SOME OF THE COURSES AVAILABLE
“Working Effectively with Interpreters”
Delivered to Social Workers, (Warwick Social Services etc), nursing staff and AHPs (via Liverpool University Language learning Centre, Liverpool Medical Institution/ Manchester Dental Education Centre (MANDEC)). This course is easily customised for doctors, lawyers, police officers etc., etc
Headline content:
- Basic applied linguistics: problems arising from use of language, visual and other cues, closed codes, embedded messages and verbal courtesy behaviours.
- Basic cross-cultural awareness: including alienation, gender, age, kinship labels, educational background, psychological trauma (asylum seekers), unspoken social rules, religion and intimate matters like food, jokes, child care, modesty………… and so on.
- Ethics for interpreters. What? Why? - And how does eroding our professional role impact on integrity and quality?
- Walk a Mile in My Shoes (200 yards will do). Shadowing, immersion and mirroring exercises.
- Techniques – translation vs interpreting, consecutive vs simultaneous – pro’s and cons. How to deliver your message so I can relay it intact. Note taking.
- Hands on experience. Two interpreters, one being the client, some pre-determined role-play scenarios (usually supplied by the client for realism) and everybody gets a go, but there’s no coercion.
“Communication skills for”….. (doctors from overseas, refugee doctors, doctors in A&E, nurses everywhere, and so on)
Delivered at hospitals in Mersey and Manchester Deanery areas, PCTs in Liverpool, etc.
- Applied linguistics as above, but with emphasis also on varietal differences, accent and dialect, diction and presentation skills.
- Actors work alongside throughout (by which I mean trained professionals) to illustrate, and to help lead the workshop.
- Workshop is based on the work of Augusto Boal, and uses adapted forum theatre techniques for dynamic experiential learning.
Assorted presentations and talks about PSI work to university departments and Grand Rounds including:
- Mersey Deanery Area.
- University of Alcalá de Henares, Madrid.
- Liverpool John Moores University NRPSI Conference.
- Warwick University of Salford (European Year of Languages Conference for the then LNTO, now the National Centre for Languages) IND and IAA in Liverpool.
- Leeds and Birmingham Critical Link Conference on public service interpreting, Stockholm.
“Welcome to work in the UK” – for the receiving institution’s staff.
A course about what it feels like to be the incomer, and how the indigenous population can be actively positive and helpful in the settling in process.
“Awareness of others and Ourselves”
A cultural awareness course for PALs and other front line staff, Meeters and Greeters. The course covers aspects of communication such as language, gesture, body language. The group discusses what culture actually is, and encourages participants to make comparisons between observed behaviours in others and their own cultural beliefs and attitudes. Topics include naming systems, courtesy behaviours, social taboo and others.
“Forum for PCTs”
Would work equally well for other professional groups such as Social Services, Housing departments etc. The course is in 3 stages, totalling at least 6 days work. It uses theatre as a means of discovery, discussion and problem solving for communities and local service providers.
“Training the Trainers”
One day workshop developed to give orientation in the use of Interactive Theatre as a training tool. Originally aimed at doctors offering communication skills training. Could be adapted for any other group.