CruisEUs

Workshops / Bios

Navigating the Waters of Legal Discourse for ASL Interpreters - Carla Mathers Esq

This 12 hour seminar is designed to be an opportunity for ASL legal interpreters to focus on skills development in simulated settings including sight translations of legal documents; interactive interpreting in the consecutive mode and simultaneous interpretation of texts from ASL to English and English to ASL. Participants will be presented with a sociolinguistic framework for understanding legal discourse. Prior to interpreting, participants will analyze various simulated settings to understand the perspective of the participants, the demands of the environment and the goals of the participants. These contextual factors will then be viewed from the Demand Control Schema for each participant (i.e. attorneys, interpreter, consumer) to determine the demands inherent in each setting and the range of controls and resulting demands which arise when various controls on the liberal-conservative spectrum are applied. Finally, the simulated settings will be interpreted and diagnostic feedback will be given.

Participants will be able to state the major tenets of a sociolinguistic framework for understanding legal discourse. Participants will be able to analyze various legal settings and present contextual factors (participants, environmental features and goals) that affect the interpretation. Participants will produce a chart listing the various demands, controls, and resulting demands that arise for each individual in the simulated interpreting assignment. Participants will interpret the various simulated settings.

The course will be presented in three (3) parts lasting 4 hours each portion.

Carla Mathers Bio

Carla M. Mathers, Esquire, CSC, SC: L serves as consultant regarding legal interpreting issues travelling and teaching widely. For 14 years, Ms. Mathers was employed as litigation associate with McCollum & Associates, LLC, in College Park, Maryland. Ms. Mathers is licensed to practice law in the state and federal courts of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Ms. Mathers graduated magna cum laude from Howard University School of Law and summa cum laude from the University of Maryland. Ms. Mathers' interpreting degree is from the College of Southern Idaho. Ms. Mathers is a former President and Vice President of the Potomac Chapter Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Ms. Mathers sat on the Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts' Advisory Committee on Interpreters Sub-committee on Ethics and Sub-committee on Testing and Training. In 2005, Ms. Mathers received the Region II Judie Husted Leadership Award from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. In 2006, Ms. Mathers published Sign Language Interpreters in Court: Understanding Best Practices, a text for interpreters, attorneys and courts to understand the principles underlying ASL court interpreting.

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Sound Right? NOT! Effective Voicing Techniques - Andrea Smith

Interpreting in a sign to voice mode can be nerve wracking for any interpreter. Beyond comprehension is the addition responsibility to make the information accessible to hearing audiences which may be less experienced and less forgiving than Deaf consumers of interpreting services. This workshop will explore issues that impact an interpreter’s ability to produce natural sounding, culturally appropriate, and idiomatic English interpretations.

The Business Side of Interpreting - Andrea Smith

Free lance, contract, private practice; different titles, same job. Interpreters across the board need to know how to manage the business of interpreting. It is important for interpreters to understand the options available to them and make informed decisions regarding self employment. From marketing and invoicing, to taxes and deductions, this workshop will provide the basics of business for interpreters.

ASL Expansion: They Don’t Have That in English - Andrea Smith

When working in English to ASL interpreting situations, many interpreters struggle to produce an equivalent message in the target language. Beyond comprehension of the source message, interpreters must understand and able to utilize the structures that are present in ASL that are either uncommon or absent from English. These structures are called expansion techniques and are an integral part of ASL. By learning and incorporating these into their interpretation, interpreters will be more successful. This activity will explore the seven expansion features and how to use them.

Andrea Smith Bio
Andrea Smith, a native of Sarasota, Florida, has been a working practitioner for over 14 years in the greater Tampa Bay area. She completed her interpreter training at both Hillsborough Community College and St. Petersburg College in 1995. Upon completion, she received her Florida state Quality Assurance level 2 and soon after, in 1999, received her national certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. She continued her professional development, focusing on interpreting within the legal setting. She received her Specialist Certificate: Legal in 2008. A firm believer in “life-long learning”, she continued her formal education at the University of South Florida, eventually receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences in 2003 and her Master’s degree in Adult Education in 2009. She will be pursuing her PhD in Adult and Higher Education starting Fall 2010.

Currently, Andrea is a full time instructor at the University of South Florida in the Interpreter Training Track. In addition, she also continues to provide interpreting services in private practice. While she specializes in interpreting in the mental health and legal settings, she has worked in a variety of areas, including VRS, VRI, medical, post-secondary, conference, and performing arts. She has given numerous workshops throughout the state on numerous topics. She has an extensive background in mentoring interpreters entering the field and has a strong belief in the elevation of the interpreting profession.

Andrea also has a strong sense of volunteerism and “giving back” to the profession in a number of ways. She began this effort on the local level, serving on the board of directors of BayFRID, the local Tampa Bay chapter of FRID. She eventually went on to serve on the Board of Directors of the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, FRID. She served in several positions including CMP coordinator and, most recently, President. She also served on the FCCDHH Licensure Task Force tasked with developing a proposal for sign language interpreter licensure for the state of Florida. She is honored that this commitment was recognized in 2007 when she was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from FRID.

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Peter Cook and Gordon Vernon Workshops coming soon

Peter Cook Bio

Peter S. Cook is an internationally reputed Deaf performing artist whose works incorporates American Sign Language, pantomime, storytelling, acting, and movement.

Peter has traveled extensively around the country and aboard with Flying Words Project to promote ASL Literature with Kenny Lerner since 1986. Peter has appeared in Live from Off Center’s “Words on Mouth” (PBS) and “ United States of Poetry” (PBS) produced by Emmy winner Bob Holman. Peter teaches at Columbia College where he received the 1997 Excellence in Teaching award. In 1998, Peter set up a video production called PC Production and now based in Chicago.

Peter was featured nationally in festivals such as the Jonesboro National Storytelling festival , Oklahoma City Winter Tales, Illinois Storytelling Festival, Indiana Hoosier Storytelling Festival, Eugene Oregon Multi-Cultural Festival, and The Deaf Way II and the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Peter was invited to the White House to join the National Book Festival in 2003. Internationally,Peter has worked with Deaf storytellers/poets in Sweden, Norway, Denmark ,Netherlands, Austria and Japan.

Peter lives in Chicago and teaches in ASL-English Interpretation Department at Columbia College.

He loves to tell stories to his son.

Gordon Vernon Bio

Gordon Vernon, CI, CT, is the Owner/Director of the Interpreter Training and Learning Center (TLC) providing interpreter training, diagnostics, mentoring and interpreter services nationwide. He served as the Manager of Continuing Education for Purple Communications, Inc. (2008-2009) where he was instrumental in developing the rubric and screening materials for new interpreter hires and providing both internal and external professional development opportunities to interpreters. He served as Director of Staff Development at Sign Language Associates, Inc. (SLA) in Washington, DC (1995-2008). He managed SLA’s nationally renowned Mentorship and Road to Certification Programs, instituted the Peer Review and Observation Team, and provided diagnostic assessments to staff interpreters. Gordon served as a member of the RID Affiliate Chapter Relations Committee (2007-2009) and was President of the Potomac Chapter of RID (PCRID), serving the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia, for two terms. Gordon served on the PCRID Board of Directors in various positions (1996-2005) and served as Vice President of the Alabama Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (1993-1994). He currently lives in Citronelle, Alabama and is enjoying restoring the family home.