Image of poached salmon on a plate with dill and white sauce with silverware beside the fishDeveloped by Roberto Santiago

Competencies Addressed:  Depiction in ASL

Time Required for Activity: 40-60 mins

Approach: Simultaneous Interpreting

Objective: 

To determine and incorporate locative, descriptive and instrument classifiers in simultaneous interpreting.

In this activity, you will practice interpreting a procedural text explaining how to cook poached salmon. 

This activity is is part of a series that focuses on different skills using the same text.

Language Focus | Consecutive Interpreting | Simultaneous Interpreting

Prediction

You will watch a video from Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube channel.  Here’s the description:

(PP) Contains product placement. Check out Donal Skehan’s beautiful salmon recipe, perfect for a Scandanavian style Christmas, or any time of the year! Oven-poached with lemon, white wine and dill & served with a tangy cucumber pickle and pimped up crème fresh. Light, fresh and mouthwatering – Donal’s done it again!

Spend a few moments predicting what type of classifiers and depiction might be used to represent how you cook salmon.  

Determine your audience:

Who are you interpreting this for? What is their goal? Be specific.

Strengthen Your Foundation

Read Lawrence, S. “Interpreter Discourse: English-to-ASL Expansion” section on 3D Space and Classifiers http://www.academia.edu/7657926/1-Expansion_Techniques_PDF

Watch the Video

Watch the video once through: Note and look-up any vocabulary or concepts that are new to you. Note ideas for use of depiction. What kind of classifiers will you use?

Simultaneously Interpret the Video

Record yourself simultaneously interpreting the video.  Consider how you will use space. Focus on use of depiction, with a particular emphasis on the classifiers you will use to describe the preparation and cooking process.

Review Your Work

Watch and analyze your interpretation: Was your use of depiction clear and appropriate? Why? Provide examples with time codes.

Going In-Depth

In analyzing your language use, you may want to use the sections on Classifiers, Space and Grammar (pp. 105-191) from Taylor, M. (2017) Interpretation Skills: English to American Sign Language.  All three of these Major Features are a part of effective depiction. If you are working with an interpreting mentor or ASL coach, have a discussion about your work.

Watch “Deaf Julia Childs”

The portion of the video with “Deaf Julia Childs” is from the start to 7:18.  The video will stop automatically the first time you play it.

Compare her use of CLs to your own.  You may want to mute the video so you are not distracted by the English interpretation.

Note:

  • Her salmon has visible weight.
  • Her use of space, and use of her own body in describing how to interact with the salmon
  • How her |counter| set up stays consistent (did you visualize your kitchen workspace while interpreting?)
  • What aspects of her CL use can you incorporate into your own work?

 Interpret the Video Again

Optional:  After reviewing both your own work and Deaf Julia Childs, plan out your use of CLs and re-record your interpretation. What changed?

Optional:  If working with a mentor or a colleague, engage in peer review and feedback.