IW 197: InterpreTips-10: Write is Right-Cognitively

Write it down or you'll forget it!

Here's a tip to enhance your learning. A way to enrich our professional development directly.

It's research-based concepts that "feel" right. Do this and see the improvement. It's an old-school thought with modern applications. Who knew?!

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Transcript

IW 197: InterpreTips-10: Write is Right-Cognitively

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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.

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00:00:34 Tim [ONLY TIM SPEAKS IN THIS EPISODE]

And now, InterpreTips, 10 minutes or less.

00:00:38

Let's talk about learning.

00:00:40

We talk a lot about professional development.

00:00:43

We should all continue to learn.

00:00:46

And we do, whether we know it or not.

00:00:48

But sometimes we do it better than other times, especially as we become more experienced in the work,

00:00:56

We get to that point in our careers where we think, yes, I've been to this conference, I've been to this workshop, and it's similar to what I've heard before.

00:01:09

It's similar to what I talked about before.

00:01:12

I've experienced these things already.

00:01:15

I know them.

00:01:16

Why am I still going?

00:01:18

Because I need to continue my professional development, right?

00:01:23

And sometimes it's hard to find those nuggets of information or those nuggets of learning moments.

00:01:30

So that's what we're going to talk about today.

00:01:32

Couple of tips, sorry, one tip with many sub tips inside it.

00:01:39

So, let's get started.

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00:01:44

So, the simple answer, the simple tip is to write things down.

00:01:50

That's it.

00:01:51

Research shows that writing down information when we're notetaking, during a lecture, during a workshop, whenever we're studying, when we're reading something, and then we take notes about it.

00:02:04

Many times, we don't have the time to write everything down.

00:02:08

It's physically impossible to write every single word that quickly.

00:02:13

When we type, such as through dictation, when we're hearing someone give out information, say in a workshop, especially for those of us who are sign language interpreters doing continuing professional development, we go to a workshop, whether it's online or live, we might have our computer with us.

00:02:32

We might sit there and type our notes.

00:02:35

It feels easy, it feels convenient to have our notes right next to the lecturer and we can keep our eye to the PowerPoint.

00:02:45

But the studies show, the research shows, that when we're typing, we use less areas of our brain, less activity.

00:02:55

In other words, we are not processing the information in the same way we do when we're writing it.

00:03:02

Handwriting notes means that we're taking the information in.

00:03:07

We don't have enough time to write it all down, word for word, so we have to analyze the information, pick out the points, the main points, or the relevant points for us, and summarize, do bullet points, understand the connections between two different points, understand how these connect to what we already know, therefore reaching back in our memory, our recall of other connections.

00:03:36

So, we're using and processing the information differently when we are taking notes including the fact that we have to use our fine motor skills, which uses – activates other parts of our brain to be able to make even more memory connections associated with that activity.

00:03:55

So that's my suggestion.

00:03:57

That's my tip.

00:03:58

The research shows that students learn better when they write things down.

00:04:03

When you're studying, you take notes, you summarize the information, you find the main points, you find the main goal, you connect different themes of what's happening, and you connect it to what you already know, your knowledge of this subject.

00:04:20

And sometimes even connect it to things that would not be obviously connected to it, applying something outside our field to our field.

00:04:31

Normally for sign language interpreters, we don't take notes when we're interpreting.

00:04:36

We don't have the time or even the physical capacity to take a note while we're signing or while we're watching a lecture or a speaker and we're interpreting into spoken language.

00:04:49

We don't have the time nor capacity to take a pencil and write down on paper.

00:04:55

So how do we use it for our work as signed language interpreters?

00:05:00

I have a few tips, so sub tips for this one tip.

00:05:05

First of all, let me preface this by saying, remember that this is not just a job.

00:05:11

It is our practice, which means it's our ongoing job to become better and better at what we do, our services.

00:05:21

Not just going to workshops, not just reading new literature, but personally we can help ourselves by...

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00:05:31

Speaking of workshops, do you know that the IWC has on-demand workshops recorded and ready for you to enhance your CPD or your CEUs?

00:05:41

That's right, it's all approved, all with certificates.

00:05:44

Just become a free member of the IWC to have access to all these workshops.

00:05:50

Click on the link in the show notes.

00:05:51

Now let's go back.

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00:05:56

We can help ourselves by writing down what it is we want to work on, what it is we need to remember about our services, our interpretations, our work, the process that we go through.

00:06:11

Write down, today I'm going to work on this.

00:06:15

Today I want to enhance my reception skills, or I want to finish the thought, finish the sentence.

00:06:26

Writing those down helps us focus for the day or for that one interpreting gig.

00:06:33

Write it down.

00:06:34

Then, after you're done working, go back to that.

00:06:38

Now write a reflection.

00:06:40

Reflect on your work.

00:06:41

Analyze your interpretation.

00:06:44

Did I accomplish this goal?

00:06:46

How did I accomplish it?

00:06:48

When did I accomplish it?

00:06:50

In other words, write down the examples.

00:06:53

Talk about how that felt.

00:06:55

What can you do better?

00:06:57

What shouldn't you have done or what should you have done?

00:07:00

What were the influences on this work that affected your written goal?

00:07:06

Writing those things down helps us process it, think through it, focus on those things.

00:07:14

Taking this a step further, writing things down whenever you go to a workshop that is a normal workshop where you might have a few activities, maybe a breakout room.

00:07:26

In those moments, make sure you have a pencil and paper.

00:07:29

Every time we go to a convention, we seem to get a bag full of these things, and they usually have paper and a pen.

00:07:37

Use it.

00:07:38

Use it right then.

00:07:40

Use it, use it, use it.

00:07:42

During each of those workshops, write down the title of the workshop, who gave it, where they're from, anything that you think is relevant to this topic that is giving their perspective.

00:07:54

Okay, this person is from this country, therefore they have this opinion perhaps, or this is their view because of the system they have.

00:08:02

Anything you need to have process the information.

00:08:06

Write down what you think the goal of this workshop is and then correct it afterwards.

00:08:11

Write down the bullet points of the main points that they have given you and everything that you think it connects to.

00:08:19

Processing that information, writing it down.

00:08:23

I would also suggest when you get to the hotel room, go through that list briefly.

00:08:29

Say, okay, was that what they really were talking about?

00:08:32

Did I get that right?

00:08:33

So, then these points, yes.

00:08:35

Is there anything I missed?

00:08:36

Okay, good.

00:08:37

And this connects to that.

00:08:38

Write those things down.

00:08:40

Go through each of those workshops and then be done.

00:08:43

Allow yourself to rest and process it subconsciously now.

00:08:47

Do the same thing the next day of the conference.

00:08:50

That will help you with memory recall, connections, and give you some questions to maybe ask in your networking.

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00:09:04

So that's my tip.

00:09:05

Write things down.

00:09:06

Some people might say that's old school.

00:09:09

I would say it's just school.

00:09:12

Do it.

00:09:13

Enjoy it the next time you have a gig and a workshop.

00:09:18 

Until next time, keep calm, keep interpreting write.

00:09:24

I'll see you next week.

00:09:26

Take care now.

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