Translating English Poetry & Songs into Sign Language

Learn how to translate English poetry & songs into sign language like a professional signing artist.

Translating English Poetry & Songs into Sign Language

Course Description

Translating English Poetry & Songs

You will learn how to translate English poetry/songs like a professional signing artist.

This course discusses best practices for handling repetition, rhymes, metaphors, and instrumental breaks. The course includes a brief introduction to musicality in signing. Also, you will be exposed to five essential English-to-ASL translations strategies.

Weaved throughout this course are interactive quizzes, rich multimedia, and in-depth analysis of a varied selection of ASL translations of English poetry and songs.

It is strongly suggested that you also enroll in "Signplaying 101", "Elements of Visual Vernacular", and "Elements of ASL Poetry" courses, because these other courses introduce specific signing techniques, which will be further elaborated in this course.

PREREQUISITE: "Signplaying 101", "Elements of Visual Vernacular", "Elements of ASL Poetry"

FAQ

What do you expect me to do in this course?

This course is entirely self-paced. You will watch video lessons and possibly answer quiz questions. You are not required to interact with the instructor or other students. But if you wish, you may post questions or comments in the community page, and I will do my best to respond to any questions within 72 hours on weekdays.
How can I prepare for this course?

To succeed in this translation course, you need to have a solid understanding of how to use cinematic signing techniques as well as poetic elements in sign language. So, you are strongly suggested to complete the other three Signplaying courses: "Signplaying 101", "Elements of Visual Vernacular", and "Elements of ASL Poetry" BEFORE you begin this course.
For how long will I be able to access this course?

After purchasing this course, you will have access to it for as long as this web platform is used. It is guaranteed that this course will be offered through December 31, 2026. After that date, the instructor may decide to retire this course. If that's the case, there will be an announcement posted in the Signplaying community page, and you will still be able to access the course for one more month after the announcement.
Does this course offer RID CEU credit?

This course offers 0.85 Professional Studies (PS) CEU credit at the Some Content Knowledge Level. To obtain the RID CEU, you will have to complete the entire course and pass the Final Exam with a minimum score of 80%. (If you fail the Final Exam, you can retake it for as many times as you need.) Then, you will get a course completion email with a link to the course evaluation. In the course evaluation, you don't need to answer all the questions, but you will need to submit your full name (as recorded in the RID system) and your RID member number. After you have submitted that course evaluation form with these two required information, I will work with the CMP sponsor (Interpretek) to process your CEU within several weeks.
Does this course offer a Certificate of Completion?

Yes. The course provides specific instructions for how you can get your Certificate of Completion.

Course curriculum

1. How to Navigate This Course
2. About Your Instructor
3. How to Contact Your Instructor
4. How to Get CEU Credit (for interpreters)
5. How to Get Certificate of Completion
6. Video Credits
1. Introduction to Translating Repetition
2. Example #1: "Let It Go"
3. Example #2: "Blown Away"
4. Example #3: "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
5. Example #4: "Old MacDonald Had a Farm"
6. How to Translate Repetition
1. Introduction to Translating Rhymes
2. Example #1: "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish"
3. Example #2: "Let It Go"
4. Example #3: "The Four-Leaved Shamrock"
5. Example #4: "Blown Away"
6. Perfect Rhyme in Song Translation
7. Reviewing Types of Rhymes
8. Reviewing End Rhyme
9. Closing Remarks
1. Introduction to Translating Metaphors
2. Example #1: "Let It Go"
3. Example #2: "The Four-Leaved Shamrock"
4. Example #3: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"
5. How to Translate Metaphors
1. Translating Instrumental Breaks
2. Check Your Understanding
1. 12 Basic Types of Choreography
  FREE PREVIEW
2. Choreography Chaining
  FREE PREVIEW
1. Introduction to Pattern
2. Duple Pattern
  FREE PREVIEW
3. Triple Pattern
  FREE PREVIEW
4. Quadruple Pattern
  FREE PREVIEW
5. Single-Duple Pattern
  FREE PREVIEW
6. Duple-Single Pattern
  FREE PREVIEW
7. Duple-Triple Pattern
  FREE PREVIEW
8. Single-Single-Duple Pattern
  FREE PREVIEW
9. Other Patterns
  FREE PREVIEW
10. Variance in Pattern
1. Introduction to Measure
2. Measure: Example #1
  FREE PREVIEW
3. Measure: Example #1 (Counting)
4. Measure: Example #2
  FREE PREVIEW
5. Measure: Example #2 (Counting)
6. Ostinato
  FREE PREVIEW
1. Introduction to Musical Part
2. Musical Part: Chord Progression
  FREE PREVIEW
3. Musical Part: Cantabile
4. Musical Part: Percussive Rhythm
5. Reviewing Musical Part
6. Texture
7. Staccato
1. The 80-20 Rule
2. How to Sign Like a Movie?
3. Categories of Film: Example #1
4. Categories of Film: Example #2
5. Using Types of Film in Translation
6. Using Camera Movement in Translation
7. Using Special Transition in Translation
  FREE PREVIEW
1. Introduction to Translation Strategies
2. Cultural Substitution
3. Denominalization
4. Personalization
5. Singularization
6. Chronologization
7. Review Diagram
1. Introduction
2. Denominalization: Example #1
3. Denominalization: Example #2
4. Denominalization: Example #3
5. Personalization: Example #1
6. Personalization: Example #2
7. Personalization: Example #3
8. Chronologization: Example #1
1. "Let It Go" (Idina Menzel) by Amber Zion & Jason Listman
2. "Blown Away" (Carrie Underwood) by Rosa Lee Timm
3. "The Four-Leaved Shamrock" (Samuel Lover) by Terrylene Sacchetti
4. "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" (Jane Taylor) by Eric Epstein
5. "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" by Eric Epstein
6. "Music of the Night" (Phantom of the Opera) by Eric Epstein
1. About Eric's Translations of English Poetry
  FREE PREVIEW
2. "Sonnet 18: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day" (William Shakespeare)
3. "Sonnet 19: Devouring Time, Blunt Thou The Lion's Paw" (William Shakespeare)
4. "Sonnet 20: A Woman's Face With Nature's Own Hand Painted" (William Shakespeare)
5. "Sonnet 24: Mine Eye Hath Play'd The Painter and Hath Steel'd" (William Shakespeare)
6. "Sonnet 29: When In Disgrace With Fortune and Men's Eyes" (William Shakespeare)
7. "Sonnet 33: Full Many A Glorious Morning I Have Seen" (William Shakespeare)
8. "Sonnet 35: No More Be Grieved At That Which Thou Hast Done" (William Shakespeare)
9. "Sonnet 42: That Thou Hast Her, It Is Not All My Grief" (William Shakespeare)
10. "Sonnet 55: O! Not Marble, Nor The Gilded Monuments" (William Shakespeare)
11. "Sonnet 73: That Time Of Year Thou Mayst In Me Behold" (William Shakespeare) -- WITH ANALYSIS
12. "Sonnet 116: Let Me Not To The Marriage Of True Minds" (William Shakespeare)
13. "Sonnet Sonnet 130: My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like The Sun" (William Shakespeare)
14. "Fairy Song from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (Act 2, Scene 1)" (William Shakespeare)
15. "Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene III [O Mistress mine, where are you roaming?]" (William Shakespeare)
16. "The Phoenix and the Turtle" (William Shakespeare)
17. "Double, Double, Toil and Trouble" (William Shakespeare)
18. "Speech: 'Is this a dagger which I see before me'" (William Shakespeare)
19. ["Better — than Music! For I — who heard it —"] J503 F378 (Emily Dickinson)
20. ["Because I could not stop for Death – "] J712 F479 (Emily Dickinson)
21. ["The Color of the Grave is Green —"] J411 F424 (Emily Dickinson)
22. ["I felt a Funeral, in my Brain"] J280 F340 (Emily Dickinson) --- WITH ANALYSIS
23. ["There are two Ripenings — one — of sight —] J332 F420 (Emily Dickinson)
24. [“There is no Frigate like a Book”] J1263 F1286 (Emily Dickinson)
25. [“I felt a Cleaving in my Mind”] J937, F867 (Emily Dickinson)
26. ["Wild Nights — Wild Nights!"] J249, F269 (Emily Dickinson)
27. [“Hope” is the thing with feathers”] J254 F314 (Emily Dickinson)
28. "Jerusalem ['And did those feet in ancient time']" (William Blake)
29. Excerpt of "Auguries of Innocence" (William Blake)
30. "[To Thomas Butts]: 'With Happiness stretch’d across the hills'" (William Blake)
31. "The Tyger" & "The Lamb" (William Blake) --- WITH ANALYSIS
32. "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish" (Dr. Seuss)
33. "A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky" (Lewis Carroll)
34. "Eros Turannos" (Edwin Arlington Robinson)
35. "A Dream Within a Dream" (Edgar Allan Poe)
36. Excerpt of "Masque of Anarchy" (Percy Bysshe Shelley)
37. "Hellas" (Percy Bysshe Shelley)
38. "A Musical Instrument" (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)
39. II ["Loveliest of trees"] (A.E. Housman)
40. "The Fairies" (William Allingham)
41. "Mike Teavee" (Roald Dahl)
42. "Perseverance" (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
43. "The Hag" (Robert Herrick)
44. "Sic Vita" (Henry David Thoreau)
45. "The Garden" (Andrew Marvell)
46. "The Owl and the Pussy-cat" (Edward Lear)
47. "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" (Mary Elizabeth Frye)
48. "To Autumn" (John Keats)
1. About Eric's Translations of English Songs
  FREE PREVIEW
2. "For Good" (Idina Menzel & Kristin Chenoweth)
3. "Split the Lark" (Ella Hunt)
4. "Fight Song" (Rachel Platten)
5. "Jerusalem" (Dockhead Choir)
6. "In a Crowd of Thousands" (Christy Altomare & Derek Klena)
7. "Firework" (Katy Perry)
8. "Savior, Lead Me" (Frank Davis)
9. "Were the World Mine" (Tanner Cohen & Nathaniel David Becker)
10. "Seasons of Love" (RENT)
11. "How Far I'll Go" (Auli'i Cravalho)
12. "Fireflies" (Owl City)
13. "Paradise" (Coldplay)
14. "The Mirror" (Phantom of the Opera)
1. About the Final Exam
2. Final Exam
3. Next Step

About this course

$20.00
154 lessons
8.5 hours of video content

PREREQUISITES

Before enrolling, you are strongly suggested to take these foundation courses.

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