Final Blog Post: My Development as an Interpreter
As we are coming toward the end of this course, my understanding of the work of interpretation, specifically nature interpretation, has accumulated significantly compared to the beginning of the year. Aside from the contents, my skills and ethics as an interpreter also grew; I hold a more substantial value over integrity, respect and empathy. To perform integrity as an interpreter is to show solid principles and honesty to the audience. This can be demonstrated through the firm upkeep of the policies; one example would be the canoe accident at St.John’s School of Ontario (“Parents pray,”1978). The interpreter should still enforce the safety rule that may seem dispensable to the audience, as our responsibility is to guide the process in a safe environment.
Visitors often neglect signs like this, and it is part of the interpreter’s responsibility to enforce these rules, even if it may seem superfluous (@SomersetWT, 2021).
Also, interpretation in other indoor locations, such as museums, has its own set of rules and protocols as well. Additionally, integrity is about honesty and providing the audience with facts that are supported by research, and if there is a question that the interpreter does not know, simply acknowledge and question and try to provide an answer even if it has to be a future response (Beck et al., 2018a).
In sequence, respect is essential in the work of an interpreter. Respect towards the audience, the part of nature under interpretation, co-workers and one’s profession can help to construct a positive learning environment. Especially when guiding visitors, they should be treated as a new situation each time, and respecting their purposes and expectation is how interpretation should proceed (Beck et al., 2018a). Lastly is empathy, which ties into respect. To deliver a well-considered interpretation, we should understand the audience’s point of view and think about the best way to communicate. As we practiced in our podcast assignment, we need to formulate the “guide” that is best suitable for the target audience and to do so, we need to empathize with the audience. Furthermore, for specific ages, like ages four to seven, an interpreter should aim to foster empathy with nature through songs and stories (Beck et al., 2018b).
I believe that passion is a crucial factor in the work of nature interpretation, and personally, writing blogs throughout the semester has fostered my passion for the environment. Passion is about the urge to learn about nature and take the initiative to participate and engage within the community. It is about actively reflecting upon experiences and providing meanings to recreate or simulate the same experience to others (Beck et al., 2018c). In an academic sense, practicing essential skills in nature interpretation has given me a fresh perspective on environmental science; it is not all research. It is also about how it is transmitted to the public.
Additionally, interpretation as a profession is a long journey of continuous learning, as new information is constantly being studied and published. Hence, interpreters must persistently update their knowledge and refine the “story” for the audiences. Furthermore, the work of interpretation requires the person to be the “face” of the program, representing whichever organization it is in, so without sufficient passion for the work, it would be difficult for one to perform well in a professional manner (Beck et al., 2018a).
Acknowledging Tildon’s “Principles of Interpretation,” several responsibilities lay on the shoulders of being an interpreter (Beck et al., 2018c). First, interpretation should be related to the visitors’ topic, story or experience, and off-topic discussion should be prohibited (Beck et al., 2018c). Second, simply stating facts is not interpretation, it is a part of it, but interpretation should be inspired by facts and elaborated beyond (Beck et al., 2018c). Third, interpretation should be viewed as a form of art, so to enrich the experience, different art forms should be considered to present the material no matter what topic (Beck et al., 2018c). Fourth, the interpreter must structure the experience as thought-provoking, promoting thinking on environmental topics, not simply teaching (Beck et al., 2018c). Fifth, it is the interpreter’s responsibility to present the material as “a whole” and not “apart,” addressing it with integrity (Beck et al., 2018c). Last, when interpreting to a younger audience, the content should not be diluted; instead, convey the message and story with a different approach (Beck et al., 2018c). All of which are principles that interpreters should strive to achieve.
The approach of interpretation that is the most suitable for me personally is the central route of persuasion in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (Beck et al., 2018c). By definition, it is the approach that involves active reflections and mindful thinking based on experience and knowledge (Beck et al., 2018d). One of my strengths as an academic is that I understand the importance of self-evaluation and reflection, so it is a key component of my learning strategy. Hence, as an interpreter, I can generate stories with depth, refined by experiences, which I can then recreate for visitors in a relatable manner. As Tilden stated, with this approach, an interpreter can grab visitors’ attention longer, help them to make associations with the experience, and give the visitors the ability to evaluate the message and decide whether to accept it.
The diagram above displays the two routes of persuasion. Of the two, I prefer the “central route of persuasion” approach in my experience of nature interpretation (Mishra, 2020).
In short, I have learned and grown as an interpreter through this course and developed a deeper understanding of the ethics and skills required for interpretation. Ultimately, nature interpretation is intertwined with many areas of profession in environmental sciences, and practicing this discipline can help prepare us for future careers in science.
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018a). Chapter 9: Personal Interpretation. In Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World (p. 229). essay, SAGAMORE Publishing.
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018b). Chapter 7: Serving Diverse Audience. In Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World (p. 229). essay, SAGAMORE Publishing.
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018c). Chapter 5: Guiding Principles of Interpretation. In Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World (p. 229). essay, SAGAMORE Publishing.
Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018d). Chapter 4: Values of Interpretation for Management. In Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World (p. 229). essay, SAGAMORE Publishing.
Mishra, A. (2020). Route of Persuation. Management Weekly. Retrieved 2023, from https://managementweekly.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/two_routes-1-1024x576.jpg.
Parents pray while waiting for names 12 boys, teacher drown on canoe trip 18 survivors due out today. (1978, Jun 13). The Globe and Mail Retrieved from https://subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/login?URL=?url=https://www-proquest-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/newspapers/parents-pray-while-waiting-names-12-boys-teacher/docview/387072296/se-2
SomersetWT. (2021). Twitter. Retrieved 2023, from https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1rQa6iXMAcg_7M.jpg:large.