Interpretive Toolbox: Verbal techniques, part 4

The fourth in the series of verbal techniques for use in Interpretative Programming, here are another twenty or so more ideas in alphabetical order that help give the interpreter more techniques and methods to work with for a better program. Since much of the material presented here contains more definitions and suggested uses and less exposition and analysis, and there are so many of them, these verbal techniques blog posts will come much more frequently than the usual one-a-month that is done from this blog. So for the month of October, here is the list:

Metaphor- A comparison between two usually unconnected or unrelated objects. A metaphor does not use 'like' or 'as' in using the comparison because then it would be a Simile. Metaphors are ordinarily stated plainly. Usually one of the objects being discussed is the object of interest to the Interpreter and the second object the first is being compared to should be somewhat of a surprise, something that helps make the first object more understandable. It has been suggested that the explanation of the metaphor should be left to the visitor since, in many times, the metaphor works on a subconscious level, and if we explain it fully, it robs the visitor of making their own connections; further, explaining a metaphor would insult their intelligence. Examples of metaphors: "Life is a highway", "The wheels of justice turn slowly", and "Waves of regret".

Metonymy- A figure of speech in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name but with close associations, like a nickname. For example, the leaders of an organization may have titles, but they can be grouped into a term like the 'Top Brass'. In the phrase "the book is moving along," the book refers to the writing process for the book, but not the physical book itself. "His involvement is a question mark," indicates that the person in this context is unknown or uncertain about something.

Mirroring- an adaptation of speaking manner and body language to reflect the communication style of the visitor. For example, if a visitor is shy in asking a question, the interpreter is shy in returning an answer. The point is to build rapport and not to ridicule the visitor, which would produce the opposite reaction to building rapport.

Multiple Points of View- Numerous accounts from which something is evaluated or considered. This technique is like Dialogue but with more than two, or Conversation. If resources have meanings, then those resources are going to have different meanings to different people and speak to diverse crowds.

Mythological Reference- "An allusion to a traditional story that serves to unfold part of the world view re explain practice, belief, or natural phenomenon." Greek myths are among the more popular, but Native American references are probably more usable in an American setting, despite being less well known.

Naming -  Properly identifying a noun: a person, place, thing, or concept. This gives the visitor something to use to identify points in your message. With children, introduce new, big, or complicated words sparingly, probably no more than 5 in a program. Then proceed like a teacher: sound out the word, get them to repeat it, define the meaning, and reinforce the concept every time it is mentioned in the course of the program.

Onomatopoeia- Words that imitate sounds. Because some people learn mainly by audio absorption, verbal communication and other sounds are going to be important to them. Verbal communication is a skill, and with some training and practice can be greatly impacting not because of content, but delivery. Onomatopoeia is an extension of the idea of delivery as being an important communicator, like cacophony and euphony from previous parts of this category, onomatopoeia is using the delivery of words to paint pictures with their own names and the sounds they make.

Totally not my image, but it answered a need and it has
a museum. Go to the website instead 

Oxymoron- Incongruant terms that contradicts itself. Oxymorons are often ironic and amusing and therefore can be used humorously to lighten up a program.

Parable - "A very short story that presents a moral or spiritual truth." While initially religious in nature, it need not have to be. This quick contrived situation is a allegorical story that highlights a moral or a truth.

Paraphrasing- Restating information to make essential information clear. This is best described as "putting it in your own words". Much of what I am doing in this series is a paraphrase of other's work so that it might be more manageable and better understood since I have re-conceptualized how this information is presented. Most what I have written is a paraphrase, but I do leave quotes in when I think that they better capture information than if I had tried to do it myself.

Personification- Speaking for something or giving human-like attributes to non-human things. Similar to Characterization, personified objects do things willfully if they have no will, like plants and inanimate objects, or do things that humans do, like speak. While animals communicate, they do not speak like humans do.

Poetry- A literary work in which certain intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas, usually in some form of established meter, style, or rhythm. The use of a poem in an interpretive program could be an opener or a closing conclusion, or can be interjected to express a thought or feeling to reinforce a point. It also gives the impression to the visitors that the interpreter is well- read, and that is not a bad thing.

Prediction- The act of foretelling the future based on the observations, personal experience, or some sort of scientific reason. Prediction can be used near the end of a program to wrap up and conclude. Depending on the nature of the prediction, it can be used to directly provoke an emotional or intellectual reaction.

Presentation of Evidence- A system of argumentation that builds toward a point, or a thesis, using descriptive or persuasive facts. Evidence could take the form of details, statistics, or other kinds of facts gathered on a topic. Quotes from authorities and experts and the interpreter's own impressions are important to making the case as well. This can be done subtly, or overtly, like a mock trial case.

Process Analysis- An "analytical examination of an action for the purpose of documenting or understanding the stages of development." Basically, this is an explanation of how something works, step by step, delivered clearly, especially if the process is complicated or unfamiliar. The key is organization. This technique can be augmented by props, or pictures, diagrams, animations, or role playing to make the process more understandable and more alive than simply talking through the process.

Prompt- A suggestion that triggers a response. Calling attention to a circumstance or situation or even an object, and reminding the visitor of a the program that helped explain it, so hopefully, they remember, or better, tell others. For example, this situation can be summarized into a phrase,"So the next time you see [or hear or experience] this, remember..." This technique is probably best used near the conclusion of a program.

A Question and Answer session

Proverb- A brief observation that contains a great piece of wisdom. The can be in a riddle, flowery speech, or terse and unadorned. The proverb is to give a piece of wisdom quickly. Aristotle said,"Proverbs...are metaphors from one species to another."

Question and Answer- A classic interaction technique where the visitor(s) ask questions and the interpreter responds with answers in a formal Q-n'-A format or informally in stream of the program or after the program is over. It is probably best to forecast if the interpreter will allow questions whenever, or at certain times, or at the end. In responding, retell the question loud enough for all to hear and then answer. Doing this means that you heard the question, and that everyone can hear it so that the question need not be asked again, but also that the questioner makes sure the interpreter heard the question correctly. In many cases, the question is asked frequently, but it needs to be answered honesty as if it has never been asked before. Opening a Q-n'-A can open the interpreter to being asked difficult, controversial, or politically charged leading questions, so be aware of your site's policies and have a good handle on how to field such questions to be accurate but tactful.

Questioning- Asking questions of the visitors. Here the interpreter challenges the visitors to be critical about should be known or is observable. Questions should be thought provoking open ended questions that can be answered in a brief statement, rather than yes or no or one word answer. Lately, the trend is to follow Audience Centered Experience with an ORACLE questioning scheme. ORACLE is an acronym which stands for Only Right Answer C Lived Experience. This means asking questions where each person can respond from their own experience rather than objective facts.

Quiz- A short oral test. A quiz can be used to gather information regarding the existing knowledge of the visitors. This can help intrigue the visitors especially if the quiz seems to be easy but loaded with trick questions that will be addressed in the program. One way use a quiz is to wrap and conclude may be to conduct a short quiz covering the entirety of the program. This is why quizzes are conducted in school in the first place; to see if the students learned something and if they can recall details. This method of course does not work well with Audience Centered Experiences style questioning since it relies on objective facts.


I relied on Handles: A Compendium of Interpretive Techniques to Help Visitors Grasp Resource Meanings by Peggy Ann Scherbaum for ideas and material to share and is a great resource for ideas and examples and I could not have done this series without it. I do not claim to have some up with the techniques described since I used Handles as a resource, all I did was arrange the material in such a way as to make them categorically available. The next twenty techniques and methods will be later on next month.