Interpreting Workshops

Daniel is a very dynamic presenter!

Daniel Greene, BA, CI & CT, NIC Master, has presented his Vague Language (VL) workshop in Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Hawaii, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. He has presented at state, regional, and national conferences. Nationally known for his feature article “Just What They Said: Interpreting Intentionally Vague Language” in the RID Views Spring 2011 edition, Daniel is furthering his research of VL in the Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies program through Western Oregon University.

Loved, loved, loved Daniel’s passion for his work and wanting colleagues to improve and expand knowledge.

Daniel’s Genre Recognition workshop has been well received at the local, state, and national level. In addition to presenting several times at the Desert Valleys Regional Cooperative, he also presented on Genre Recognition at the Arizona RID State Conference in Phoenix, Arizona and at the RID Region V Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Daniel is an active member of the Conference of Interpreter Trainers and loved attending the 2006 conference in San Diego and the 2010 conference in San Antonio.

I really enjoyed this workshop and how Daniel presented it. I feel like I learned a lot on the topic and that it will help me in my interpreting. I loved the open participation.

More comments from workshop participants

• Daniel is a very impressive presenter. He has a great warmth about his style.
• Great workshop!! Great style & pace.
• Very knowledgeable presenter and I appreciated the more advanced delivery! (It’s somewhat rare these days). Thanks!
• Presenter was very clear. Encouraged discussion. Open to comments, questions, share experiences.
• loved how daniel validated participants questions and comments by responding to individuals. He used examples from a variety of settings which was helpful. Powerpoint was great.
• Great sense of humor!
• I really enjoyed this workshop b/c it forced me to challenge the status quo, which is always a good thing. =)
• Rave review of my Vague Language workshop
• Lovely testimonial of my workshops (comment on YouTube)

Workshops

Just What They Said: Interpreting Intentionally Vague Language

As Interpreters, we tend to be very direct about delivering the message, but what if our consumers intend to “beat around the bush”? How do you interpret such messages without being blunt? Participants will study and explore the use of vague language (VL) in both English and ASL, the communicative purposes of VL, the importance of retaining ambiguity when conveying vague messages from one language to another, the benefits of leaving language vague instead of interrupting to request clarification, and specific strategies for conveying VL in both ASL and English. As a result of deeper interpreting studies, this workshop is constantly evolving, discovering increasingly unique and intriguing perspectives on sociolinguistic interpreting models and ethics.

Knowing What They’re Going To Say Before They Say It: Using Genre Recognition To Improve Predictive Skills

Ever miss a joke while interpreting or realize that a story was a cautionary tale only after the fact? We interpreters can become so focused on the words that we miss the point. An interpreter who grasps the speaker’s goal and the “type” of story that is being told or the “kind” of conversation that is taking place has a better shot at delivering a cohesive message. This workshop introduces attendees to genre theory and teaches the skill of genre recognition. Attendees will be guided in the recognition of generic elements of discourse and will be empowered to enhance their predictive skills, thus increasing their self-confidence and composure while improving the accuracy and effectiveness of their interpretations.

Speak & Spell: Learning Phonology and Orthography to Improve Pronunciation and Fingerspelling

We interpret in an increasingly multi-cultural world. We are daily confronted with foreign and/or idiosyncratic names and words that we don’t know how to pronounce or spell. This workshop will teach participants the sound systems (phonology) and spelling conventions (orthography) of several of the world’s languages. This understanding will help participants to pronounce and fingerspell foreign names and words correctly, thereby boosting their comfort and confidence while respecting all stakeholders in our internationalizing world.

Transliteration— Put the English on your mouth and hands

This workshop provides an overview of transliteration and teaches the skills of spoken English–to–Signed English and spoken English–to–Oral English transliteration. Attendees will learn the signs, gestures, and facial/body grammar they need to produce when transliterating. This workshop gives interpreters the understanding and skills they need to convey messages in the language most readily understood by English–oriented deaf consumers.

Voice Interpreting— Trippingly on the Tongue

This is a sign–to–voice interpreting workshop with a twist. In addition to learning logistical and processing strategies for voice interpreting, participants will learn the vocal techniques that singers and actors use so that they can enliven their sign-to-voice interpreting, convey affect, and improve audibility. Participants will learn how to enunciate, maintain vocal health, and inflect for affect and meaning. Participants who take this workshop will gain the skills the need to become more dynamic voice interpreters and speakers.

If you would like to bring one of my workshops to your location, contact me and we’ll make it happen!