16 Apr Peer Observation and the Interpreter

Peer Observation and the Interpreter

By: Jordan Fox

Guest Post

I have at times been frustrated with myself and my performance when working with a colleague on a case and being overcome by nervousness that ultimately affects my performance in such a way that I’m afraid that the other interpreter will be left with an erroneous impression of my knowledge and skills.  On the other hand, I often observe colleagues who could do with some advice or even corrections and I later regret not having helped my colleague avoid an error that could go uncorrected for the rest of their professional careers.  Sometimes, we might feel obliged to “walk on eggshells” around certain colleagues to avoid an uncomfortable situation. What’s more, from a non-interpreter’s point of view, we might only be as good as our last interpretation. As we battle this discomfort and anxiety, we should remember that it is not in our interest to shrink from these obvious avenues to self-improvement by surrounding ourselves with a useless moat of hypersensitivity.

As interpreters, we are judged for a performance that may reflect or belie our experience and knowledge in varying degrees.  Any number of factors that are not necessarily a reflection of our knowledge or skills such as the witness’s accent, an unfamiliar environment, or the acoustics of the courtroom may affect our interpretation.  Our own personal lives may also play a part. For example, our sleep may have been disrupted the night before, we might be concerned about a close family member, we might not be feeling well, or we simply did not have time to drink our morning coffee.  What’s more, we may go through periods in our professional lifetime where we have more time and a greater desire to further our knowledge, improve our skills, or simply rest on our laurels. Both the observer and “observee” should be aware of these factors and not rush to judgment regarding one’s skills or knowledge.  We should consider this observation an opportunity to improve or even reignite our interest in engaging in research, something we might not have done since taking classes years ago.

An interpreter engaged in efficient notetaking, accompanied by a warm cup of coffee

If an interpreter chooses to be observed, I propose that he have the option of choosing who is going to be his observer.  When we work in the same courthouse day after day, we might perceive different strengths and weaknesses among our colleagues and different proceedings might require different knowledge or skills.  Some interpreters might excel in a proceeding replete with complex legal arguments because their stronger language is not English, or most of their formal education was in another country or simply because they excel at non-English simultaneous interpretation.  If observation is mandatory, interpreters should be able to choose the colleague or colleagues who will observe them even if they’ve mutually agreed to present an excessively positive report in advance.  The point is for the interpreter to grow accustomed to being observed and, eventually, to receiving some constructive criticism. Allowing interpreters the freedom to select the observer may be a more productive choice than observation by a supervisor who might be too busy with administrative duties or have less experience/knowledge than the subordinate he or she is observing. Additionally, if interpreters have the option of being observed by more than one person, this approach may yield a more balanced assessment.

Interpreters may also want to avail themselves of the option to observe their colleagues.  Obviously, permission should be asked beforehand. If you feel you might have some helpful observations to offer the person observed, you might want to ask the other interpreter if she would like your input.  She might not.

Effective communication and collaboration are key to successful teamwork

I propose that the observing interpreter review the “Rules for Peer Observation” each time before engaging in this exercise.  The observing interpreter should write down any passage that she finds erroneous or long-winded or just strange and, if possible, provide an alternative.  Once the observation has concluded, the observed interpreter should have the option to submit it to his/her supervisor or not. As stated, the idea is to get used to being observed and ultimately, critiqued. Ideally, any interpreters who choose to abuse or bypass this process will ultimately conclude that they are simply undermining and hindering their own professional development by avoiding this opportunity for improvement.

Finally, it might be in the observee’s interest to choose an observer with whom the former does not have an amicable relationship.  Daniel Kahneman in his book, Thinking Fast and Slow, found that colleagues who liked each other also formed favorable perceptions of each other’s work performance.  A more courageous interpreter might choose a colleague who does not inspire great affection or maintains a certain distance to provide a more genuine assessment.

In a legal environment where any proceeding may extend beyond expectations, an interpreters office might habitually hire more interpreters than what would appear to be initially necessary in order to always have interpreters available.  I’m sure many of us have found ourselves with nothing to do, especially later in the afternoon. This assessment would be a constructive way to spend these idle hours.  Indeed, prosecutors and defense attorneys come and observe their colleagues at hearings and trials. If we compare our rather performance-based profession to other similar ones, we’ll see that the actor has his fellow actors, director and audience to provide feedback. A professional athlete has other players, his coach and a stadium full of observers to guide him. A musician also has an audience yet we interpreters go it alone…to our detriment.  Let’s make peer observations part of our job duties and work together to improve ourselves and others.

See Suggested Guidelines_Peer Observation, and let us know what you think

and if there is anything you would change? 

Keep the Conversation Going

If this topic resonated with you, be sure to check out our previous blog posts for more insights on the realities of our profession, and the evolving world of judiciary translation and interpreting: