‘I was only joking!’ – Interpreting humour in workplace settings

What you'll learn

Humour is an essential part of day to day communication, occurring in almost every imaginable setting and situation. Humour has been extensively researched in terms of spoken language interaction, but there has been minimal research on how interpreters manage humorous exchanges. Consequently there is very little training which focuses specifically on interpreting this aspect of relational talk.

For signed language interpreters, the modality and the cultural aspects of deaf/hearing humour can present particular difficulties. Through a closer examination of the different aspects of humour, including how and why we use humour, this webinar will look at just what makes humour so challenging. We will explore how interpreters can work proactively to create strategies to better manage this type of interpreted event, and will consider the tools you can add to your interpreting toolkit.

Learning outcomes:

From this webinar participants will:

• Enhance their awareness of the complexity of workplace/meeting talk.
• Understand the concept of a Community of Practice and how this relates to workplace talk
• Appreciate the functions of small talk and humour in team meeting talk.
• Begin to develop strategies for interpreting humorous exchanges.

NB We recognise that as part of our jobs we may have to interpret some humour which we as interpreters would find offensive outside of work. One of the exercises in this webinar uses a clip with some adult humour so – if you prefer – you can use the alternative exercise provided.