Course Description

“Understanding” meaning in context is not as easy as we imagine it to be. Language processing is a highly complex cognitive process that we take for granted. This course will share some of the most salient theories about meaning and understanding and describe how they apply to the interpreting process and the Limited English Proficient (LEP) individual’s grasp of the message that is rendered by the interpreter in court proceedings, with some application examples for healthcare and education interpreting.

Objectives

  • Recognize several of the theories in language studies that address meaning and understanding.

  • Identify the practical applications of semantic meaning to the practice of interpreting in various domains.

  • Articulate in their own words what it means to “understand” linguistic utterances versus just “knowing” what a word may mean.

**Please note this self-paced course is not currently approved for New Mexico CEUs.

Meet The Instructor

MLS, MA, NCJIT-S, USCCI

Janis Palma

Janis Palma has been a federally certified English-Spanish interpreter since 1981 and has been teaching judiciary interpreters at all levels since 1986. She holds a Master’s in Legal Studies (MLS) from Arizona State University, a Master of Arts (MA) in Puerto Rican and Caribbean History and Literature from the Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe, and has recently completed all her coursework towards a PhD in Language Studies. She draws from her self-guided studies as well as formal education in language, literature, and the law, for course contents and publications that she carefully designs to provide her fellow interpreters with new and different topics aimed at furthering their knowledge, skills, and professional expertise.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Welcome to the webinar!

    • Webinar Description
  • 2

    Webinar Replay

    • Understanding What "Understanding" Means for Your LEP Clients - Webinar and Resources

    • Thanks for watching!