Applied Interpretation

A recurring theme to this blog – and to the research related to these postings – is the importance of making connections to the audience. For example, far too many large programs abandon attempts to learn something about the audience that could help them with presenting their message. Simple questions, woven through a program, only requiring a raise of hands could aid an interpreter in presenting topics – but certainly more importantly – help them connect their topic with the participant.

In other words, how about we facilitate more than elaborate! Difficult – you bet – and hence why I feel the art of facilitation should be a much more important aspect of interpretive training – but that is for another day. For now, I offer below an interpretive “conversation” that was delivered by a very able interpreter at Yosemite National Park. What makes this example even more impressive is that it was accomplished while touring 70 people around in a tram!

Making Connections at 20 MPH

…In your own lives, how many have had experience with floods? What was that like for you? Was that a beautiful experience? See some shaking heads. How many have experienced fire, either wildfire or house fire? Was that a beautiful experience for you? No again. How many have experienced an earthquake? Was that a beautiful experience for you? These are disasters, dynamic processes we refer to as disasters. Well, take a look at one of the most beautiful disasters anywhere in the world. Yosemite Valley is a result of all those dynamic processes combined. All those things combine here…

Yosemite Tram Tour

…What’s one of the dynamic forces each of us deals with, especially as we get older? Gravity. Nowhere is that more evident than at Rocky Point one of most active rock fall zones anywhere in Yosemite National Park. In 1996, 1-1/2 tons of debris came down at once, points out where can see it. Such an active rock fall zone because lots of cracks and fissures in rock up there, lots of freeze-thaw action as well. That action loosens up the rocks. These rocks come down in all different sizes and shapes. You can take a look at some as big as houses. You can imagine you wouldn’t want to be on this tram when 1-1/2 tons of debris came down. That’s gravity, always at work, always a dynamic force in Yosemite…

…Hard to ignore 3,000 foot vertical cliff rising to right. A spiritual icon for the Native Americans, El Capitan rises 3,000 feet straight up from the valley floor. Some of you are from Indiana. Have you stood next to the Sears Tower? How do you think that compares to El Capitan? It would take two and a half Sears Towers to make up El Capitan. It’s deceptive standing at this angle and looking at it, but it’s over 3,000 feet…

…Great question. The question was whether there’s any concern about climbers’ impact on El Capitan. Certainly there is. At many places, climbers are still drilling into rock. We don’t allow that here at Yosemite anymore, although we used to. Now we encourage different climbing where lead climber places protection and following climber removes it as they go up and take them with them. So only impact on rock is chalk from hands, and that washes off in next rainfall. So how many of you are ready for that challenge? I see a few hands…

In this researcher’s opinion this facilitating style beats the heck out of the classic “drag and brag” tradition of larger group interpretation. And similar to one on one interpretation [see ‘One Way’ versus ‘Two Way’ Interpretation; To Rove or Not To Rove?], this technique “drops the safety net” of “me talk and you listen”.

But it certainly sets up better chances for more personal connections which can last a lifetime!

*I know…facilitating is an important part of successful communication!