First let's review how we talked about prosody in the past. And then we'll start applying it to information that we've learned more recently.   

A FEW examples from the handout on Bright Space "A Guide to Transition / Discourse Markers" to talk about the meaning behind the discourse markers.  Not only will the discourse markers indicate in general terms that there are breaks, or that a new topic is starting, they can convey specific information about what is coming.  

When interpreters understand the MEANING BEHIND Discourse markers they add to their ELK, and they are able to process and organize the information easier.   These are not throw away words.  They have meaning, create connections from one topic to the next and keep our work from looking like just a bunch of signs. 

Words that ADD information:  also, and, another, beside, first, second, third,..., furthermore, in addition, moreover, now:

1) We will be here for one more week so we can finish up our work. Another reason we are staying longer is because we do not want to miss the Deaf Way conference.

2) First of all, pour a half-cup of milk in the bowl; second, add two eggs; and third, stir the mixture.

3)  Now, if you’ll turn to page 22 in your books we can look at prosody.

In ASL how might you show each of these? 

Words that show CONCLUSION:  finally, in conclusion, to conclude, to sum up, so, in closing

1) There were a lot of problems discussed at the meeting. Finally, after a few hours, we were able to prioritize the problems in the order we want to solve the problems.

2)  So, what I’m really trying to say is, have a great time. 

When we hear words that begin a new topic or words that are going to wrap up a topic with a conclusion, we WAIT more and listen to what that new topic or conclusion will be before continuing.  

Words that show CONTRASTS or DIFFERENCES:  although, but, however, in contrast, in spite of, nevertheless, nonetheless, rather than, though, unlike, yet, versus

1) Karen's cat, Salem is so unlike Midnight. Midnight likes to nap a lot and Salem likes to play a lot.

2)  The idea of attending the play at Gallaudet is nice. However, the Theoretical Issues in Sign Language Research conference is scheduled at the same time 

In ASL these kinds of words will prompt us to use different space to COMPARE.

Understanding disourse markers and written prosody will really help you organize and process information for your Sight Translations.  Let's look at "Going the Extra Mile" again.   What features of the text indicate that a new topic is coming, that items are being listed or that information is being summarized?   With a written text we may not get the vocal tone, but the physical organization of the text can be a significant marker and help us "chunk" the information into topics that we can convey. 

Going the Extra Mile:  How to Extend the Life of Your Car

  
With your busy schedule the last thing you want to worry about is if your car is going to break down. Here's how to protect your investment, and get from point A to point B as reliably as possible.

 ·  Change the oil regularly. This will improve your gas mileage and protect your engine. The recommended mileage between oil changes is 3,000 to 5,000 miles or every 3 to 6 months.

 ·  Rotate the tires. Changing tire position reduces uneven wear and tear on the tread. The recommended rotation cycle is twice a year or every 6,000 miles. Rotate them diagonally - front right to rear left and front left to rear right. Your vehicle manual will contain detailed rotation information.

·  Get your car off to a good start every time you drive it. Start the car and drive off slowly and gently until the car reaches operating temperature. This reduces the strain on the engine while the oil is still thick and cold.

·  Wash your car. Road salt, sludge and pollution can lead to costly body work. Without regular cleaning, you can start to notice rust on the bottom of your doors. Eventually, the corrosion will creep to underbody components, like the brake lines.

Routine chores like this keep your car in tip-top shape.  The key to getting those extra years of automotive life is doing small things regularly.

Now let's try it with spoken texts.   When you know what to listen for, you can start to organize the information in your head as you listen.  This lightens your processing load.  

Max. English transcript:  

Um, I have a dog, who is a mix of a border collie, lab, and blue tick hound. I think he's also part dalmation or greyhound. Something that runs really fast because he's the fastest dog in the dog park for sure. Um, we got Max when he was about a year old, and he really needed a little bit of obedience training. Um, he's a little bit hyper, and he needed some attention, so….I wasn't really sure how to do that. I've never had a dog that needed obedience training. And so I decided to sign…to take Max to a class.

So we went to, um, doggie school. And we took a six week, a six week class. Now, the first week of the class, I got there at the beginning of the class and it was really nice. They give all the dogs 15, 20 minutes (a little bit of time) to play with each other. Just so they can get all that excited -- ah, dogs around, dogs around-- all that, get that over and done with so that they can actually get to work and learn the commands that they're there to learn. And, um, the first week we learned, um, "Sit." And Max was a little bit stubborn about that. He's not really, uh, food's not a big motivator for him. And the whole crux, the focus of the class is that you need to give treats in order for the dog to learn the command. And so I had a little difficulty finding just the right treat for Max to motivate him enough to learn all the commands. But I finally found that chicken was a really good one. And sometimes I'd add a little cheese with it, but chicken worked really well. So, anyway, he learned to sit by the end of the first class, and then I'd come home for the next week before the next class and we'd practice sit again and again and again. And he actually got it. He did great.

Now, the next week I went back to class and Max needed to learn the command for "Come." Now, I don't know if you know anything about hounds, but "come" is not a real strong suit, um, for hounds. And so, um, I was a little bit nervous about this. I was afraid that Max would embarrass me in the class. I knew that the other dogs were doing really well at learning their commands. And I knew that this was going to be a difficult one for Max. So I starved him. I didn't feed him all day, so that by the time he got to the class that evening, he would be so hungry for that treat that he was gonna come when I called him. And sure enough, it worked. (Laugh) Pretty clever, huh?

Now, anyway, the class went on, uh, for the next four weeks and we learned lots of different commands: "Stay", and "Find Your Spot" which is one that Joe and I use quite often when he's at the table begging for dinner. Um, I say, "Max, find your spot." And he'll go to his bed and won't beg. So,  that works really well. I think that's a very valuable command for us. The interesting thing about this class was that not only did we teach verbal commands, but we also taught, um, hand signals as well. And the other people were having a hard time coming up with hand signals, but it was really nice for me. I just taught Max signs. So, when my parents come to visit, Max is able to, uh, they're able to give Max all the commands that I can do verbally, and he actually listens. So the class was well worth it.

Prosody is more than just the how of language.   It affects every level of meaning and subtle errors in prosody can throw meaning off completely

+ Punctuation
+ Affect / Emotion
+ Emphasis
+ Discourse Markers
+ Organization of information