During the multipart Etna Project 2023 Season, weekend sessions consider the social climate and systemic constraints that impact our work, attitudes, and biases.

This learning environment is intentionally designed to invite the participation of professional interpreters from all backgrounds, including from racialized and marginalized communities, namely those who are People of Color and/or members of the Deaf Community. Time will be devoted to understanding the systems of oppression that exist within the interpreting field, and how we can respond to the causes and impacts of Power, Privilege, and Oppression in Society.

Throughout the series, we will explore a variety of topics that pertain to the interpreting field, all through a Vygotskyan, learner-centered pedagogical approach, in a dialogic environment, with the Integrated Model of Interpreting (IMI) as a conceptual framework for understanding interpreting. While there is an identified presenter, participants will contribute to the learning with their perspectives and content, and will take turns leading activities depending upon their personal areas of interest.

Topics and activities are likely to include, but will not be limited to, the cognitive processes of interpreting, and the exploration of these processes, and associated skills; message analysis using the CRP analytical tool; interpreting practice and reflection, individually and in small and large groups; the system of interpreter education; effective and meaningful credentialing; post-credentialing professional development; effective mentoring; effective design of educational opportunities for/with colleagues; the creation of meaningful products to convey particular messages, considering message, modality/medium, audience, timing, and other factors; intentionality of inclusion of people from racialized and marginalized communities in every aspect of interpreting work; the value of Deaf, Coda, and hearing perspectives in interpreting communities; the value of heritage signers in interpreting communities; bias and prejudice; teaming with various colleagues; teaming in post-pandemic world; effective leadership; the impact of attitudes and beliefs about disability in society; the impact of implicit paradigms of thinking (the medical model of deafness, vs a cultural model of Deafhood; the “hearing aid” model of interpreting that visualizes the spoken word, vs meaning-based interpretation; etc.); the effect of society writ large on the work of interpretation; collaboration and relationship-building; different perspectives on ways of being and what it means to be human; among others.