educational interpreting in post-secondary settings

Educational Interpreting:College and University settings

Trishia Sander-VisgerDr. Kella B. Price, SPHR, CPLP

56% of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students eligible for entrance into academic college

program (Seal, p.170)

Student challenges

“The education of children with severe and profound hearing loss is a difficult process, and the greater the hearing loss the greater the obstacles to be surmounted.” (Moores, p.238)

Student Challenges

• No accepted standards /assessments• Less academic preparation • Lack linguistic competencies• Underqualified interpreters• Limited success of notetakers• Learning style• Academic lectures– Meaningful ASL equivalents– Subject-specific terminology

Role of OSD

• Schedule interpreter for any college-related activities

• Evaluate student’s language, match with interpreter

Benefits of Interpreting

• Flexible schedule• FUN• “Provide a service to allow someone to pursue

their goals or increase their potential. Discover that they can….that not hearing doesn’t have to be a barrier” Karla Reynolds

Required skills

• Clerical• Culture• Customer service• Technology• College-level reading skills• IEPA 3.0 or RID certification• Interpersonal communication skills

Freelance

• SBA• Federal Tax ID number or own SSN?• Register business name w/state• Local permit or license?• Tax accountant • Professional liability insurance

Freelance

• Marketing portfolio• Appointment book• Computer billing/accounting

BLS statistics

• 2010 Median: $43,300 (BLS) or $20.82/hr• 58,400 jobs• 42% anticipated growth by 2020

Role of the Interpreter

• Never a tutor or help with homework• Not talk to each other about students, teachers, or

assignments • “To facilitate communication, independence, and integration”

(Humphrey and Alcorn, p.359)

• Neutral• Confidential• Educate about difference in cultures, but not while interpreting• Position in class

“Variability in communication styles cannot be underestimated or undermined” (Seal, p.171)

“The language variation that arises as a consequence of contextual and

situational diversity is the biggest consideration for working

interpreters, as they must be prepared to adapt their language

use accordingly.” (Napier, p.282)

Interpreter effectiveness

• Knowledge of subject leads to more accurate interpretations

• Understand discourse environment• Verbal descriptions of diagrams into ASL• Clarification of sign

“Optimal interpreting should involve communication use that allows the student to fully participate in classroom discussions as well as to attain a comfortable, personal level of involvement with others in the classroom” (Stewart and Kluwin, p.30)

Interpreter Reflections

• Always use lag time• Flexibility is key• Be prepared to change the way you signed or

voiced something it’s not because your Deaf client is Dumb

• Your job is to provide a service• Attitude and personality effect the Deaf

person

Interpreter Reflections

• Most interpreters start at the undergraduate level• You are not always Interpreting for the students

(Deaf teachers or administrators)• It’s important when possible to intern and team

interpret• Be familiar with VRI• You have to be on time and willing to do your job!

Student Reflections: Mainstream

• Built relationships with others• Drew attention• Focus on the work, not the lecture• Videorecording would be helpful• CART • Had notetaker and access to professor lecture

notes• Need to interpret word-for-word, with some help

with English if needed

Student Reflections: Deaf School

• Had notetaker and access to professor lecture notes

• Videorecording would be helpful, but time consuming

• Good experience if you understand Interpreter if you don’t, ask for clarification

Interpreter effectiveness:Student perspective

• Pace of interpreting• General intelligence of the interpreter• Selecting appropriate signs• Perform reverse interpretation• Adjust to situation-specific interpreting• Manual dexterity, hand coordination• Interpreting etiquette• Physical positioning• Prefer competency in subject matter

Interpreters should be:

• Patient • Confident• Aggressive when it

comes to a student needing to ask a question

• Be open minded to accept feedback

• Be adaptive to new situations quickly

• Good communicator• Experts in mental imagery

(visualization)• Able to make cultural

adjustments (example)• Good concentration• Short-term memory• Target language

restructuring• Flexible

Guidelines for miscues and errors

• External monitoring• Appropriate competence in Target langauge (tL)

and Source language (sL)• Maintain sufficient lag time to reduce• Consecutive interpreting less errors than

simultaneous interpreting• Determine strategies to correct errors in advance • Check student comprehension• Self-evaluation

Recommended Training

• Know the areas that need improvement

• Take advantage of school classes

• Field experience, internships

• Org Membership• Mentors

• Be introspective to identify setting and age group preferences through job shadowing

• Storytelling class• CA 103 Computer

Applications• Advanced English

coursework

CSUN Interpreter Education Program

• GPA• Related course work (ASL, Advanced English,

Interpreting, Deaf Studies)• Deaf Community Experience– Volunteerism, professional/community orgs, Deaf

connection• Letter of Interest• 3 Letters of recommendation – At least 1 from Deaf

• Interview

Advice

• Maintain confidence• Stay on top of

everything• Do not fall too far

behind on lectures• Ignore distractions• Interpret everything!

• Don't be afraid to ask us to repeat ourselves if you don't understand us. It is better to clarify it instead of making us sound like an idiot!

• Find a mentor

Resources

• Delicious Resource Page– http://bit.ly/INT101

• Slideshow– http://www.slideshare.net/kellaprice

Thank You!Are there any questions?