Piecing Together Interpreting
How to look at interpreting work through the
demand-control schema (DC-S)
Introduction to Demands & Controls
Any job can be divided up into
demands (what the job requires of the
employee) and controls (what the
worker brings to bear in response to
job demands).
Demands are about the job
 Controls are about the worker

This understanding of work
components and definitions of
demands and controls was originally
defined by Robert Karasek (1979) for
his research on occupational health
Definitions of Demands

Requirements of the job

Factors that impact worker

Work challenges faced by employee

Demands are not necessarily
demanding, just factors that impact
work
Dean & Pollard’s Demand Categories

Environmental
That which is specific to the setting (i.e., goal,
professional roles, terminology, physical
surroundings)

Interpersonal
That which is specific to the interaction of the
consumers and interpreter (i.e., culture, FOI, goals)

Paralinguistic
That which is specific to the expressive skills of the
deaf/hearing consumers (i.e., style, pace, volume)

Intrapersonal
That which is specific to the interpreter (i.e.,
thoughts, feelings, physical reactions)
Environmental Demands



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Goal or purpose of setting
Terminology associated with this setting
Personnel or clientele in this setting
Physical surroundings of the setting
 Room
temperature
 Chemicals and odors
 Seating arrangements/sight lines
 Lighting quality
 Visual distractions
 Background noise
 Space (people, furniture, equipment)
Interpersonal Demands

Dynamics that exist between all parties
including the interpreter, such as:
 Power & authority dynamics
 Communication style and goals
 Emotional tone or mood
 Role and cultural differences
 Communication flow (e.g., turn taking)
 Relationship nuances (new, familiar,
intimate)
 “Thought worlds” of hearing & deaf people
Quote about Thought Worlds
“Interpreting…is not merely
transposing from one language
to another. It is, rather,
throwing a semantic bridge
between two different cultures,
two different thought worlds.”
--Claude Namy (1977)
Paralinguistic Demands:
Idiosyncrasies of speaking
 Volume
 Pace
 Accents
 Clarity of speech
 Physical position
 Physical limitations

Intrapersonal Demands



Feelings or ruminations one may have about:
 one’s safety
 one’s interpreting performance
 liability
 the people and the dynamics
 the environment
physiological distractions
psychological responses or distractions
Definitions of Controls


Decision latitude afforded to the worker
Response to job demands



Better understood as noun and not verb (to control, to
be in control, feel out of control are not accurate
applications of control)
Controls are about the employee
Controls in interpreting must also include
characteristics of interpreter (gender, age,
ethnicity, etc.) because interpreting is a practice
profession & about human interaction
Dean & Pollard’s Control Categories

Pre-assignment controls: controls that exist
or are employed before for the formal
assignment.

Assignment controls: controls that are
employed during the interpreting assignment.

Post-assignment controls: controls that are
employed after the assignment is over.
Pre-assignment Controls





Physical, cognitive, and psychological attributes
 Gender, age, ethnicity, etc.
Interpreting education: Direct and Indirect
Credentials: Certification or QA
Experience: Work-related and personal
Direct preparation for the assignment
 Clothing
 Contacts (team, hearing & deaf consumers)
 Readings, prep materials, Internet
Assignment Controls
Identifying demands
 Positive Self-talk
 Direct interventions
 Interpretations/Translations
 Prior Relationships
 Code of Ethics/Code of Professional Conduct
 Role metaphors (machine, window,
telephone line, Bi-Bi, Ally)

Post-assignment Controls

Supervision



Debriefing/venting


With support system
Follow up

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
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Formal (with supervisor)
Informal (with colleagues)
With people involved
With further education
With referring party
Self-care
Theoretical Construct of DC-S
Karasek’s
concepts:
Demands
Dean & Pollard’s
application
Environmental
Interpersonal
Paralinguistic
Intrapersonal
Controls
Pre, During, & Post
Example of DC-S Analysis
First Grade Classroom at Reading Time

The teacher in a first grade class has called
her students over to the carpet for story
time. The story is about penguins and their
adventures as a performing group. The
students are seated on the carpet and
listening to the continuing story of the
penguins. There is an interpreter seated next
to the teacher and a deaf student seated on
the carpet in the middle facing both teacher
and interpreter.
Environmental Demands

Goal: Education


Personnel/Clientele:




Entertainment
20 first graders: Most Caucasian, some African-American
Teacher: Hispanic female, mid-30’s
Physical Surroundings: students seated on “reading
carpet”, crowded, teacher in front on rocking chair,
visually busy walls, door to the hallway is open, gerbil
cage with running wheel
Terminology: associated with penguins, performance,
specific character names, vocabulary and grammar
instruction
Interpersonal Demands






Teacher uses facial expressions and gestures for
correcting children
A student complains she can’t see the picture
Teacher asks students to predict what might
happen
The story is visually interesting and students are
fascinated watching the interpreter
Student calls out “How do you sign penguin?”
Another student is sneaking candy from his
pockets and distributing it to some; others ask
but he refuses; teacher is not aware
Paralinguistic Demands
“Read” material
 Teacher has a Hispanic accent
 She reads slowly and pauses for emphasis
 Deaf kid signs with one hand (other hand
is propping himself up) using his voice
 Kid’s are whispering to each other about
the candy
 Intermittent noise from the hallway makes
the story hard to hear

Demands
Intrapersonal Demands
In order to get a good idea of
intrapersonal demands for this
scenario, you will have to place yourself
as an interpreter in this scenario.
Imagine yourself in this job. What
intrapersonal demands would you be
facing?
 Share your intrapersonal demands with
your classmates; note the differences
for a later discussion about the
interaction of demands and controls!

Pre-assignment Controls

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Read the chapter ahead of time
Find a comfortable place to sit
Make sure I am placed close enough to the
teacher and the book
Mentally prepare myself for a lot of
distracting sights and sounds
Ask teacher if some signs from the story
could be taught to the class (via deaf student
and/or interpreter) so to avoid too many
interruptions during story and to encourage
interest in their classmate’s language
Assignment Controls




Use good visual ASL (use of space and facial
expressions) to show the comedic and active
nature of the story
Make teacher’s subtle correction of behavior
more overt by “signing” the inferred meaning
Make eye contact with the boy passing out
candy and give the “I see you” facial
expression
Make eye contact with students who are
watching the ASL with interest and smile
with encouragement
Assignment Controls
When the deaf student signs with one
hand use consecutive interpreting to
figure it out, if still unclear ask for
clarification, highlighting the disclarity
or ask student to use both hands
 Pause with teacher to show similar
emphasis techniques in ASL
 Use sign vocabulary taught to class
deliberately for those paying attention

Post-Assignment Controls




Briefly highlight any plot changes or developments in the
story with deaf student to ensure clarity of translation
Encourage students’ new vocabulary and encourage
interaction with deaf student after story (redirecting
attention back to their classmate)
Thank teacher for taking time out at the beginning of the
story to respond to students’ curiosity
Consider whether the “candy” disruption should be
reported to the teacher and ask for guidance on future
behavior issues ( i.e., how she would like me to deal with
them -- ignore or report).
Piecing Together Any Assignment

Any interpreting assignment will have
EIPI demands for interpreters. If you
can piece together EIPI demands either
before the assignment (and be ready
for them by employing pre-assignment
controls) or when you walk into any
job, you will be able to respond to
these demands more effectively which
is good for you and your consumers.