Sarah Trevino

1/18/15
Dr. Winston
Reflection Meaning Based Interpreting for Terps
When I first started watching the video Meaning Based Interpreting for
Terps I was slightly discouraged by its length. However, as I continued to watch
and listen to what Dr. Winston had to say I found the subject interesting and very
informative. A part that really stuck out to me was when she said All parts of
language are important this reminded me of an earlier article I read that said all
languages are equalwhich article? Citation is needed . While I understand these
two statements are not the same or actually very similar at all they are both good
reminders. Its easy to say ah spelling isnt important or grammar isnt
important or even if you do believe theyre important, to just skim over these easy
things when youre doing an interpretation. But in fact a misspelling could change
the message, it could be the difference between understanding what is being said
and not understanding. Yet-we dont understand what is saidwe re-construct it
with our own understandings With grammar I always remember the (written
English) example of Lets eat, Grandma! versus Lets eat Grandma! I mean its
like the joke says, it saves lives. Great example that you brought to class!
In ASL
the difference between asking a rhetorical question and asking a question is the
difference between body shifting and head/eyebrow movement. Imagine youre in
an emergency situation and you need to ask a client a question but you ask it
rhetorically. While Im sure the client might understand that it was an error, that
couple seconds it takes to mentally understand that and in some emergencies,
seconds cannot be spare like that. The other part I found really interesting was
Austin (1968) about the Locutionary, Illocutionary and Perlocutionary parts of
discourse. While I understand these ideas in simple form, it never occurred to me
that when youre analyzing discourse there is a difference between what is being
said/signed, what was meant and what was caused or what the impact of that
sentence might be. This reminds me of how people manipulate other people. I
actually feel a little slow sometimes because Ill see people who can manipulate
people just based off what theyre saying and I never try to do that so I dont know
how to do that.yet every use of language IS a type of manipulation 9although
without the negative connotation perhaps) For example, my sister and my mom got
into an argument and my mom wanted to know something but my sister wasnt
going to tell her so she pretended to get something in her eye so then, in my sisters
words, my mom would be more concerned about what was hurting her than what
she was saying and shed want to save her. Its kind of an extreme example of the
Austin ideas because my sister was actually using the ideas for manipulation as
opposed to just as a function of communication but she was using the ideas as the
locutionary was I got hair dye in my eye, the illocutionary was leave me alone.

Heres a distraction and the impact, or perlocutionary, was my mom leaving her
alone because she didnt want her to be hurt.
Sarah,
Your synthesis and application of the readings is astute and perceptive! Thanks for
sharing your insights!