IW 150: Interview Paul Michaels Part 4: Language Man Wants Slow Thinkers, Fast Walkers

It's OK. You don't have to think too fast. I'm happy.

Dr Paul Michaels defines supervision, mentoring, character, and community. We discuss how these influence us as sign language interpreters. What advice does he have for new practice-searchers and new sign language interpreters? Listen and you'll see.

Thanks again Paul for an informative and fun-filled conversation.

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Transcript

IW 150: Interview Paul Michaels Part 4: Language Man Wants Slow Thinkers, Fast Walkers

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[ROCK INTRO MUSIC STARTS]

00:00:02 Tim

Good morning, good evening, good afternoon. Wherever you are, this is the Interpreter's Workshop podcast. I'm Tim Curry, your host. Here we talk everything sign language interpreting the ins, the outs, the ups, the downs, the sideways of interpreting. If you're a student, a new interpreter, experienced interpreter, this is the place for you. If you want to know more, go to interpretersworkshop.com.

00:00:28 Tim

Let's start talking... interpreting.

[ROCK INTRO MUSIC ENDS]

00:00:35 Tim

And now the quote of the day by Terry Pratchett, English author.

00:00:41 Tim

“The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.”

00:00:51 Tim

This quote reminds us, humorously, that we need to be careful what we allow into our mind.

00:00:58 Tim

Not everything we hear or see is the truth or is a fact. There's always another side of the story. In today's episode, we learn more from Paul Michaels. A little bit of how his research has influenced his work, his thoughts on character and community, supervision and mentoring, and what advice he would give to new practice researchers or practice searchers in our profession, as well as, as well as new sign language interpreters. So, open up your minds, but keep your hand on the handle.

00:01:41 Tim

Let's get started.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

00:01:46 Tim

If you could just for people who know and don't know, can you define for us, what do you mean by supervision and is it different from mentoring?

00:01:55 Paul

Yeah.

00:01:56 Paul

Absolutely so…

00:01:58 Paul

In the UK we have, let's say, three different sort of categories. We have mentoring which I see very much as either subject specific, time specific. So, for example, if I want to go and work in a police station, I will find myself a mentor who has a lot of experience in working in police settings and I will shadow them and I will find out information about that. So that's limited time and for a specific topic. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:02:31 Paul

We also have what we used to call supervision which was our registering body required that all trainees had a supervisor. Now I see that very much as managerial supervision. So, you know what kind of jobs are you doing? Are you up to date with your continuing professional development? Are you writing learning journals so very much sort of boss and employee type supervision. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:03:00 Paul

And then we have professional supervision.

00:03:04 Paul

Oh, sorry, just to go back so that, that sort of boss-employee type supervision again is time limited, because as soon as the person has finished their training course, they go on and that's it. They don't have that supervisor any longer. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:03:17 Paul

Then they may go and find a mentor to support them in their early career. Professional supervision is different in that it is long term.

00:03:27 Paul

So, I've had my supervisor for, I think 7-8 years. The same supervisor [Tim: Mm-hmm] meet her regularly and I don't envisage not having her. [Tim chuckles]

00:03:41 Paul

You know, I mean, one day it will happen, but you know, not in the foreseeable future. So, it's a very long-term relationship. It's, it's one where you have to build trust, you talk about issues, dilemmas that you open up. So it still sometimes takes me a little bit of time to open up to say what I really am feeling.

00:04:04 Paul

But that's where you can talk about dilemmas. You can talk about interpersonal, intrapersonal issues, [Tim: Mm-hmm] dilemmas, any conflict that may have happened within a situation. How did you deal with it? How might you deal with it differently in the future for better outcomes for the people that you're working with and building those better relationships so that you are a more reflective and informed interpreter.

00:04:30 Paul

So that's, that's what I see the, the differences in supervision, if that helps.

00:04:35 Tim

Yeah. No, that's good. So, what is your study trying to, to get out?

00:04:40 Paul

Really what it's looking to achieve would be going back to the providers or even the, the, the body who signs off interpreters [Tim chuckles] to say, “Look, you know, this is not, this is not being talked about and it’s something that’s really valuable within the profession.” [Tim: hmm]

00:05:01 Paul

And really for, I guess the, our, our body would be Signature. They're the ones who approve the courses, the content. Really to say, “Look, here's the evidence to say that the supervisors are getting this on a regular basis issues, dilemmas that, you know, newer interpreters and older interpreters navigating the world of interpreting.”

00:05:28 Paul

“But actually, what you're not doing is allowing the providers the space and the time to really explore professional supervision in depth.” So that would be one hope to sort of change that. But also to look at encouraging the trainees to think about supervision early on and to, I guess, recognize that interpreting training providers and provision is excellent generally.

00:06:03 Paul

It's a very good standard in the UK, but they can't, of course, teach you everything. [Tim: Right] You have to sometimes go outside of your course to find ways to navigate the profession and professional supervision which is independent. You know it's confidential. It's a safe space to be able to talk about those kinds of things.

00:06:22 Paul

Some people might not feel that they can talk to their course provider about that because of fear of, of you know, how they're going to be seen and things like that. [Tim: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm]

00:06:33 Paul

So, talking to a professional supervisor in that confidential space can really benefit, and of course leading to that it benefits the people that we're working with out in the field. And whenever I'm doing a supervision session…

00:06:46 Paul

…I’m always thinking about the wider network and supporting the interpreter to make those decisions about how they work for the benefit of the people that they're out working with, both interpreting colleagues, translation colleagues and the deaf and hearing people that they're interpreting for. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:07:07 Paul

So that's, that's a nice bit of research because it's, it's again, it's new.

00:07:12 Paul

And I've really enjoyed doing that. And as I've mentioned earlier, on I'm doing some research regarding occupational therapists, which is that field that I'm not particularly familiar with, but it's really interesting to see what they perceive being in a predominantly female profession to be. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:07:32 Paul

So, there, where… I'm working with a team in the US and one person in Scotland. And so, we're working on collecting the data at the moment and hopefully going to be presenting that at the, the World Association of Occupational Therapists next year 2026, [Tim chuckles: Wow] which is actually going to be in Bangkok, [Tim bursts out laughing] which is, which is great. So nice, nice and local.

00:07:59 Tim

Yeah. That's perfect.

00:08:01 Paul

Yeah.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

00:08:07 Tim

So, let's do word association.

00:08:09 Paul

OK.

00:08:09 Tim

So, I'll give you a rapid fire. Well, OK, a slow, rapid fire of phrases or words and just tell me whatever comes first to your mind.

00:08:20 Paul

Alright, pressure’s on.

00:08:21 Tim

So, the first is comfort food.

00:08:26 Paul

Definitely pasta and pizza. Bread. I love bread. Hot bread with butter. Crusty bread. Yeah. Comfort. Love that.

00:08:36 Tim

Yeah. Are you one of those who eats all the bread, if it comes out at the restaurant first and you, you finish the bowl.

00:08:41 Paul

Ohh yeah definitely. I was in a restaurant recently and I had started – I, I mean, I think I was nearly finished and I noticed that the, the waiter, the waiting staff gave all these other tables, bread baskets.

00:08:59 Paul

And we didn't have one on our table. And I, I, I don't know how many times in my head I thought I need to ask for a breadbasket, but I'd nearly finished my meal. [both laughing] So it was not needed, but it was wanted because the bread looked so good, and it was a really good Italian restaurant.

00:09:17 Paul

And I, but I, I, I managed to keep myself in check. But yeah, I would, I would eat crusty loaf of bread over a main course. [laughing] [Tim: hmm]

00:09:27 Tim

Do you bake your own bread?

00:09:29 Paul

Well, I tried. I did have a, a… I'm not very good at making it from scratch, but I had a bread maker that my dad gave me and I realized that the lid was broken. So, every loaf that I made I was so excited and would find a brick in the bottom of this bread maker. [Tim chuckling] So, I threw that one out.

00:09:50 Paul

And I've got a new one.

00:09:53 Paul

But the problem is…

00:09:55 Paul

If I… because my partner's overseas and when I'm at home in London, if I bake a new loaf of bread, [both chuckling] I would just eat the whole lot. [Tim laughing] And I think carbs, carbs at my age are not really the most advisable thing because they don't go anywhere but around the belly. So, [Tim: yeah] I, I, I pretend I'm trying to limit my bread intake, but I, I'm not really. [both laughing]

00:10:20 Tim

OK, next language.

00:10:24 Paul

Language. I love language. I was recently on (Well, actually in June last year) on an international sign training weekend and we all had to say what our superpower would be.

00:10:39 Paul

We had to describe this in international sign. [Tim: Mm-hmm] And I'm learning how to do international sign.

00:10:46 Paul

But I my, my, my one superpower, if I ever was to have it would be to know every single language in the world. [Tim: Mmm] So, that if ever I heard a language, I would know what somebody was talking about, or if somebody would speak to me, I could respond in their language. So, I'd be kind of like Language Man, maybe.

00:11:06 Paul

And I'd have a Cape with an L on the back, [Tim laughing] but thinking that might make me look like Learner, Language Learner Man. I don't know how… [both laughing] I don't know how I would be seen with a big L on my back, but I would definitely be Language Man.

00:11:25 Paul

And my friend Paul Price Jones was really upset because he wanted to be language man as well. But I got in there first. [Tim chuckling] But yeah, I, I just, I'm not, I'm not great at learning languages. I'm currently learning Spanish on Duolingo. And I have an evening class which I've had to put on pause because of the time difference here.

00:11:45 Paul

But I'm really enjoying learning Spanish. At school I wasn't very good at… any subject [laughs, Tim laughs too] but French... my GCSE in my exam I got F for French [Tim: Ooo] which I think is quite appropriate actually because it's F for French.

00:12:01 Paul

Uhm.

00:12:03 Paul

But I yeah, I, I when I was at school, I never really bothered about languages. But now I think because I'm an interpreter of sign language, I, I'm, I'm quite interested in it. So, Language Man would be my, my preferred superpower for languages... [Tim laughing]

00:12:18 Tim

Language Man. [Paul laughing: Yeah] OK, I'm going to write that down.

00:12:23 Tim

L for Language Man. Not Loser, OK.

00:12:25 Paul

[laughs] Yeah, exactly. [Tim laughs] Well, it might end up being loser, but I do it on Duolingo and I keep getting it wrong I have L for Loser. [both chuckling]

00:12:36 Tim

OK, next…character.

00:12:38 Paul

Character. I think character’s a really interesting thing because characters change. I think as a human being I've changed a lot.

00:12:51 Paul

And so, my character’s changed. Now I feel like it's a natural evolution. I think your character can and does change. Mine certainly has. And I'm,. I'm really, I'm really happy with the character that I've got now. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:13:11 Paul

I, I feel like it's starting in my early mid-50s to be the character that I am and that I want to be. [both laugh] Yeah. So, characters evolve and change and I'm happy with mine at the moment.

00:13:27 Tim

I can agree with that. [both chuckling] OK, next - pet peeve.

00:13:35 Paul

Ohh, people who dawdle when they're walking, and they stop in the middle of the pavement or sidewalk and they… just… stop. 

00:13:46 Paul

And I'm quite a practical person. [Tim starts laughing] I have, I have common sense. I don't always have intelligence.

00:13:53 Paul

But I have common sense. [Paul stifling laughter]

00:13:55 Paul

If I stop, I move to the side. I don't just, I don't just wait for people to bash into me. So, my pet peeve is people that dawdle slowly and then just suddenly stop because I'm quite a fast walker. [Tim: Mm-hmm] ‘Cause I, I, I've always got somewhere to go. Umm, yeah, it really annoys me when they dawdle. [chuckles]

00:14:16 Tim

Have you noticed that in every country that you go?

00:14:20 Paul

Well, Thai people walk very slowly. [Tim: aah] New Yorkers walk very quickly, generally.

00:14:27 Paul

Thai people generally walk quite slowly. But that's because it's so hot. [Tim chuckling] I think that they can't rush anywhere.

00:14:33 Paul

So, I’m kind of, I'm, I'm slowing down a little bit, I'm realizing I can't walk as quickly. I, I suppose I'm looking forward to getting back to cold England and then I can walk quickly again. But now I'm a little bit more tolerant. I would say of people who dawdle, but not people who stop in the middle of the street. [both laughing]

00:14:53 Paul

They still annoy me.

00:14:57 Tim

Does that transfer to interpreting?

00:15:01 Paul

Does that transfer to interp- I am more than happy for silences actually in interpreting. I'm very happy. I, and I think that that's also the case in supervision.

00:15:15 Paul

I never used to like silences because I felt like I had to keep talking or, you know, make conversation or whatever. But I'm very happy for two people, two, you know, if I'm interpreting, two people to sit and be silent and have their thoughts. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:15:33 Paul

I suppose that's because that's my role. My role is to do whatever they want me to do in that situation. But, but I, I don't find silence uncomfortable anymore.

00:15:45 Paul

And I don't find people being slow in their thought processes, uncomfortable. No, it's only when they're walking, and I end up bashing into them. [both start laughing]

00:15:57 Paul

But “thoughts” on that I'm OK with. [Both chuckling]

00:16:00 Tim

Slow thinkers, fast walkers, OK.

00:16:03 Paul

Absolutely. [laughing stops]

00:16:06 Tim

OK, next community.

00:16:09 Paul

Community is something that's really important to me, I think. I find that being, being an interpreter can be really challenging. You're in the hearing community, so sometimes you're obviously seen as the you know, dominant hearing culture and the person of advantage. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:16:38 Paul

But I'm also in a really privileged position of being in what is generally a very welcoming deaf community. I've, you know, met, met sooo many people who've really changed my life in the deaf community. And I'm very privileged and honoured to be part of that community, a very small, little part of that.

00:17:03 Paul

And, and what I find quite strange is when I meet deaf people who then know my niece. [Tim: hmm]

00:17:12 Paul

Because they, because then my niece will find out things about me when I'm working, [Tim laughing] which is a bit odd.

00:17:21 Paul

And then I, you know, cause I forget that my niece has got the same surname as me. She's not married, so she has the same surname. [Tim: Ahh] And so when people kind of say ohh, you know, if I might mention my niece and they'll say, “Oh, who's your niece?” and I'll say her name and they'll say, “Ohh I know her. I've known her for years.” And you think, “Ohh OK”, so that's always a bit, bit odd. [chuckling]

00:17:44 Paul

But being part of the, the deaf community is really very valuable.

00:17:51 Paul

Being part of the interpreting community, I've realized a lot of my friends are interpreters and I feel that I'm blessed to have them. Really. I've got a, a really lovely network of friends who are interpreters. And also I would probably say…

00:18:11 Paul

I used to put quite a lot of importance on my LGBT+ community. I don't think I put as much importance on that as I used to when I was younger and going out. But I still feel that it's an important part of me and who I am and still value that community.

00:18:33 Tim

Sure. Yeah. I think that's probably as we get older, our communities change, or priorities change as we develop, that makes sense.

00:18:43 Paul

Yeah.

00:18:44 Tim

OK, next - heartbreaking.

00:18:50 Paul

Heartbreaking. Do you know, I think the very first thing that comes to my mind is… [slightly chuckles]

00:18:59 Paul

I don't know, this is weird but getting older [Tim chuckling] and realising that, you know, life is short.

00:19:08 Paul

I, I'm, I'm at the stage where I really enjoy my life and I've not always said that. You know, sometimes early on in my life, I wasn't that happy and I didn't really enjoy life.

00:19:21 Paul

But now I don't want it to end. And I know that I'm getting older and I'm not, I'm not ancient I know that but… [Tim chuckling]

00:19:29 Paul

You know, you, you, you do see life in a different way when you get into your 50s and you think, OK, well, I've got a certain amount of time working and then hopefully I'll have a long retirement, but I don't want to retire.

00:19:43 Paul

I can't see myself retiring, but I find it quite heartbreaking that we are in this world and on this planet for such a short amount of time in relation to time. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:19:58 Paul

And that we, we put so much emphasis on stuff that isn't always important.

00:20:06 Paul

And you know, I would really love people to be enjoying their life. I speak to some people... I'm, I'm very lucky. I really enjoy my job. I'm, I'm really privileged, and I recognise that. And I talked to some people and they hate their jobs. And I think get out. Just change it. And I know that's not always easy [Tim: Mm-hmm] because you know, you may have to retrain and it costs money and time and everything else.

00:20:31 Paul

But it breaks my heart when people are not happy in their lives. [Tim: Mmm] And I, and I would love to see everyone really happy in their lives.

00:20:42 Tim

Yeah, yeah. Definitely.

[ROCK TRANSITION MUSIC STARTS]

00:20:44 Tim

You know, some things do make you happy. For me, it's coffee. So, please Buy Me A Coffee and support the podcast. Check out the links in the show notes. It's real easy. Thank you. Now let's go back.

[ROCK TRANSITION MUSIC ENDS]

00:20:59 Tim

Paul, coming from the profession, going into research, what advice would you give to interpreting researchers or students and as well, perhaps teachers of interpreting students?

00:21:15 Paul

Because I've seen my careers kind of being a bit multifaceted, I think when it comes to advice of interpreting research, so practice searchers is to just go for it and have the confidence, be curious. So, I, you know, I never thought that I would be able to have the career that I'm doing. I never thought that I would do research.

00:21:44 Paul

Based on my less than positive school reports, who could have really influenced, you know, it could have really influenced now.

00:21:54 Paul

But I, I was curious, and I was interested, and I just took the leap.

00:22:00 Paul

And what I think is really interesting is research doesn't have to be groundbreaking and change the world, but any research that is done absolutely has impact. It, you know, and how one measures that impact is, is quite different.

00:22:19 Paul

But the smallest piece of research can have big impact.

00:22:23 Paul

Particularly in our profession where research is quite new, we're, you know, we're a young profession, sign language interpreting the research that's done within the profession is fairly new. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:22:34 Paul

And so, I would say if you, if there's something that you're asking, why?

00:22:40 Paul

Then do it just, you know, learn how to research, you know, do it appropriately, but be curious and be open to that. And I think when it comes to interpreting…

00:22:51 Paul

When I think about newer interpreters I would say, “Take it easy. You don't have to take over the world in the first few months of your career” [Tim chuckling] which, which would be tempting. “You're not the only interpreter in the world. It is safe to say no, sometimes. It's healthy to say no sometimes. And it's advisable to say no sometimes. [Tim chuckles] And so yeah, take it easy.”

00:23:23 Tim

Yeah.

00:23:24 Paul

Because there'll be longevity, then. And then you'll, you know, you won't, you know, induce burnout too quickly. You'll have a longer, happier, more fruitful career, and then happier people that you're interpreting for because you're more able to do the job, I think.

00:23:41 Tim

Yeah. So how has your research influenced your interpreting?

00:23:46 Paul

It's made me a lot more mindful when I'm walking into a room. If, particularly when I'm currently operating with a female interpreter. I used to be the one who would put on the, you know “suit of” Ohh, this is Paul the interpreter. Here's the professional. He has to be the one to lead the conversation. Etcetera.

00:24:09 Paul

I now, definitely don't do that. You know, I'm very much more mindful of how I'm perceived as a man, umm, walking into a room. And I'm much more mindful of how people are treating my colleagues. Definitely. [Tim: Mm-hmm] You know, when people are only looking at me, I, I notice that now, which I never used to notice before doing this kind of research.

00:24:38 Paul

And so, I'm much more mindful of, of how I present and how I conduct myself in a room when I'm interpreting. Definitely. And that's, I would say, as a direct result of the research. [Tim: Mmm]

00:24:54 Tim

And that in and of itself is a good result for the research you've changed one person.

00:25:00 Paul

Absolutely. And I think, I think what I would hope that the research would promote is more male interpreters being aware of their positionality when they are working and that you know the temptation to be the one who is, let's say, the team leader, for example, is put to the side a little bit. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:25:26 Paul

And collaborative working is encouraged and recognizing that automatically people are going to, you know, a- afford us that status because that's unfortunately how many people in society work. I mean, often I've seen publications that talk about, you know, who's going to be interpreting a particular event, very often my name comes first before the female interpreter.

00:25:56 Paul

And that makes me uncomfortable now, which I wouldn't have noticed that before.

00:26:02 Paul

But that does make me uncomfortable, and I will sometimes suggest people change that [chuckles] depending on, you know who and what and how. But yeah, I'd like to, you know, not always be the first name on the, on the list, as it were.

00:26:18 Tim

Yeah, it's very similar to working with a deaf colleague interpreting together, making sure that they are able to take the lead rather than me [Paul: Yeah] in a situation just in meeting the clients. [Paul: Yeah] Being mindful of that.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

00:26:37 Tim

So, along the way in your journey, who or what has influenced you the most that you hold dear to your heart?

00:26:46 Paul

I was thinking about this, I think, when it comes to research, I think there's a couple of people, certainly Judith Collins, who was at Durham.

00:27:00 Paul

She really pushed me to…

00:27:04 Paul

Well, first of all, she really encouraged me and pushed me through my postgraduate diploma. And when I was then looking for a Master’s degree, I spoke to a number of people. And a lot of it was taught masters, which I remember Graham Turner said to me, “There's no point you doing a taught Master’s. You've done two postgraduate diplomas. You need to do a research master’s.” And I have no idea what a research master’s was at that point.

00:27:34 Paul

So, I contacted a few universities and within that was Durham because I've been there before, and Judith encouraged me to come up and do my master’s research there. And even before I'd finished my master’s research, she said let's get you signed up for a PhD.

00:27:49 Paul

You know, a bit like interpreting. I fell into doing a PhD. [both laughing] I had no intention of doing it, but… So, I, I always, always hold her very dear. She's no longer with us.

00:28:03 Paul

In fact, just as I submitted my master’s a couple of weeks later, she passed away. So, I'm really pleased that she knew I submitted my master’s. And I'm sure that she knows that I've finished my research to PhD level. I’m sure she does.

00:28:23 Paul

And so, her.

00:28:24 Paul

And also, as I think as a role model, it would have to be for research and interpreting Jemina Napier. I've always, I've always really looked up to her. I think her philosophy of interpreting research is just fantastic.

00:28:42

She's, she's very supportive. She's very…

00:28:48 Paul

She's obviously very involved in, in research, but, but the way that she's diversified her research is, is really inspiring to somebody who's very new to research, to know that, you know, yes, you do a PhD in this area, but actually you can research other areas which you know is evident in the work that I'm doing with occupational therapists.

00:29:08 Paul

But I've always…

00:29:12 Paul

I've always thought about the way she gets across her research, is very accessible. And, and you know you, to be an academic you don't have to sit in an ivory tower, and, you know, publish papers with long words. The most important thing is to make sure that that research is accessible and gets out there. [Tim: Mm-hmm]

00:29:36 Paul

And so I would, yeah, I, I'm very respectful of her.

00:29:42 Paul

And I think for interpreting early on in my career, it would have to be Zane Hema [Tim: Mm-hmm] who was working in London at the time that I was just starting out as an interpreter, was so supportive, very, very encouraging of…

00:29:59 Paul

You know, new interpreters that were emerging at that time, me certainly. And he was the person who got me to go to my first efsli in Talinn in 2009. I think it was.

00:30:13 Paul

And at that time, I was registered as a junior trainee interpreter, so I wasn’... I wasn’t qualified at that point and I went with my friends Phoebe and Paul. And so without, without his encouragement to go to efsli, I wouldn't have met the wonderful interpreters that I've met across the world through efsli and WASLI as well. [Tim: Yeah] Wouldn't have met you because I met you at efsli. [Tim: exactly]

00:30:39 Paul

So, so, yeah. Zane is definitely a person that I will always be grateful to the support that he gave me at, you know, earlier on in my career, definitely. But there's been so many people.

00:30:52 Paul

It’s you know, I don't want this to turn into uh, an Oscar speech, but, [both laugh] but seriously, I, I wouldn't be able to name all of the people who've had such a positive influence on my career and where I'm at today. So yeah, I would definitely thank each and every one of them from the bottom of my heart.

00:31:12 Paul

But I won't cry like Halle Berry. Didn't she cry? [both laughing]

00:31:18 Paul

But there's been a lot of people, yeah.

00:31:20 Tim

Well, Paul, thank you so much for this conversation. It's been enlightening. It's been enjoyable and humorous at the same time.

00:31:29 Tim

Thank you.

00:31:30 Paul

Thank you so much for inviting me. It's been, yeah, a real pleasure. And, and I, I love your podcast. So, keep going. It's brilliant.

00:31:39 Tim

Thank you.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

[ROCK EXIT MUSIC STARTS]

00:31:45 Tim

I'd like to thank my mother. No, wait. I would like to thank Paul Michaels again for this wonderful four-part interview. Today we had a little bit of humor and got to know a little bit more of the real Paul, but let's talk about some of the important points that he brought out for us.

00:32:04 Tim

One, supervision or mentoring or coaching, whatever you call it, it is important at different stages in our career to have the different roles that someone can be for us to advise us, to nurture us, to help us develop into a better interpreter. And that goes along with his thoughts on character and community.

00:32:27 Tim

And how as a person, a sign language interpreter changes overtime. We meet new people; we learn new things. We develop our skills. We develop professionally and as a person, and that gets us involved in new communities and all of that helps shape who we are, our character.

00:32:50 Tim

Some good insight from Paul connected to that he was true when he said just do what makes you happy. Life is too short. Check out the priorities in your life. Work on that. I think we all can take that advice.

00:33:06 Tim

Remember, as sign language interpreters as we are developing, as we're learning to become who we strive to be, we need to take it slow, sometimes. Think about it, be deliberate in our actions and our thoughts, and that can help us with quick burnout.

00:33:24 Tim

But it also helps us think of the things that Paul mentioned in his research. Realizing the power dynamics within our teams and within the participants in each of the situations where we work. And lastly, in the words of Language Man, be a slow thinker, but walk fast.

00:33:46 Tim

Until next week, keep calm. Keep interpreting those slow thinkers. I'll see you next week. Take care now.

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