Increasing Students Comprehension, Memory, and Recall: Using Language Expansion Features and Discourse Mapping in Your Interpretations

Presenter:  Kevin T. Williams, M.S., C.I./C.T. is a Faculty/Senior Lecturer at the Rochester Institute of Technology at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in the American Sign language and Interpreter Education (ASLIE) Department.  Kevin is the Founder and Director of the Educational Interpreter performance Assessment (EIPA) Center at Boys Town National Research Hospital.

CEU Hours: .6 CESs and assumes some knowledge of the topic

Sponsored by Regional Low Incidence Projects - Region 11

Workshop description:

Student's cognitive retention (memory) is greatly enhanced when visual patterns are integrated into interpretations being assimilated in the classroom.

This workshop will engage educational interpreters by:

1) Exposing them to research related to visual listening and memory/retention.

2) Exploring the linguistic act of topical/focal-point 'expansions' and how these take place in spoken language and in indigenous sign languages.

3) Learning to better understand and integrate the notion of 'discourse mapping' in educational interpreters.

The workshop format will entail lecture, language/discourse analysis and application of learning via actual interpretation work.   This workshop is geared towards working interpreters seeking to move their command of ASL into more academically-directed interpretations, not for beginning signers or ASL students.

 Interpreters completing this training will be able to:

• Identify visual features which can be integrated into classroom interpretations.  
• Define the notion of 'discourse mapping'
• Explain and demonstrate the forms of language expansion found in natural sign languages
• Demonstrate, via interpretation, the ability to appropriately insert and execute language expansion features.

This training is funded with a grant from MDE using federal funding, CFDA 84.027A, Special Education - Grants to States. This event does not necessarily represent the policy of the federal Department of Education or the state Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal or state government.

Cancellation: You can cancel your own registration for an event before the cancellation deadline. (Please check the event information for specific cancellation details.) If the event has a fee, refunds are possible only if cancellation is prior to the deadline. If you do not attend and do not cancel prior to an event, you are still responsible for payment and will be billed.

Special Accommodations: Please alert BrightWorks 2-3 weeks prior to the workshop/event if you need special accommodations, including sign language interpreters. (BrightWorks requires a notice of 2 business days to cancel a sign language interpreter. If you fail to cancel, we reserve the right to bill your school/district for this expense.) Update your profile as needed. Special accommodations are not included with each registration, but are stored in your profile until you make changes.