Demand - Control Schema Workshops

• Observation - Supervision

• Evaluation Comments

"...It All Depends"

Demand-Control Schema for Interpreting Work

"Facilitating communication between two languages and cultures" is often how interpreters describe their work. Yet, when asked about a hypothetical translation choice, they frequently reply, "It all depends..." If language and cultural factors tend to be static, why then are translational choices and ethical judgments so often situational? Interpreters, through years of trial and error, on-the-job learning, are increasingly recognizing that effective communication frequently depends on variables other than language and culture.

This workshop is based on the presenters' application of "demand-control theory" to the profession of sign language interpreting. It will provide a framework for understanding the range of variables that are relevant to interpreting work. It will offer tools to identify which variables are most salient in a given assignment and how best to respond, especially when the prevailing variables are not linguistic or cultural ones. The workshop will offer a forum for frank discussion about the difficult and complex choices interpreters make in service of our professional goal to "facilitate communication between two languages and cultures."