Skill Building: Sight-Translation

Sight Translation for Community Interpreters & Sight Translation for Legal Interpreters

Sight Translation for Community Interpreters
Language Neutral


In community settings, interpreters are asked to sight translate different kinds of documents, including intake questionnaires, consent forms, informational brochures and legal documents. As a skill, sight translation is complex and require the interpreter to simultaneously read, analyze, and render the interpretation. In addition, interpreters need strategies for evaluating the sight translate request, the kind of document and how to appropriate accept, reject or navigate the sight translation. Through interactive exercises, this session will provide participants with:

The steps of sight translation
How to sight translate the intake questionnaire
Strategies for sight translation of consent forms and legal documents
The C.A.L.L. and How to Say No models
 

Sight Translation for Legal Interpreters
Language Neutral

Legal interpreter work in the courtroom for legal processes that are fundamentally adversarial. They also work in broader legal settings (which can include the courthouse) that can be more collaborative. How legal interpreters perform sight translation varies depending on the specific purpose the session and the kind of document that requires sight translation. For example, the sight translation of a document being read into the court record demands that every word, symbol and marking be accounted for, while the sight translation of the defendants waiver of rights requires a back and forth interaction between the interpreter and defendant as the form is filled out. Through interactive exercises, this session provides participants with clear steps for:

Determining the purpose of the sight translation

The kind of document (question and answer, a waiver of rights, plea agreements, etc)
The steps for sight translation needed for each document type and setting