Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Attend involves:
maintaining concentration and focus
closely observing and noting gestures, body language and facial expressions
noting key information
Key information includes:
terms and concepts related to a specialist subject or context
key content words and ideas and facts, including numbers, dates and times
personal details, such as titles and addresses
proper nouns and names
purpose of message
series of specific details, such as lists
technical terms
Relationships may be indicated by:
cohesion of meaning within a message
collocation
gesture
implied meaning
register
Linguistic and non-linguistic elements include:
non-verbal components of message, including:
body language and eye contact
facial expressions
gestures and posture
verbal components of message
voluntary and involuntary features of speech, such as:
inflection and tone
nuance and intensity of feeling
stress and pitch
types of language
voluntary and involuntary prosodic features of speech, such as:
hesitation
pauses and silence
rhythm
Factors affecting meaning of messages may include:
colloquial language
jargon
ambiguity
cultural concepts
humour
paralinguistic elements
register
Structural elements of discourse include:
interpersonal elements
language cues necessary for following conversation
interrupting or interjecting
turning points in an argument
turn-taking
Strategies may include:
abbreviations
chunking
recording key information, such as
numbers
single words and phrases
note taking:
logical (visual) order
lines to indicate end of an idea
symbols
characters
mathematical symbols
pictures for concepts
unambiguous abbreviations
Encoding strategies may include:
creating a mind map
visualising information
creating symbols
reflecting concepts and ideas, not words
Clarification may be necessary for:
ambiguous meaning
message delivered too quickly
words, expressions or intent not understood
idiosyncratic language use and speech
non-standard language variety used

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
In addition to integrated demonstration of the elements and their related performance criteria, look for evidence that confirms the candidate's ability to analyse the meaning of a source language message, apply strategies to support retention and recall and to ensure the quality and reliability of reproduced messages. This includes:
analysing a range of general and specialist source messages and determining important aspects of language, content, context and intention
identifying a range of strategies and options to address challenges of:
accurately conveying message intent
timing
language
register
presentation characteristics
idiosyncrasies
selecting, applying and justifying a range of techniques and options to maintain information recall and reproduction and overcome problems in language, meaning and presentation.
reproducing a range of messages accurately
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment of this unit of competency will make use of scenarios, case studies, experiences and, where possible, examples of interactions with colleagues and clients which illustrate a range of skills and strategies for reproducing source messages.
Resources for assessment include:
opportunities to observe candidate in a variety of subjects, settings and cultural contexts to observe candidate
opportunities to demonstrate analysis and recall of messages in a range of realistic scenarios
third party reports on effectiveness and accuracy of the candidate's recall and reproduction of messages
explanations of recall and reproduction issues and judgements made.
Assessment should ideally be conducted in real interpreting assignments, but this competency may also be effectively assessed in realistic scenarios using a range of content and contexts. This unit may be assessed in conjunction with other interpreting units.