CANADIAN FORCES LANGUAGE SCHOOL

1. CANADIAN FORCES LANGUAGE SCHOOL BASIC INTERPRETING TECHNIQUES FOR SPECIFIC MILITARY PURPOSES ESCORT INTERPRETING IN THE MILITARY FIELD Jana Vasilj-Begovic, M.A. B.A. B.Ed. Foreign Language Standards Officer Good morning, Mr. Chairman, esteemed colleagues and members of BILC. As always, it is an exceptional honour and pleasure to participate in a BILC conference, share experiences, and build knowledge and expertise within an atmosphere of collaboration, collegiality and friendship. I am J.V.B, foreign St. officer at the CFLS. As one of the conference themes is interpretation, I decided to share with you our experience of developing a short but very important course on Basic Interpreting Techniques for specific military purposes, namely, escort interpreting in the military field, namely in Afghanistan.Good morning, Mr. Chairman, esteemed colleagues and members of BILC. As always, it is an exceptional honour and pleasure to participate in a BILC conference, share experiences, and build knowledge and expertise within an atmosphere of collaboration, collegiality and friendship. I am J.V.B, foreign St. officer at the CFLS. As one of the conference themes is interpretation, I decided to share with you our experience of developing a short but very important course on Basic Interpreting Techniques for specific military purposes, namely, escort interpreting in the military field, namely in Afghanistan.

2. SCOPE OF PRESENTATION COURSE BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE COURSE OBJECTIVES COURSE CONTENT TRAINING OUTCOMES AND LIMITATIONS The presentation will cover the following points: course background and rationale, course objectives, the course content, and the outcome and limitations of this training.The presentation will cover the following points: course background and rationale, course objectives, the course content, and the outcome and limitations of this training.

3. COURSE BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE NEEDS ANALYSIS Gap in Training in LCA Programme Task Force Afghanistan Deployments In April 2006, our school was approached by the military authorities responsible for the so-called Language and Cultural Adviser (LCA) Program in support of Task Force Afghanistan (TFA) deployments. Under this programme, Afghan nationals living in Canada are recruited and deployed to Afghanistan as the so-called language and cultural advisors. In addition to providing the Canadian military personnel with advice related to the Afghan culture, one of their main tasks has been to act as interpreters. Before their deployments they received different types of training; however, as interpreters they would leave completely unprepared. This gap in training impacted on the Language and Cultural Advisers' performance abroad significantly as they were forced to rely exclusively On the Job Training (OJT) in order to develop their interpreter skills. � 2. So, the need to develop a formal training pre-deployment package was identified and CFLS tasked with its design and development. In April 2006, our school was approached by the military authorities responsible for the so-called Language and Cultural Adviser (LCA) Program in support of Task Force Afghanistan (TFA) deployments. Under this programme, Afghan nationals living in Canada are recruited and deployed to Afghanistan as the so-called language and cultural advisors. In addition to providing the Canadian military personnel with advice related to the Afghan culture, one of their main tasks has been to act as interpreters. Before their deployments they received different types of training; however, as interpreters they would leave completely unprepared. This gap in training impacted on the Language and Cultural Advisers' performance abroad significantly as they were forced to rely exclusively On the Job Training (OJT) in order to develop their interpreter skills. � 2. So, the need to develop a formal training pre-deployment package was identified and CFLS tasked with its design and development.

4. COURSE DESIGN BASED ON BOOK �INTERPRETATION� � TECHNIQUES AND EXERCISES BY JAMES NOLAN, former Deputy Director, Interpretation, Meetings and Publications Division, United Nations Adapted for military escort interpreting in the field and Pashtu language Easily adaptable to other language combinations Five-day course (theory and practice) We approached the course design by hiring a professional interpreter. That was Mr. James Nolan, author of the book Interpretation � Techniques and Exercises, and former Deputy Director of Interpretation services at the united nations. With his help, we created a training manual which is combination of theory and practice, and which is adapted to the Pashtu/English language combinations; however, it is applicable and could be easily adapted to any language pair. It is a five day course. We are all perfectly aware that there can be no magic before and after a five day course. As Mr. Nolan said, it is like giving 3 flying lessons. Further in the presentation I will discuss what this training accomplishes and what its limitations are. The training is a combination of theory and practice, and the practice consists of a number of role-play situations based on realistic scenarios.We approached the course design by hiring a professional interpreter. That was Mr. James Nolan, author of the book Interpretation � Techniques and Exercises, and former Deputy Director of Interpretation services at the united nations. With his help, we created a training manual which is combination of theory and practice, and which is adapted to the Pashtu/English language combinations; however, it is applicable and could be easily adapted to any language pair. It is a five day course. We are all perfectly aware that there can be no magic before and after a five day course. As Mr. Nolan said, it is like giving 3 flying lessons. Further in the presentation I will discuss what this training accomplishes and what its limitations are. The training is a combination of theory and practice, and the practice consists of a number of role-play situations based on realistic scenarios.

5. COURSE OBJECTIVES To convey an understanding of what interpretation is To develop attentive listening skills To improve dual tasking capability To expand working memory To make cultural adjustments To become more efficient in note-taking To achieve the ability to interpret consecutively passages of up to 50 words (to be tested at the end of the course).  This slide lists the course objectives. The first one is to convey an understanding of what inter is in contrast to translation; the difference between the consecutive and simultaneous interpretation. Interpretation is a complex process that involves cognitive skills other than language skills, and these skills include attentive listening, analyzing the spoken text and identifying units of meaning, retaining it and rendering it into the tl. dual tasking, Through different exercises the participants practice developing these skills. During the training, we also give the participants exercises to expand their working memory (this is done through Hendricks type exercises. The faciliator reads out a list of 5 unrelated words, and gradually increasing the number length up to 50 items. The participants are asked recite them back in the same order. Making cultural adjustments is discussed in the context of concepts which are difficult to render or express due to cultural differences. Note-taking is considered an invaluable tool in consecutive interpreting, and a lot of emphasis is placed on it. And the last objective is to develop the ability of interpreting passages of up to 50 words.This slide lists the course objectives. The first one is to convey an understanding of what inter is in contrast to translation; the difference between the consecutive and simultaneous interpretation. Interpretation is a complex process that involves cognitive skills other than language skills, and these skills include attentive listening, analyzing the spoken text and identifying units of meaning, retaining it and rendering it into the tl. dual tasking, Through different exercises the participants practice developing these skills. During the training, we also give the participants exercises to expand their working memory (this is done through Hendricks type exercises. The faciliator reads out a list of 5 unrelated words, and gradually increasing the number length up to 50 items. The participants are asked recite them back in the same order. Making cultural adjustments is discussed in the context of concepts which are difficult to render or express due to cultural differences. Note-taking is considered an invaluable tool in consecutive interpreting, and a lot of emphasis is placed on it. And the last objective is to develop the ability of interpreting passages of up to 50 words.

6. COURSE CONTENT Basic Interpreting Pointers Segmentation Re-formulation Connections Note-taking Style and Tone Untranslatability Figures of Speech Numbers Practice Guidelines This slide lists the course contents and I will spend a few moments discussing each subtitle. This slide lists the course contents and I will spend a few moments discussing each subtitle.

7. BASIC INTERPRETING POINTERS Deliver the message Meaning is contextual Silence is golden When is �close� close enough Brevity is the soul of wit Never panic Use all your tools Pacing Don�t correct yourself unnecessarily There�s more than one way to �. ��� ��� Under the first pointer, we discuss the importance of delivering the speaker�s message, faithfully, accurately and completely We stress the fact that meaning is contextual and that interpreters must avoid the trap of literalism. Through examples, such as the different meanings of the idiom :go fly a kite, the participants become aware how meaning changes from context to context. The value of silence is stressed, in the sense that an interpreter should not feel embarrassed if he/she needs to wait a few moments to organize his and wait for the meaning to take shape in her mind before starting to interpret. As interpretation is inherently an imperfect product one needs to know when it is close enough. When at least the gist of meaning is there the interpretation is close enough. Interpreters have to use their judgment and decide if the listeners have understood the point or if there�s a need to ask the speaker to repeat and clarify Here, we point out that unnecessary wordiness should be avoided. If there is a choice, an interpreter should opt for a simpler version of rendering of a statement even if the statement is easy and and the interpreter has the luxury of being wordy. They should resist the temptation because the next statement may be very fast, obscure and difficult requring a lot of concentration on part of the interpreter. Use all your tools to deliver the message. Interpreters have at their disposal voice, intonation and gestures to colour their words the right way and with the right emphasis Pacing-the necessity of steady pacing is discussed as interpreters should not fall too behind the speaker or get ahead of him Correct yourself only in cases you committed a serious mistake, but not in order to make something sound better Literalism is a trip for an interpreter. An interpreter must be aware of the fact that there are various correct ways to express one and the same notion.Under the first pointer, we discuss the importance of delivering the speaker�s message, faithfully, accurately and completely We stress the fact that meaning is contextual and that interpreters must avoid the trap of literalism. Through examples, such as the different meanings of the idiom :go fly a kite, the participants become aware how meaning changes from context to context. The value of silence is stressed, in the sense that an interpreter should not feel embarrassed if he/she needs to wait a few moments to organize his and wait for the meaning to take shape in her mind before starting to interpret. As interpretation is inherently an imperfect product one needs to know when it is close enough. When at least the gist of meaning is there the interpretation is close enough. Interpreters have to use their judgment and decide if the listeners have understood the point or if there�s a need to ask the speaker to repeat and clarify Here, we point out that unnecessary wordiness should be avoided. If there is a choice, an interpreter should opt for a simpler version of rendering of a statement even if the statement is easy and and the interpreter has the luxury of being wordy. They should resist the temptation because the next statement may be very fast, obscure and difficult requring a lot of concentration on part of the interpreter. Use all your tools to deliver the message. Interpreters have at their disposal voice, intonation and gestures to colour their words the right way and with the right emphasis Pacing-the necessity of steady pacing is discussed as interpreters should not fall too behind the speaker or get ahead of him Correct yourself only in cases you committed a serious mistake, but not in order to make something sound better Literalism is a trip for an interpreter. An interpreter must be aware of the fact that there are various correct ways to express one and the same notion.

8. COURSE CONTENT Segmentation Dividing Text into Units of Meaning Reformulation Putting it Differently Connections Paying Attention to Connections Note Taking Developing a System of Note Taking and Use of Symbols It is important to avoid following automatically the word order and structure of the source language when interpreting. It is important to recognize in the source text the units of meaning or clusters of words that can be translated into corresponding clusters in the target language. Under the subtitle segmentation, the trainees are taught how to divide texts into meaningful structures or units of meaning with which translators and interpreters deal. Under Reformulation the trainees are shown how to express ideas in different words or in a different form so as to make them more manageable for the interpreter. Under connections, the trainees are made aware that they have to pay close attention to the connections and transitions in the texts as some of them must be translated, and other can be omitted or carried by the voice. Note taking is an extremely important tool for interpreters. The trainees are instructed to develop their own system of symbols and abbreviations or use the existing ones. Interpreters work with the short-term memory which fades quickly, So, when for example, a speaker lists two or more items, which have specific characteristics, it is hard for an interpreter to retain all the details. The trainees are encouraged to develop their own system of note taking and use of symbols. successful note taking means reducing words to ideas and putting the ideas into graphic symbols that can later be re-expressed in another language. Some of the exercises used are of the following type. It is important to avoid following automatically the word order and structure of the source language when interpreting. It is important to recognize in the source text the units of meaning or clusters of words that can be translated into corresponding clusters in the target language. Under the subtitle segmentation, the trainees are taught how to divide texts into meaningful structures or units of meaning with which translators and interpreters deal. Under Reformulation the trainees are shown how to express ideas in different words or in a different form so as to make them more manageable for the interpreter. Under connections, the trainees are made aware that they have to pay close attention to the connections and transitions in the texts as some of them must be translated, and other can be omitted or carried by the voice. Note taking is an extremely important tool for interpreters. The trainees are instructed to develop their own system of symbols and abbreviations or use the existing ones. Interpreters work with the short-term memory which fades quickly, So, when for example, a speaker lists two or more items, which have specific characteristics, it is hard for an interpreter to retain all the details. The trainees are encouraged to develop their own system of note taking and use of symbols. successful note taking means reducing words to ideas and putting the ideas into graphic symbols that can later be re-expressed in another language. Some of the exercises used are of the following type.

9. Note Taking vlu � = � all '93 but in '94 � > � Pres Afg: un-dev was src of polt vlnce Pres: Cttee reprt was ?* to ears! The search will cover the 3-floor building with the red tile roof and the 2-floor grey building with the black asphalt roof. Notes: 3F B RT 2f G BA The first three examples are abbreviated statements in which ideas are represented with abbreviations and symbols. The second example is a statement containing a number of details that an interpreter may forget unless he or she has jotted them down.The first three examples are abbreviated statements in which ideas are represented with abbreviations and symbols. The second example is a statement containing a number of details that an interpreter may forget unless he or she has jotted them down.

10. COURSE CONTENT Style and Tone Changing Style and Tone of Speech According to Situation Examples: The financial sources available are insufficient. There is not enough money. We�re broke. �Frankly my dear, I don�t give a damn.� �Frankly my dear, that is the least of my concerns.� Under the Style and Tone chapter, characteristics of speech in terms of its levels of formality, informality, register, style and tone are discussed. It is stressed that the register and choice of words of a speaker must satisfy 3 criteria: they must be appropriate to the subject, the occasion, and the audience. A translators or and interpreter, as an author�s or speaker�s echo must reflect the speaker�s sense of occasion and transfer the style and tone of the rendering into the TL. The trainees practice recognizing the changes in style and tone from one context to another and adapting the style and tone of interpretation accordingly. The first example shows how one and the same idea may be expressed more formally, less formally and informally. The second example is taken from the movie �gone with the wind�, and from the scene in whioch Scarlett pleads with her husband not to leave her. His response was �Frankly my dear I don�t give a damn�. It was translated into French with Frankly my dear, that is the least of my concerns� and the fact that the original register was not preserved, that is, it was watered down, and that diminished the dramatic impact of the scene. � Under the Style and Tone chapter, characteristics of speech in terms of its levels of formality, informality, register, style and tone are discussed. It is stressed that the register and choice of words of a speaker must satisfy 3 criteria: they must be appropriate to the subject, the occasion, and the audience. A translators or and interpreter, as an author�s or speaker�s echo must reflect the speaker�s sense of occasion and transfer the style and tone of the rendering into the TL. The trainees practice recognizing the changes in style and tone from one context to another and adapting the style and tone of interpretation accordingly. The first example shows how one and the same idea may be expressed more formally, less formally and informally. The second example is taken from the movie �gone with the wind�, and from the scene in whioch Scarlett pleads with her husband not to leave her. His response was �Frankly my dear I don�t give a damn�. It was translated into French with Frankly my dear, that is the least of my concerns� and the fact that the original register was not preserved, that is, it was watered down, and that diminished the dramatic impact of the scene. �

11. COURSE CONTENT Untranslatability Dealing with Problems of Untranslatability Figures of Speech Recognizing Figures of Speech and Avoiding Literal Translation The problem of "untranslatability" arises from the fact that different cultures divide up the universe in different ways, and that their languages therefore contain ideas, words and expressions to describe those different concepts and culture-specific features. The trainees practice dealing with apparently untranslatable concepts, and tied to this, the importance of recognizing figures of speech, idiomatic expressions, proverbs etc. Literalism is a trap into which interpreters and translators often fall creating miscommunication. In one situation, trying to interpret a Dari proverb, the equivalent of which in English is: beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the interpreter rendered it as �you have beautiful eyes�, which is the literal translation from Dari. . The problem of "untranslatability" arises from the fact that different cultures divide up the universe in different ways, and that their languages therefore contain ideas, words and expressions to describe those different concepts and culture-specific features. The trainees practice dealing with apparently untranslatable concepts, and tied to this, the importance of recognizing figures of speech, idiomatic expressions, proverbs etc. Literalism is a trap into which interpreters and translators often fall creating miscommunication. In one situation, trying to interpret a Dari proverb, the equivalent of which in English is: beauty is in the eye of the beholder, the interpreter rendered it as �you have beautiful eyes�, which is the literal translation from Dari. .

12. UNTRANSLATABILITY/FIGURES OF SPEECH/IDIOMS Time and tide wait for no man. Let�s not delay To shoot from the hip To react instinctively Every cloud has a silver lining Even bad events bring something good They are the salt of the earth Valuable, honest, While it may be more polished to render a proverb or figure of speech by a proverb, it is unprofessional to become tongue-tied over a simple idea. The interpreter�s job is to get the gist of the meaning across within the time limits dictated by the speaker�s speed. If a literal translation sounds meaningless in the tl, one should try to grasp the underlying idea and express it While it may be more polished to render a proverb or figure of speech by a proverb, it is unprofessional to become tongue-tied over a simple idea. The interpreter�s job is to get the gist of the meaning across within the time limits dictated by the speaker�s speed. If a literal translation sounds meaningless in the tl, one should try to grasp the underlying idea and express it

13. COURSE CONTENT Numbers Interpreting numbers correctly Examples: 52.3 percent of children were vaccinated 500 boxes of 20 mm rounds of mortar ammunition� The importance of correct interpretation of numbers is also stressed. One of the things the trainees learn is that interpreters have some leeway when interpreting numbers which are expressed as orders of magnitude, so for example, instead of saying 52.3 percent of children were vaccinated, they could say �roughly half�; if an interpreter is having trouble with speed. However, if the figure �500 boxes of 20 mm rounds of mortar ammunition� were used an incorrect interpretation might be more dangerous than not giving any number at all. Interpreters must strive to render qualitative and quantitative concepts accurately, and to use the right unit of measurements. The importance of correct interpretation of numbers is also stressed. One of the things the trainees learn is that interpreters have some leeway when interpreting numbers which are expressed as orders of magnitude, so for example, instead of saying 52.3 percent of children were vaccinated, they could say �roughly half�; if an interpreter is having trouble with speed. However, if the figure �500 boxes of 20 mm rounds of mortar ammunition� were used an incorrect interpretation might be more dangerous than not giving any number at all. Interpreters must strive to render qualitative and quantitative concepts accurately, and to use the right unit of measurements.

14. COURSE CONTENT The Role of the Interpreter Always strive to give an accurate, faithful and complete interpretation. Always conduct yourself in a professional manner. In particular, show respect towards all parties involved in the situation. Be tactful, discreet, culturally sensitive, detached, and firm when necessary, as well as clear. Be as unobtrusive as possible. A good interpreter should enable the parties to communicate, �as if he were not there�. The following two slides give excerpts from the Guidelines of Conduct for the Interpreter. There is a set of more general guidelines from which these 3 were taken (read them)The following two slides give excerpts from the Guidelines of Conduct for the Interpreter. There is a set of more general guidelines from which these 3 were taken (read them)

15. COURSE CONTENT Guidelines of Conduct Know who your assigned Canadian Forces (CF) Point of Contact is.Never advance in front of your CF/ISAF team or become separated from it for any reason.Always request (if time permits) a Pre-Meeting Brief with the highest ranking CF/ISAF member to include:a.����Define the aim of the meeting b.����Identify special Western vocabulary or concepts c.����Tell the CF/ISAF leader if there are special cultural awareness sensitivities connected to this meeting These are a couple of more specific guidelines provided by the Canadian Forces authorities.These are a couple of more specific guidelines provided by the Canadian Forces authorities.

16. COURSE CONTENT Practice � Scripted and Semi-Scripted Scenarios Example: A Canadian officer visits a shepherd who has information about an ammunition dump concealed by the Taliban. � Instructions to the military person playing the role of the Canadian officer: after polite introductions, ask the shepherd to describe to you what he saw and how to find it. � Instructions to the Pashto resource person playing the shepherd: Say that while you were herding your sheep through the hills south-east of your village last week, you noticed a cave at the foot of a cliff and, out of curiosity, took a look inside. You saw an old Soviet-era anti-aircraft gun, two heavy machineguns of the kind you have seen mounted on armoured vehicles, a pile of rocket propelled grenades and some land mines. Give a long and somewhat complicated description of how to get to the cave, including descriptions of landmarks (rocks, bushes, creek beds, etc.) which you use by memory to get to that location, which is a place where your sheep can find a water-hole. Say that you are now afraid to go near the place because there might be Taliban around. The course contains a considerable amount of practice. We developed a number of role-play scenarios which are based on the information provided to us by former interpreters; therefore, our aim was to create scenarios that would reflect possible interpretation contexts realistically.The course contains a considerable amount of practice. We developed a number of role-play scenarios which are based on the information provided to us by former interpreters; therefore, our aim was to create scenarios that would reflect possible interpretation contexts realistically.

17. TRAINING OUTCOMES AND LIMITATIONS Training neither produces interpreters nor has that objective as its goal. Most interpreters speak English at Level 2, and are able to interpret at Level 2 (IAW ILR) Even though the trainees find this course extraordinarily useful and beneficial, we are aware of its limited outcomes. First of all, this training does not and cannot produce interpreters. Interpretation is a highly complex skill that goes beyond language proficiency. It requires other cognitive skills as as attentive listening, fast processing, analyzing of speech etc. As most of our trainees speak English with level 2 proficiency, their interpretation level from Pashtu into English is level 2 at the most. Even though the trainees find this course extraordinarily useful and beneficial, we are aware of its limited outcomes. First of all, this training does not and cannot produce interpreters. Interpretation is a highly complex skill that goes beyond language proficiency. It requires other cognitive skills as as attentive listening, fast processing, analyzing of speech etc. As most of our trainees speak English with level 2 proficiency, their interpretation level from Pashtu into English is level 2 at the most.

18. ILR DESCRIPTION OF INTERPRETATION LEVELS Able to transfer information with some accuracy. The individual may be able to function when exchanges are short, involve subject matters that are routine, and discourse that is repetitive or predictable. May require repetition and clarification. The individual may report only speech content instead of the speaker�s own words. Expression in the target language may be frequently faulty. This is how level 2 interpretation is described in the ILR interpretation guidelines. This is how level 2 interpretation is described in the ILR interpretation guidelines.

19. TRAINING OUTCOMES AND LIMITATIONS Limited proficiency in English Lack of ability to interpret in formal settings, and transfer not only the message but the style, and level of speech formality. Insufficient knowledge of military terminology So, one of the main weakness noticed in most of the trainees is their limited proficiency level in English. Connected to that weakness is a limited ability to interpret formal language, that is transfer the formal tone and style of the message. As mentioned before, most trainees show level 2 interpretation competence. A gap in the knowledge of military terminology was also evident, but it is expected that in the field of operations the interpreters would acquire military vocabulary in a short time.So, one of the main weakness noticed in most of the trainees is their limited proficiency level in English. Connected to that weakness is a limited ability to interpret formal language, that is transfer the formal tone and style of the message. As mentioned before, most trainees show level 2 interpretation competence. A gap in the knowledge of military terminology was also evident, but it is expected that in the field of operations the interpreters would acquire military vocabulary in a short time.

20. CONCLUSIONS Trainees perceive training as extremely beneficial Skill expected to improve with extensive practice in the field Interpreters share knowledge and advice with new interpreters upon return, and facilitate with training All trainees have expressed great satisfaction with the training. Even thought he course is extremely short, it is deemed extremely valuable considering how in the past, the interpreters had not receive any training in interpretation techniques. One of the former interpreters is a facilitator in this course.All trainees have expressed great satisfaction with the training. Even thought he course is extremely short, it is deemed extremely valuable considering how in the past, the interpreters had not receive any training in interpretation techniques. One of the former interpreters is a facilitator in this course.

21. MISINTERPRETATIONS YOU ARE FIRED! YOU ARE BURNT! I AM NEITHER OPEN OR CLOSED TO THIS CHAIR. THIS JOB DOES NOT MATTER TO ME ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. AFFECTION LUST

22. ESCORT INTERPRETING THANK YOU! Questions!