Application
This unit applies to interpreters working in consecutive and Auslan simultaneous modes, either alone, collaboratively, in tandem or as part of a team. Miscommunication that may occur in this setting is readily managed through consultation and preparation.
Prerequisites
Not applicable.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENTS | SELECTION CRITERIA |
1. Receive and analyse source message | 1.1 Establish dialogue protocols with participants in a professional manner to facilitate communication dynamics and outcomes, and provide clarification where required. 1.2 Attend actively to source utterance, and identify and address factors affecting communication flow. 1.3 Determine linguistic, non-linguistic and structuralelements of discourse, and identify and address factors affecting meaning. 1.4 Identify and address issues of understanding or recall in a manner that does not compromise effective delivery. |
2. Transfer message to target language | 2.1 Transfer communicative intent of utterance into target language using techniques to ensure impartial delivery. 2.2 Identify and address issues in message transfer promptly and according to established techniques. 2.3 Maintain flow of communication and manage discourse in a professional and culturally appropriate manner. 2.4 Monitor interpreting process to identify when it is necessary to seek assistance or withdraw from assignment. |
3. Evaluate interpreting performance | 3.1 Evaluate performance in line with issues encountered, assignment requirements and code of ethics. 3.2 Determine personal impact of assignment and identify need for debriefing and counselling. 3.3 Implement strategies to improve future work practices. |
Required Skills
Required skills |
communication skills to: confirm understanding, and seek clarification or repetition of source message transfer messages effectively from source to target languages interpersonal skills to: ensure behaviour and presentation are appropriate to dialogue setting and cultural conventions interact with people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and with a range of communication needs work with others who may not understand interpreting process interpreting skills to achieve competent message transfer, including to: adapt embedded cultural concepts for correct transfer conceptualise and express general and predictable information in target language, maintaining impartiality include non-verbal clues in message transfer manage problems of equivalence reproduce factually and linguistically accurate content use basic strategies to retain and recall messages use technical, language and basic discourse management skills to ensure cohesive and faithful delivery of messages language skills to achieve competent performance application of correct structures, grammar and syntax to achieve coherent delivery clear pronunciation correct use of common idiom, collocations and slang recognition and use of a range of general and context-specific registers recognition of common metaphors and similes and implied meaning vocabulary based on general knowledge and specific to context literacy skills to prepare required background material and resources organisational skills to: arrange work environment suitably prepare and administer resources and documentation relating to assignments problem-solving skills to: address issues in delivery change conditions to enhance communication flow manage discourse confidently research skills to source background information relevant to assignment self-management skills to: apply code of practice and legislative requirements to work processes mentally order information for message transfer interpret in a professional and impartial manner seek debriefing and support where required withdraw from assignment when necessary |
Required knowledge |
broad general subject and context knowledge, including of community domains broad general knowledge of cultures and societies of both English and LOTE participants relevant codes of ethics concepts of meaning-based message transfer communication techniques that facilitate interpreting process cultural knowledge, including cross-cultural perspective of communication and behaviour to: determine cultural concepts and cues embedded in language transfer cultural concepts without compromising communicative intent of source feedback and debriefing techniques legal requirements, professional procedures and guidelines, ethical practices and business standards relating to interpreters, including: confidentiality requirements privacy legislation professional indemnity mandatory reporting duty of care conflict of interest disclosure impartiality limitations of work role, responsibility and professional abilities modes of interpreting OHS and risk management principles and practices to ensure own physical safety and comfort research methods to source subject and context knowledge relevant to assignment source and target languages to achieve competent message transfer basic strategies to assist retention of information and recall of source messages |
Evidence Required
The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | In addition to integrated demonstration of the elements and their related performance criteria, look for evidence that confirms the ability to interpret from a source language to a target language in general dialogue settings, preserving the communicative intent of the source language, including: applying interpreting and English and LOTE skills required to achieve competent message transfer and competent performance using strategies and techniques to effectively deliver and preserve the communicative intent and maintain impartiality using interpersonal and communication skills to interpret in a professional manner appropriate to participants and conditions using basic memory retention strategies recognising and resolving transfer problems and correcting transfer errors applying knowledge of the language, conventions, culture and protocols of a range of general and predictable subjects and contexts |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Evidence for assessment of this unit of competency will make use of scenarios, case studies, experiences and, where possible, examples of interactions with colleagues and clients which illustrate a range of skills and strategies for interpreting in general dialogue settings. Resources for assessment include: opportunities to observe and question candidate in a range of interpreting assignments and contexts examples of personal glossaries and memory aid resources examples of documentation of client requirements and conditions examples of debriefing and self-evaluation opportunities taken by candidate The context for assessment might include simulations of general dialogue settings, and ideally will include observations conducted in real interpreting settings. Evidence for assessment should be gathered to demonstrate a range of experiences in interpreting in general dialogue settings in several community domains. |
Range Statement
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | ||
Protocols may include: | effecting introductions briefing participants explaining purpose and process, including pausing utterance when at own limits of recall confirming confidentiality of information requesting participant details, such as names and titles setting and organisational protocols specific to client and interpreting requirements | |
Attend actively may include: | maintaining concentration and focus applying subject and context knowledge to anticipate purpose of discourse identifying strategy being used to develop ideas deconstructing: complex syntax dense lexical content formal register applying strategies to support retention and recall, including: reviewing records and recollection of message recording key information noting verbal and non-verbal cues seeking repetition and clarification close observation of speakers | |
Factors affecting communication flow may include: | physical adjustments required, such as: adjusting position and seating in regard to listener or speaker adjusting lighting and ventilation, and visual and ambient noise immediate emotional, psychological, developmental, physical, or other states or attributes of participants factors affecting meaning, such as: colloquial language idiosyncratic language use cultural concepts humour paralinguistic elements register direct speech (first person), reported speech (third person) | |
Linguistic elements and non linguistic elements may include: | colloquial and idiomatic language idiosyncratic language use ellipsis register vocabulary based on general knowledge voluntary and involuntary pragmatic features of speech, such as: inflection and tone nuance and intensity of feeling stress and pitch voluntary and involuntary prosodic features of speech, such as: hesitation pauses and silence rhythm body language eye contact facial expressions gestures and posture | |
Structural elements may include: | cultural cues language cues necessary for following conversation, interrupting or interjecting interpersonal elements turning points in an argument turn taking | |
Addressing issues of understanding or recall may include: | confirming understanding checking communicative links managing cultural and interpersonal dynamics referring to dictionaries or glossaries retaining and recalling utterances of sufficient length to ensure delivery is accurate and cohesive seeking clarification or repetition | |
Effective delivery may include: | delivery that is appropriate to participants, including: language that suits participants conveying message culturally appropriate verbal and non-verbal behaviour paraphrasing unfamiliar vocabulary, idiom and abstract concepts shortening lengthy utterances speaking slower than normal rate of speech clear pronunciation and delivery appropriate register reflecting dialogue and appropriate to setting self-monitoring of performance, including self-correction timely delivery | |
Communicative intent may include: | checking for understanding in Auslan and Indigenous languages choosing between literal transfer and the communicative intent of idiomatic expressions colloquial language deconstructing complex syntax, dense lexical content and formal register exercising judgement of embedded cultural concepts identifying and using common idiomatic expressions identifying and using loan words or signs incorporating implied meaning in message transfer informal and spoken register in the active voice maintaining logical sequence of source utterance paraphrasing unfamiliar vocabulary, idiom and concepts recognising and conveying implied meaning recognising common metaphors and similes reflecting speaker characteristics syntactic simplicity terminology appropriate to context transferring cultural cues, such as laughter and euphemism using correct common collocations using general standard of expression, style and register verbalising non-verbal source language elements | |
Techniques may include: | continuing to interpret while searching references correcting own errors in a timely manner delivering in direct, not reported speech keeping all parties informed paraphrasing preserving self references repeating complex instructions seeking repetition rather than explanation | |
Issues in message transfer may include: | transfer errors such as omissions, additions or changes that occur as a result of: misinterpreting, or not transferring sensitively jargon cross-cultural differences lack of common context transfer problems, include: elliptic, fragmentary or ambiguous source utterances lack of equivalents need for paraphrasing unknown terms | |
Managing discourse may include: | clarifying terminology and message elements directing speakers on length, pace and form of spoken delivery explaining exchanges between interpreter and one party to the other party using strategies to pause utterance at limits of recall | |
Issues may include: | assignment requirements personal preparation personal competency maintaining impartiality code of ethics necessity to withdraw requirement for team or relay interpreting | |
Personal impact may include: | performance stress occupational health and safety factors affecting interpreter impartiality factors affecting interpreter personal safety or comfort, including: cultural or societal dilemmas adversarial dialogues stressful interpreting situations trauma and tragedy |
Sectors
Not applicable.
Competency Field
Translating and Interpreting.
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Licensing Information
Not applicable.