Mission Statement:
Although I initially assumed that AAL projects are often time and place sensitive and require intense coordination with community members, I soon found out that it was possible to participate in AAL work that is more flexible. As an undergrad studying applied linguistics at Portland State, I was able to work closely with attorneys from the Oregon State Bar (OSB) to make the design and language on the OSB website more accessible to non-attorneys as well as to people with low English literacy or for whom English is an additional language. Projects like these are more easily separated into smaller doable chunks that individuals can work on independently as I saw much of the work that had been done previously. Over time and through community coordination, impactful positive change was and still is possible. As an AAL student, I now respect and value the different kinds of knowledge, published in peer-reviewed journals or not, and how these intertwine in various communities and contexts.
Importance of ACCESSIBILITY
The Oregon State Bar website offers a thorough, albeit difficult resource for the public to identify and solve issues and questions they may have regarding certain laws. I found however, that for a public resource, much of the website can be difficult to read. With all the legal jargon and complex structures, it makes it hard for non-attorneys to follow, and even harder for those who aren't fluent in the language. So, it became my goal to bring a page’s readability level down to a 7th grade level in order to make the content more digestible to the community.
I have also looked over the previous translations done by my predecessors, and make some corrections. Although there was very few things to better, I did make it more fluent and colloquial.
I have also looked over the previous translations done by my predecessors, and make some corrections. Although there was very few things to better, I did make it more fluent and colloquial.
Method
My process:
- Selected a page to work on
- Used the Hemingway editor (a program suggested by one of the OSB volunteer attorneys from before) to test readability
- Copy and paste a page’s text into the Hemingway editor to see what grade level the program evaluates it to be
- Create a google doc to store the original text, individual paragraphs, and a final revised version.
- Begin by doing one paragraph at a time in the Hemingway editor. Simplify and paste the simplified version into the doc.
- Note: the Hemingway editor is not perfect nor does it identify all the complexities of a text. Make whatever changes make sense. Do not treat the score in the program as absolute (it has its flaws). Use your judgment as an applied linguist whenever needed.
- Note: try to understand the intention and meaning of the original and preserve it when simplifying it. We do not want to change the law by mistake.
- Explained my changes so a future OSB collaborator can understand why certain changes were made
- Once the paragraphs are done, assemble them into the Hemingway editor, view the final score, record the score, and paste the final version in the google doc
Oregon Water Stories is a project designed by Professor Melissa Haeffner for the 2018 Freshman Inquiry class, Human/Nature at Portland State University. The goal of the project is to gather stories in collaboration with local community partner organizations, researching how Oregonians think about and value water, with one goal being to use our findings to influence water policy to be more equitable and reflect the variety of water perspectives around Oregon.
How Q-Sort Works:
Work DOne:
I translated the script and adjusted it to be more understandable and applicable to the Latino community. For example, there is really no homonym in the Spanish language that is equal to the English "bat", but much like the Brittanica and American English differentiate in the definition of "Flat" which, is understood differently. Spanish has something more similar to the second instance, like "Torta", which can either mean a Mexican sandwich or a cake:
I also recorded myself with the script in Spanish, making the project more accessible to the Spanish-speaking community.
Capstone DEvelopment
During these 8 weeks in class, I started with the goal of lowering the barriers towards those with low English literacy for the OSB website. Along with the help of Janet Cowal, who introduced me to both of these organizations and had given me the opportunity to improve both myself and the communities around, I was able to start my journey in applying my skills to those who needed it. Initially, we had a hard time getting in contact with those in charge of said projects since most of it was being doing online. Luckily, we were bale to connect and they were even able to show me how far each of the volunteers from previous terms contributed to the projects. It was convenient in understanding and organizing what needed to be done with my skill set.
As an individual who is fluent in Spanish, this position allowed me to use my knowledge to help others. I was able to look over the previous translations of scripts done for the OSB website, and I was able to translate the script for the Oregon Water Stories Q-Sort Project. In this way, I was able to take an active role in participating in social change with this small contribution. Having this opportunity to practice the Swaraj practice that we talked about previously in class, gave me a sense of fulfillment. Where this project has a hive of members, but we are all following our own passions while still performing our unique functions to service the whole, felt difficult to achieve when I first began. But with everyone's support and the guidance from the class, I was able to achieve a level of enlightenment I would have never expected from a class.
After this summer, I plan to continue volunteering and helping with the Oregon Water Stories Q-Sort Project. We plan to translate the Q-Statements themselves. After all, these statements can expressed in many forms, from local to global contexts, in small individual acts to large scale policy creation and implementation. In all cases, AAL requires community engagement, i.e., applied linguist and community relationships and collaborations based on mutual trust and power-sharing.
As an individual who is fluent in Spanish, this position allowed me to use my knowledge to help others. I was able to look over the previous translations of scripts done for the OSB website, and I was able to translate the script for the Oregon Water Stories Q-Sort Project. In this way, I was able to take an active role in participating in social change with this small contribution. Having this opportunity to practice the Swaraj practice that we talked about previously in class, gave me a sense of fulfillment. Where this project has a hive of members, but we are all following our own passions while still performing our unique functions to service the whole, felt difficult to achieve when I first began. But with everyone's support and the guidance from the class, I was able to achieve a level of enlightenment I would have never expected from a class.
After this summer, I plan to continue volunteering and helping with the Oregon Water Stories Q-Sort Project. We plan to translate the Q-Statements themselves. After all, these statements can expressed in many forms, from local to global contexts, in small individual acts to large scale policy creation and implementation. In all cases, AAL requires community engagement, i.e., applied linguist and community relationships and collaborations based on mutual trust and power-sharing.