Deep Listening - Jennifer MacLaughlin Auslan Interpreter for the deaf community.

Jennifer MacLaughlin is an Auslan Interpreter for the deaf community. Auslan has a similar language structure to Asian languages. The word order is different and the picture and scene is created first. The language is created in a visual sense.

We explore a conversation where Jennifer was standing on stage translating an extraordinary piece of poetry to a group of people who were in the dark. I was moved by the energy that Jennifer brought to the conversation about what it means to listen deeply.

Today’s Topics:

How signing involves taking turns and respecting space and time Having to wait for concrete meaning before signing Jennifer shares her family life and how they moved to Australia for warmth How Jennifer became interested in Auslan after being prompted by a friend She has signed in many venues including corporate settings, universities, hospitals, and rallies Challenges of interpreting poetry and how Jennifer did this for 1,200 people in Hyde Park Staying focused with so many dimensions going on Feeling the energy of the person speaking and staying connected Unpacking the meaning of a word to make connotations very clear Really thinking about what you are saying when speaking

Links and Resources:

Auslan Services Video - Jennifer MacLaughlan AUSLan Interpreter - Deep Listening Impact beyond words

Quotes:

“Deaf people are very good at respecting people’s space and time and that is something that non-deaf people could benefit from.” Jennifer MacLaughlin

“Interpreting is not about the words, it is about the meaning.” Jennifer MacLaughlin

“Auslan is such a creative language that uses a 3D language to create pictures out of concepts.” Jennifer MacLaughlin

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