Entering the Interpreting world

Entering the Interpreting world

More from Dale's Interpreting Rules Photo Courtesy of Crystal Nichols
Taken In Hawaii at the RID Conference(me)  

Now that you have made it through the classes and intense courses, you are ready to become an interpreter and start your journey as a certified Interpreter. For state level testing you do not need to have a degree you just need to be 18, pass the written test and be able to pass the performance exam. However if you are interested in interpreting on a National level NIC certification you would need a Bachelor’s Degree before you can even take the written. Once you have taken the written and passed then you can take the performance examine. Both require a substantial amount of knowledge about Deaf culture, Interpreting and how to interpret. All elements can be learned and are covered in the Interpreting classes as well as Interpreting workshops. As you will learn Interpreters are much like Doctors and Lawyers. There is a strict Code of Ethics, called the Code of Professional Conduct that must be adhered to by Interpreters and Interpreters must attend so many workshops and continued education classes a year to keep their certificate.

Me Interpreting a video from Voice to Sign on my computer in 

a lab for the Interpreting Program

It is hard work but the reward is that you can have new and different experiences everyday when you work depending on whom you work for.  There are many different places you can work once you are certified, I will just a list a few and hopefully that will get you started. There are two main agencies here in Utah, ASL Comm, and Inter West Interpreting, and then there is Sorenson Communication, which is a Video Relay Service company. Each place is unique and can provide the consumer with an Interpreter it really is just a personal preference and ability. I hope this blog will help you to get started in an Interpreting career or motivated you to learn more about the Deaf community. Maybe it has sparked an interest you didn’t know you had. 

Time to Interpret

Time to Interpret

One of  Interpreter Dale Bohns "Rules of Interpreting" Photo Courtesy of Crystal Nichols
Taken in Hawaii at the RID Conference (me)  

So you want to be an Interpreter? Coincidentally one of the first books you will use as an Interpreter. At this point you have either decided you love sign language and the Deaf community and you want to become a certified ASL Interpreter, or you are just reading to learn more. I hope you have read the other two posts because we are just going to get right to it. Hopefully you have started to learn some sign language by now and are interested in the wonderful world of Interpreting, it truly is incredible. There are so many choices and places of learning that you can go to learn about Interpreting that I would like to focus on Utah and maybe later on I will branch out to other states and countries.

Salt Lake Community College, has one of the best Interpreting programs in Utah and it has expanded. It is called the ITP, Interpreter Training Program. I have completed one of the programs and will post items from my learning there but for the most part I would like to focus on what there is out there for Interpreters in training. Along with SLCC there is also the Davis Applied Technology College DATC, Utah Valley University UVU, and Sorenson’s VRSI  the programs compete with one another for students but the result from them is the same a Degree or equivalent in Interpreting. The choice is really yours and what you are most comfortable with. However a degree DOES NOT make you a certified Interpreter. “Upon successful completion of the ASL/English Interpreter Education Program, students must apply for, and pass, state or national interpreting certification exams to work as an interpreter.” http://www.slcc.edu/asl/ You must become certified through the state, or through RID the national certification testing service.

But we are getting a little ahead, once you have picked a program you are comfortable with you can enroll in classes and start your way to a degree or just start the Interpreter Training process.  There are a few books you can start reading to get more acquainted with the world of Interpreting and all that it has to offer. First I recommend, So You Want to Be an Interpreter? An Introduction to Sign Language Interpreting by Janice H. Humphrey and Bob J. Alcorn, second When the Mind Hears A history of the Deaf by Harlan Lane and third Inside Deaf Culture by Carol Padden and Tom Humphries. The three books listed are introductory books into Interpreting and are usually required for your classes.  Classes will be hard and time consuming but in the end you will come out with a better understanding about ASL Interpreting and Deaf culture.

Photo from Amazon.com

Photo from Amazon.com  

Photo from Amazon.com

Let's Get Started

Getting Started 

Now that you have a read a little bit about Interpreting and how it started you might ask yourself, “How do I learn more or get involved.” There are many avenues that are recommended, if you want to be an ASL Interpreter for school or if someday you would like to interpret for the President. I will share some links and resources to get you started. First and for most you must have an absolute love for the Deaf community and their culture, also you will need to know ASL (American Sign Language) before entering this field otherwise you may be unsuccessful and it may be disappointing.  One of the best places I recommend going to is the Sanderson Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Utah or St. George. It is place where the Deaf community can meet and hang out with one another. Their activities are open to the public and it is a good way to get to know people in the Deaf community as well as start to learn Sign Language from real professionals, Deaf people.  

When you are ready to start to get involved, I would recommend taking an ASL class either from the Sanderson Center or Salt Lake Community College. There is also an online resource ASLPro.com, that can aid in learning Sign Language. However one must understand that the above resources help aid in the learning process but overall the Deaf culture and language belong to those who are Deaf and they are the best people to learn from.

 

 

Pictures from Associated websites

The more you Sign Language and knowledge about Deaf individuals, the better off you will be when you enter an Interpreting program. Interpreting is so much more than language; it is about who Deaf individuals are and their rich history. Their history is one of oppression, hate and disrespect and when one learns about it they maybe enraged. But may I offer a warning, we are still hearing and it is not our world so we must be allies and not oppressors, we must be there to be a communicator not their “speaker.” We must not take away the Deaf individuals power by speaking for them, when they have not spoken. We must let them have their own Deaf identity, just like we have our own identity. Sorry for the soapbox but the more you know the better interpreter you will become. In the next few blogs I will go more in depth into being an interpreter and what it requires, how to get started and what do once you are certified. 

ASL What Does it Mean

ASL What does it mean?

ASL, American Sign Language, is the main language used among Deaf people in America and it is becoming an in demand language for people to Interpret, the need is ever growing. “While the number of college students studying Spanish, French and German increased only modestly from 2006 to 2009, enrollment in American Sign Language — the fourth most-popular language — surged more than 16 percent, according to a new report from the Modern Language Association.” Tamar Lewin, New York Times Education. The growth is insurmountable and extremely helpful to know for those who would like to go into the field of interpreting or learn sign language in general because they will have a better idea of what to expect in the job market.

 A little history on ASL and how it came to be the language it is now, “ASL was developed by American Deaf people to communicate with each other and has existed as long as there have been Deaf Americans. Standardization was begun in 1817 when Laurent Clerc and Thomas H. Gallaudet established the first school for the Deaf in the U.S. Students afterwards spread the use of ASL to other parts of the U.S. and Canada.” It is a beautiful language and can be learned through many avenues, such as classes at a college or high school, online or from those who reside in the Deaf community, depending on what you would like to do.

The American Sign Language Alphabet courtesy of http://www.crockettacademy.com/  

“There have been times when there language was in jeopardy and Deaf people were forced to speak and talk without the use of their language.” When the Mind Hears by Harlan Lane.It would have been a travesty if they had lost their language and culture because of the richness the language and culture bring to the world.

The need for good, qualified, certified interpreters is ever growing and continues to grow. “Job Outlook, 2010-20: The projected rate of change in employment for the 10-year timeframe between 2010 and 2020. The average growth rate for all occupations is 14 percent.” Published Tuesday June 26,2012. Salt Lake Community College student, Melissa Espinosa, said this of the interpreting program, “it is a very hard career but I know it will be rewarding. “Since graduation and taking the certification tests he has gone on to become a certified interpreter and works with Deaf clients all day long. She feels like it is more rewarding than she ever dreamt and loves that she made the career choice she did. There are many like her that enjoy the life of an interpreter and love to learn about the rich culture the Deaf community has to offer. The story of becoming an interpreter is a long in depth story and involves many elements, starting with what you school you want to go to and what KIND of ASL Interpreter you would personally like to become. For those who have chosen to become interpreters, they experience new challenges everyday anything from simple phone calls between a mother and father to a trip to the doctor’s office.

 I feel that much of the advertisement that would show up along side my article Would be ones that advertise Schools, working with the Deaf, Deaf colleges and the likes. I feel that the venues would be most successful if they have to with Deaf culture or sign language interpreters.