Lucy Horton

Portfolio Week 3
Macmillan Cancer Support BSL to English Analysis
Comprehension
Some signs were initially quite difficult to understand, particularly as the
Deaf person uses quite a large signing space. For example, after watching
the video again after my interpretation, I recognised mistakes within some
chunks. I interpreted that there was also no interpreter booked for the
second visit to the doctors, when the person had signed that the
interpreter did not show up. At times, I found the signing could have an
ambiguous meaning. For example, the sign where she points at her
tongue, I was unsure whether the intended meaning was that she had no
appetite or whether she could not taste. As I was unsure, I decided to
omit this part. Another example was the sign HEARTBURN, which could
possibly be considered one of the more specific and difficult signs to
understand mentioned within the section discussing effects of the
treatment. However, due to covering the topic of health within semester
1, I was able recognise the sign and include this information.
Furthermore, my discourse map aided in my comprehension of the source
text. Before watching the video, I listed possible things that would be
included within the video relating to the topic of cancer, such as common
aspects associated with the topic like chemotherapy and hair falling out.
When watching the video, I was unsure of a sign which first appeared to
be DIZZY. However, due to this planning beforehand and focusing on the
mouth pattern, I was able to link them and realise the signer was
explaining that her hair had fallen out.
Production
The register is formal yet relaxed due to the serious topic of cancer, and
the context of it being an interview-like set up with the signer describing
their personal experience in their home. This context is shown through
my quite simplistic language choices, as it is an average person explaining
their experience, rather than an expert who would use more advanced
language. This also makes it accessible to a larger audience so that many
can gain information from someone who has first-hand knowledge, as that
appears to be the purpose of the interview. There are some specific lexis
choices, such as mammogram, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I
chose to keep these words as they are common terms used linked with
cancer so are appropriate and not too complex.
Overall, the interpretation is grammatically accurate, with complete
sentences and continuous use of first person tense throughout. However,
there are minor grammatical errors which did not match the source text
well. For example, I had my hair falling out, which should have been my

Lucy Horton

hair fell out. This is most likely due to originally being unsure what the
sign had meant, and once I realised the meaning, it caused me to lose
focus on the grammar I was using when producing the English equivalent.
Therefore, I remained close to the BSL by using the word falling, which is
present tense. In future videos, I will aim to remain calm and take more
care when wording my interpretations, particularly if the source text
initially is off-putting.
Besides these small errors, the interpretation adapts the BSL topic
comment grammar into the English equivalent well, often by rearranging
and compressing the information. For example, when the signer talks
about the second time she visited the doctors, she describes that she
waited two hours for an interpreter, and when they did not arrive the
nurse came to write down the information otherwise it would be delayed.
However, this detail is not typical in English culture, therefore I chose to
compress this. The interpretation also changes aspects of the BSL to fit
the context and English grammar, such as rhetorical questions like WHATFOR? RESULTS to to get the results.
The interpretation overall flows well, with minimal long or awkward pauses
throughout. To ensure this fluency and that the interpretation makes
sense, cohesion markers are present, for example transitions such as
and, then and so. However, a possible error is the repetition of the
transitional phrase and then, which is quite conversational and similar to
how someone would tell a story to their friend. To improve this, I will
expand my knowledge about transitions, researching and noting down
possible ones to use for future interpretations depending on the situation.
The interpretation process is managed quite effectively, taking a moment
to consider the output and then producing full sentences without
hesitancy in most of the chunks. However, there is a noticeable difference
within the interpreted chunks nearer the end of the video, with there
being more errors which are most likely caused by fatigue. There are
pauses with filler words such as um and uh, and false starts such as
that had people that was a support group for Deaf people. This is
because I begin to struggle to process the information given, and how to
compress and produce the English equivalent. Therefore, more
processing time should have been taken so that this section was more
fluent. In future, I will allow myself a longer processing time if I start to
struggle, so that the number of fillers and false starts are reduced. I will
also repeat the sentence from the beginning if there are false starts used,
so that the repair is clear and information can be understood fully.
Furthermore, the last chunk includes a lot of the information listed by the
signer, seeming to be more fixated on the source text compared to the
rest of the chunks. There was an attempt to compress this, blending
different aspects such as WORK and FAMILY into one spoken point.
However, it is still quite a long list, which could have been compressed
further to give the overall intended message that her life has improved.

Lucy Horton

To ensure I remain focused and efficient at processing the information, I

will try and drink water and eat an energy bar before the interpretation so
that I am more alert. I also believe this is something to adjust to when
becoming an interpreter, so hopefully with time and practice I will
improve.

Delivery
Breathing is controlled throughout the interpretation, with no distracting
audible inhalations or exhalations. Breath is also taken at appropriate
times, usually at the beginning of an interpreted chunk and during
intended pauses. Most of the pauses included within the video are used
appropriately, separating chunks of information efficiently to make it more
manageable for the audience. Pauses are also used for emphasis or to
show emotion, such as when describing how the signer was handed the
piece of paper, informing her that she had breast cancer. The
inappropriate pauses appear near the end of the interpretation, when
processing time is not used well and there is hesitancy when speaking,
which interrupts the flow of the speech.
The signers pace appears to be quite broken up, but I chose to produce a
measured pace, maintaining an even speed to ensure it is more fluent
while separating information well, as this is more culturally acceptable
within English. Overall the pitch is very steady due to the serious topic,
which is an intentional decision. However, this also makes the
interpretation less successful as it becomes monotonous and quite dull.
The pitch varies very slightly, such as rising when mentioning new
information and trying to convey the signers happier tone when
discussing how her life has changed positively within the last chunk. Yet
this change is not very noticeable and therefore the pitch is a weak area
within the interpretation. This is something I could improve on by
researching public speaking in various settings, noting down how it
changes depending on the topic and audience.
Words are produced accurately, articulating consonants such as t which
are often omitted when speaking in conversation, therefore conveying the
formal tone appropriate for the serious topic discussed. However, the
voice projection impacts the articulation of words negatively. Due to the
voice projection being quite soft and weak, the articulation is lost and the
speech often sounds quite mumbled. To improve on this for future videos,
I will focus on projecting my voice more so it is clearer.
Composure & Appearance

Lucy Horton

The appearance is suitable and not distracting, with plain, dark clothing
worn and minimal jewellery. The hair is also tied back so it does not fall in
front of the face. There is no distracting fidgeting with hands or
movement of the body, and the posture appears straight and professional.
The expression remains neutral throughout, therefore appearing very
formal which is appropriate for the serious topic discussed. However, due
to this the expression sometimes may appear disinterested, and I should
aim to be more engaged. Eye contact is maintained with the camera
when producing the English interpretation, occasionally glancing down
towards the source text when trying to remember the next part of
information. In future interpretations, I will aim to maintain eye contact
when speaking to improve on this aspect.

Overall, the interpretation appears to be successful as I convey the overall

message without including unnecessary detail, therefore making it
culturally appropriate. There are some errors present, including hesitancy
and use of fillers when unsure how to process and produce information,
particularly near the end when fatigue begins to affect me. However,
these aspects have been reduced compared to my previous interpreted
videos. Due to focusing on not fidgeting and producing the overall
message rather than following the source text closely, my voice projection
and pitch is lacking. This means the interpretation is quite accurate yet
monotonous, which is somewhat appropriate for the serious topic.
However, it could be improved significantly by speaking clearer, louder
and having a more varied tone of voice.