to look in the Table of Contents to find “Clothing”, which would lead you to its sub-category, “Clothing of the 20th and 21st Centuries”, under which you’d find “Footwear” and a section entitled “Parts of a Shoe”. From there, it’s an easy skim through the terminology list to find your answer (“aglet”). Try doing that with Webster’s.
But the Descriptionary does much more. An extensive section of “Words and Expressions You Should Know” offers great study material for English vocabulary building, and the subject-based organization makes this a dictionary that’s actually interesting to read. An alphabetical index of all terms allows readers to find definitions if the word is known. With its broad scope, including urban and Mafia slang, common Internet abbreviations, and legal and military terms, this book deserves a treasured spot on the resource shelf of every interpreter. What better way to prepare for assignments than this quick and easy guide to terminology on nearly every subject.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS March, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation. By Deborah Tannen. Harper, 2001. ISBN 0060959622. $13.95.

Of the many aspects of gender diversity, the most crucial for interpreters to understand is the differences in the ways that men and women communicate. Though there have been many books devoted to this topic published in the last ten years, none states its case so clearly as Tannen’s groundbreaking book, originally published in 1990 and available now with a new afterword from the author. Tannen stresses that men and women not only use different conversational strategies, but that they also tend to see different purposes behind the very act of communication: men tend to focus more on managing status and imparting information (“report-talk”), while women use communication to establish and reinforce relationships (“rapport-talk”). With copious examples from her research, Tannen makes a convincing case that male and female styles are so different that conversation between the genders can even be seen as cross-cultural communication. The problem, she stresses, is not with the way men talk, or with the way women talk, but with the unacknowledged difference between the two. Every interpreter who reads this book will surely be able to think of examples not only from his or her own life, but from interpreting situations that unaccountably went wrong. Tannen also points out that the English vocabulary available to describe women’s and men’s actions differ; for example, women “faint”, while men “pass out”. Interpreters of either gender would do well to make themselves aware of these dynamics, especially when interpreting for clients of the opposite gender.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

Best Resources in Mentoring

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS April, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

Best Resources in Mentoring:
http://www.asl.neu.edu/TIEM.online/sourcement.html

This resource site, a collaboration of Project TIEM.Online, the Northeastern University Interpreter Education Project, the RSA Region III Interpreter Training Project , and the RSA Region V Interpreter Education Project, is a treasure trove of information for interpreter mentors, educators, and mentees. With an easy to use search feature, users can quickly call up information ranging from curriculum resources to book reviews. Mentors and mentees can also access many practical exercises addressing specific issues such as the use of classifiers, cultural mediation, and writing a professional development plan. The site also includes a directory of mentors and mentor trainers, as well as examples of successful mentoring programs. Users can also contribute their own book reviews and descriptions of mentoring activities. Though there are many resources out there about mentoring, most focus on general business models; this one is aimed squarely at interpreter mentors and mentees. Be sure to check out the main Project TIEM.Online site (TIEM stands for “Teaching Interpreting Educators and Mentors”) at http://www.asl.neu.edu/TIEM.online/index.html for information about online classes and distance learning opportunities for interpreter educators and mentors.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

Opening the Mind’s Eye

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS May, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

Opening the Mind’s Eye: How Images and Language Teach Us to See by Ian Robertson. NY: St. Martin’s Press, 2003. ISBN: 0-312-30657-1. $23.95.

Our ability to interpret effectively often depends on our ability to visualize the information we are conveying. Robertson’s fascinating look at the power of mental imagery draws from scientific and psychological research to demonstrate how our culture has elevated language above imagery, to our detriment. The imagery he discusses is not limited to visual imagery, but also includes movement, touch, smell, taste, and sound. In every case, understanding our experiences through language can help us to process them, but only at a distance. Imagery, when given full reign, can increase memory, measurably reduce illness and stress, and enhance creativity, all by keeping us in tune with the physical reality of our experience. Even the great Albert Einstein credited his great discoveries to his visualization ability. Robertson acknowledges that ASL users have been found to have much better than average spatial imagery, due to so much practice, but points out that there are many aspects to mental imagery (including vividness of mental pictures and connections between concepts), all of which can be improved with practice. Fortunately, he also provides mental exercises to improve our imagery abilities. Robertson even shows how athletes, musicians, and surgeons were found to improve their skills in their various fields simply through focused mental practice, their brains forging synaptic connections that their bodies could later call into play. (No more excuses about not having enough access to skill-building interpreting situations—we can, it seems, make our own.) Interpreters will learn valuable information here about improving memory through mental imagery, creating vivid images, and maintaining mental and physical health through imagery.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

American Sign Language Computer Dictionary

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS June, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

Random House Webster’s American Sign Language Computer Dictionary by Elaine Costello. NY: Random House, 2001. ISBN 0-375-71942-3. $24.95.

While we all know that you can’t learn ASL from a dictionary, we also know that dictionaries sure can come in handy, especially to help find forgotten signs or expand vocabulary in specific areas. Random House Webster’s American Sign Language Computer Dictionary is a treasure for interpreters working in assignments where computer terminology is abundant. Over 1,200 entries cover the spectrum from basic computer terms to more advanced technology, and clear line drawings illustrate each sign. Entries are arranged alphabetically by English term, and each includes a definition that even a non-computer-geek can understand. For terms with multiple meanings (such as “compress”), only the computer-related meaning is included here. The signs shown are conceptually accurate renderings of meaning; for example, “embedded command” combines the signs for PENETRATE and ORDER. The dictionary is the result of interviews with many Deaf users, and so is a solid reference for interpreters. The one drawback is the 2001 copyright date—think of the many advances in the area of VRS alone in the past 6 years!—but this dictionary remains the most current of its kind, and broad concepts such as “formula”, “merge”, “menu”, and “scroll” are unlikely to go away anytime soon. Whether you need to expand your understanding of technological terminology, or just need a guide to technical signs, this book is a great resource.


This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

Significant Gestures: A History of American Sign Language

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS July, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

Significant Gestures: A History of American Sign Language by John Tabak. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2006. ISBN: 0-275-98974-7. $44.95.

This fascinating book stands out for the unique way it approaches its subject. Though Tabak demonstrates a nuanced understanding of American Deaf Culture, his book focuses rather on the history of American Sign Language itself, informed by insights from the fields of education, linguistics, and culture. A passionate supporter of ASL, Tabak examines the writings of Thomas H. Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc and finds evidence of a radical early understanding of the enormous importance of “the natural language of signs”, as it was then known – an understanding that was lost during the dominance of oral education in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Linguist William Stokoe’s central tenet of his 1960 paper – that ASL is an actual language, like any other - would not have been surprising to Gallaudet and Clerc. Tabak also examines the effects of segregation on African American Deaf children educated in the South, where lack of exposure to oralism (through a sort of benign neglect) led to a type of signing more like what Gallaudet and Clerc might have used than that of their white contemporaries. Tabak also examines the history of ASL as it pertains to Deaf-Blind individuals, and the linguistic accommodations that have evolved over time. Lastly, he examines modern trends impacting ASL, such as mainstreaming and cochlear implants. Brimming with forgotten historical tidbits and fascinating insights about ASL, this book is a treat for any serious student of the language.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

Interpreting at Church: A Paradigm for Sign Language Interpreters

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS August-September, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

Interpreting at Church: A Paradigm for Sign Language Interpreters by Leo Yates, Jr. BookSurge, 2007. ISBN 1-4196-5318-0. $29.95. (Available for $19.77 through amazon.com)

Yates, himself a CODA, interpreter, and former pastor of a Deaf church, breaks down the basics of interpreting in religious settings in this well-organized book. Though he touches on other traditions, the book primarily concerns itself with Christian settings, and explores aspects as varied as worship services, weddings, funerals, and ministry to the dying. The author approaches his topic from many angles, acknowledging the diversity of background experience among religious interpreters. He begins with an overview of the interpreting profession and the ethical considerations that arise in religious settings, then moves into a thorough discussion of the dynamics of these settings and strategies for dealing with issues that may arise. Next he focuses on language skill development for religious interpreters, discussing general interpreting terms such as register and expansion in the context of examples specific to religious settings. But the best part of the book stems from the author’s intricate knowledge of his subject; Yates’ discussion of text analysis and examples of ASL interpretations provide a solid paradigm. Seven resource sections include glossaries of theological terms, a compilation of suggestions for new interpreters from veterans, and a photographic dictionary of religious signs. This is a book sure to go right alongside the hymnal on the religious interpreter’s resource shelf.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

Resources for Interpreting in Medical Settings

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS October, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

ASL & English Resources for Interpreting in Medical Settings:
www.medicalinterpreting.org

This comprehensive website is administered by the CATIE (Collaborative for the Advancement of Teaching Interpreting Excellence) Center at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. Just about every imaginable aspect of medical interpreting is covered in this still-growing website, from medical specialties, to pharmaceutical information, to general interpreting frameworks and how they apply to medical settings. Interpreters will find multiple aids to professional development here, such as a guide to setting up an RID-approved independent study using the study packets, CD-ROMs, and DVDs available through the site. Visitirs can also view samples from the audiovisual resources available for purchase through the site. Extensive links to other sites provide excellent medical resource information in both English and ASL. Of special note is the “Interpreting in Medical Settings Blog”, which offers ASL video commentary on various aspects of medical interpreting from Deaf consumers and experienced interpreters, along with a written English translation of each video. The site contains resource sections for patients and healthcare providers as well, and the tips for working with interpreters and summary of laws relating to interpreting services will be an excellent resource for interpreters and agencies needing to give background information to healthcare providers. Every interpreter, from the student to the veteran with years of experience in medical settings can find something to learn from in this expansive, well-designed site.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

The Mentor’s Companion: A Review

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS November, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

The Mentor’s Companion: A Practical Guide to Mentoring by Patty Gordon and Mari Magler. Alexandria, VA: RID Press, 2007. Available at www.rid.org. Member price: $23.95; Non-member price: $29.95.

Finally, a comprehensive mentoring resource squarely aimed at the interpreting field! Gordon and Magler’s information-packed book, based on a plan the two originally developed for an educational interpreter mentoring program in Minnesota, will be welcomed with open arms by mentors and mentees everywhere. Though some of the language of educational interpreting remains, the information has been expanded and repackaged for a wider audience, and so will be useful to interpreters in a variety of settings. This practical guide explains the characteristics of effective mentors and mentees, breaks down the steps in the mentoring process, and gives clear information on how to conduct effective discussions about interpreting work. Gordon and Magler also demystify the processes of goal-setting and writing action plans, and, best of all, include a plethora of hands-on activities geared to developing specific interpreting skills. The appendix offers sample mentorship agreements, feedback forms, rubrics, and planning and evaluation forms. Though there are many mentoring books on the market, until now there have been none generally available that focus on the interpreting profession with the combination of theoretical understanding and practical guidance that this book displays. A top-notch resource for interpreters in any setting.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan, NIC at info@kathymacmillan.com.

Signs for Intelligence, Fingerspelling 1 & 2: A Review

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS December, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

• Fingerspelling 1 Student Video. DVD. Signs for Intelligence, 2005. ISBN 0-9770974-0-4.
• Fingerspelling 2 Student Video. DVD. Signs for Intelligence, 2005. ISBN 0-9770974-2-0. $27.03 each. www.signsforintelligence.com

Created and hosted by Deaf teacher Missy Keast, these excellent DVDs offer far more than the standard fingerspelling video. Instead of just lists of fingerspelled words (though these are included too), Keast arranges her material by subject (medical terms, academic terms, outer space, acronyms, etc.) and gives important background information and concepts in each area. Most useful to interpreters is the short story or trivia segment in each themed section, which presents fingerspelled words in context. This kind of practice material is rare, and provides much better practice for the real world of interpreting than words out of context. The information included here is useful to interpreters on many levels; not only is it great receptive skills development, but the background information will help interpreters develop a better understanding of the topics they are interpreting. For example, the segment on SSI explains who is qualified for SSI and what is required to apply. Designed as part of a curriculum, the DVDs can be used progressively, with periodic test segments reinforcing learning along the way, or “a la carte”, by selecting the thematic segments that meet one’s needs. Keast’s tips and targeted materials make these DVDs a great resource for any interpreter who wants to improve receptive and expressive fingerspelling skills.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

ASL Skills Development: A Review

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS January, 2008, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

This latest entry in the Effective Interpreting Series inaugurates its line of American Sign Language skills development materials. Like the excellent English skills set that precedes it, the ASL materials are designed to help students build intralingual competency in ASL before focusing on interlingual skills. The Teacher’s Set contains everything in the Study Set, along with detailed suggestions for classroom use of the materials and guidelines for assessment. We all know that learning to sign does not guarantee comprehension, and Patrie has assembled a line-up of practical materials that focus on solid strategies for receptive and expressive skill enhancement. Topics include discourse paraphrasing, distinguishing main from supporting ideas, differences in form and meaning, lexical substitution, and summarization. The accompanying DVD contains source texts presented in ASL, and students are encouraged to compose their responses in ASL to maintain the focus on intralingual processing. Also to that end, the book presents screen captures instead of glosses whenever possible. The series will eventually have 5 ASL volumes to match the English series: ASL Skills Development, Cognitive Processing Skills in ASL, Translating from ASL, Consecutive Interpreting from ASL, and Simultaneous Interpreting from ASL. With a great grounding in theory, a step-by-step plan for skill development, and a slew of practical, hands-on exercises and materials, this set is ideal for classroom use or self-study, especially for interpreters in the “gap” between formal schooling and real-world experience.

ASL Skills Development, Teacher’s Set on DVD by Carol J. Patrie. DawnSignPress, 2007. ISBN 1-58121-107-4. $84.95.
ASL Skills Development, Study Set on DVD by Carol J. Patrie. DawnSignPress, 2007. ISBN 1-58121-108-2. $64.95.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

Talking Hands: A Review

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS February, 2008, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

Talking Hands: What Sign Language Reveals About the Mind by Margalit Fox. NY: Simon and Schuster, 2007. ISBN 0-7432-4712-4. $27.00.

Journalist Margalit Fox applies her own background in linguistics to this fascinating, incisive, and highly readable journey into the heart of a young sign language. In the summer of 2003, Fox joined researchers Drs. Wendy Sandler, Irit Meir, Carol Padden, and Mark Aronoff for a trip to the Israeli village of Al-Sayyid; the book recounts the trip in chapters alternating with background information on sign and spoken language linguistics. The Bedouin community of Al-Sayyid is significant to linguists because, in the space of three generations, a fully formed sign language has arisen there. As in our own Martha's Vineyard, an isolated location, copious intermarriage (in the polygamous Bedouin society, first cousins often marry), and a high incidence of genetic deafness have combined to create a community where deaf and hearing alike use the indigenous sign language every day. Fox presents a fascinating account of the team's attempts to document and analyze Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language, but also examines what their research means to the larger scientific community. The chance to study such a young language allows cognitive scientists to explore how the human brain processes and creates language. Fox has pulled off quite an achievement, creating a book that synthesizes new information with previous research so smoothly that students of sign language linguistics won't become bored with the background information, and general readers will have enough context to understand the importance of the team's work. Fox combines the mind of a scholar with the eye of a journalist, bringing the village of Al-Sayyid to shimmering life in the reader's mind.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. For questions, comments, or suggestions for materials to review in future issues, please contact Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.

The Preservation of Sign Language by George Veditz

Here is one of the videos from Gallaudet University's Video Library

Browse the Gallaudet Video Catalog of various other videos that you can stream and even embed in your course Bb sites. If you are using a Mac you can download Flip4Mac to play videos made for Windows Media Player.

Carol Patrie's Effective Interpreting Series: A Review

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS March, 2008, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

• English Skills Development, Study Set on DVD by Carol J. Patrie. DawnSignPress, 2000. ISBN 1-58121-172-4. $64.95.
• Cognitive Processing Skills in English, Study Set on DVD by Carol J. Patrie. DawnSignPress, 2000. ISBN 1-58121-166-X. $64.95.
  Translating from English, Study Set on DVD by Carol J. Patrie. DawnSignPress, 2001. ISBN 1-58121-100-7. $64.95.
• Consecutive Interpreting from English, Study Set on DVD by Carol J. Patrie. DawnSignPress, 2004. ISBN 1-58121-166-X. $64.95.
• Simultaneous Interpreting from English, Study Set on DVD by Carol J. Patrie. DawnSignPress, 2005. ISBN 1-58121-106-6. $64.95.

These 5 books in Patrie’s “Effective Interpreting Series” lay out the basic skills needed to interpret from English to American Sign Language in a logical, step-by-step fashion. Each volume is also available in a Teacher’s Set that includes specific suggestions for using the materials in the classroom, but the Study Sets listed here are ideal for students or working interpreters doing independent study. Each book also includes a DVD containing all of the source material needed to complete the exercises. English Skills Development and Cognitive Processing Skills in English focus on those intralingual skills that are so necessary to develop before working between two languages: understanding the relationship between visual form and meaning, lexical substitution, paraphrasing at the proposition and discourse levels, identifying the main idea, summarizing, comprehension, memory, repetition, pattern inference, and multitasking. The last three volumes work between languages, beginning with analyzing a finished product in the source language in Translating from English. This book lays out the process of translation and allows readers to focus on the necessary skills one at a time. Readers can then move on to Consecutive Interpreting from English, which builds on the translation skills already learned and adds effective note-taking, listening, and monitoring and correction skills. The final volume is Simultaneous Interpreting from English, which builds on the previous volumes and addresses issues of processing time, comprehension, and monitoring. In each volume, chapters give a succinct overview of the topic, followed by three to six practice activities. In a field that too often seems like a magical conflation of elements to newcomers, novices and working interpreters alike can benefit from Patrie’s step-by-step skill-building approach.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.