Mastery Over Meaning*

This workshop will address the very heart of interpreting: Meaning. How do we manage the finer shades of meaning, address subtleties found in language and express the unspoken? As interpreters, we determine meaning through a combination of factors such as context, intonation, intent, setting, and other linguistic features. To accurately interpret we must look past the individual words to determine the intended meaning of the speaker. Sometimes our understanding and knowledge of semantic meaning in our first language does not always translate into the ability to render an accurate interpretation in our second language. Often what remains unspoken communicates important ideas, themes and feelings. Two significant methods used to express the unspoken are implication and inference; we are left to determine meaning when words are not used. This training focuses on our interpretation from English to American Sign Language and how to gain mastery over meaning.

(Link to Workshop Description Video)