vcc.ca
INTR 3110: Self and Community of Practice
Effective date
September 2023
Department
Sign Language Interpretation
School
Arts and Sciences
Description
This course prepares students to take on the challenges of building a practice as a professional interpreter while maintaining physical and mental health. The emotional labour and potential for burnout inherent in interpreting work will be examined, along with strategies for time and stress management. Students will learn basic business skills for working freelance as well as how to utilize resources, mentorship and peer support within the community of practice.
Credits
3.0
Year of study
3rd Year Post-secondary
Prerequisites
INTR 2210.
Corequisites
None
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate ability to integrate wellness strategies into daily life
- Set realistic goals for their own personal health, growth and development
- Identify the factors that impact the emotional labour of interpreting work
- Recognize potential causes and indicators of burnout
- Define vicarious trauma and discuss strategies to deal with it
- Examine the characteristics of work in the public sector versus the private sector
- Describe the systems and agencies in BC that employ and/or contract with interpreters
- Produce a list of business terms and a sample invoice for use as a freelance interpreter
- Produce a resume and cover letter for use when applying for an interpreter position
- Devise strategies for seeking mentorship and ongoing peer support
- Describe plans to participate in and contribute to the interpreting community of practice
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
None
Hours
Lecture, Online, Seminar, Tutorial: 60
Total Hours: 60
Total Hours: 60
Instructional Strategies
Lecture/seminars; small group work; guest speakers; course readings/videos
Grading System
Letter Grade (A-F)
Passing grade
B+
Evaluation Plan
|
Type |
Percentage |
Assessment activity |
|
Assignments |
25 |
Mental Health and wellbeing |
|
Assignments |
25 |
Business practices |
|
Assignments |
15 |
Cover letter/resume |
|
Other |
10 |
Mentorship |
|
Assignments |
25 |
Personal wellness strategy paper |
Course topics
- Course content will be guided by research, empirical knowledge, professional standards and best practice. Wellness and self-care - Strategies and routines for maintaining physical health - Techniques and habits for maintaining mental health - Managing stress, time management, organizational skills - Making effective plans and setting realistic goals - Establishing a personal support network Emotional labour of interpreting work - Potential for burnout, vicarious trauma - Maintaining appropriate personal/professional boundaries - Balancing professional role and social participation in the Deaf community Interpreters as business practitioners - Contrasting public and private sector work - Employers, agencies, systems - Understanding the marketplace for contract and freelance interpreting work - Basic practices for a self-employed interpreter (business terms, invoicing, accounting, taxes, self-promotion) The interpreting community of practice - Participating, benefiting and contributing as a new practitioner - Fostering mentoring relationships and peer support - Working collegially to effect positive change - Addressing issues of diversity, equity and inclusion
Notes:
- Course contents and descriptions, offerings and schedules are subject to change without notice.
- Students are required to follow all College policies including ones that govern their educational experience at VCC. Policies are available on the VCC website at:
https://www.vcc.ca/about/governance--policies/policies/. - To find out if there are existing transfer agreements for this course, visit the BC Transfer Guide at https://www.bctransferguide.ca.