Sign Languages Commons^™

Dissertation Abstracts, Julie White Armstrong, Joe Mclaughlin, Rebecca Minor Dr., Jessica Bentley Sassaman, Bruce Sofinski, Linda K. Stauffer Dr., Mary Thumann, Julia Weisenberg

International Journal of Interpreter Education

No abstract provided.

A Grammar Of Signwriting, Stuart M. Thiessen

Theses and Dissertations

Signed languages have not enjoyed the benefits of writing for lack of an effective writing system. Writing systems designed for spoken languages are not easily adaptable to signed languages because signed languages are not based on sound. A successful writing system for sign languages must convey a different set of articulators, namely the configurations and movements of the hands, head, and body to convey meaning. This necessarily means that writing systems for signed languages must find a way to express those articulators, reducing a three-dimensional event to a written representation.

One such writing system is SignWriting, a system developed by …

Comparing Deaf Native Signers And Deaf Early Signers With Respect To Phonological Perception, Ian Deandrea-Lazarus

Undergraduate University Honors Capstones

Common criteria for a native ASL signer include exposure to ASL from birth and having Deaf parents. This study questions the necessity of the second criterion by comparing two groups: 16 Deaf adults with Deaf parents and exposed to ASL from birth, and 16 Deaf adults with hearing parents and exposed to ASL before age two. All determined whether pairs of pseudosigns, sometimes differing in phonological details, matched. The two groups did not differ significantly on accuracy, but the first group responded faster than the second group on average. These findings suggest processing differences between the two groups, but otherwise …

Dissertation Abstracts, Noraini Ibrahim-González, Elizabeth Mendoza, Melissa Smith, Anna-Lena Nilsson, Risa Shaw

International Journal of Interpreter Education

No abstract provided.

Universal Design In Technology Used In Interpreter Education, Daniel Roush

International Journal of Interpreter Education

Interpreter educators need to consider whether the educational technology they use is maximally accessible and usable. This paper discusses the application of universal design (UD) principles to educational technologies that have been adopted for use in interpreter education. Particularly, the focus is on the design of video annotation software features used in the assessment of interpretations. Some features currently being used meet minimal standards of accessibility but do not fully comply with principles of UD. This paper provides an overview of a pilot study of the development of prototype annotation features that would not only accommodate specialized needs for users …

Book Review: Basic Concepts And Models For Interpreter And Translator Training, Revised Edition, Sherry Shaw

International Journal of Interpreter Education

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

International Journal of Interpreter Education

No abstract provided.

Skill Transfer From Sight Translation To Simultaneous Interpreting: A Case Study Of An Effective Teaching Technique, Zhongwei Song

International Journal of Interpreter Education

In this article, a case study is presented that demonstrates the potential of a new sight translation (ST) teaching technique for simultaneous interpreting (SI) training. By using animated, time-controlled PowerPoint presentations instead of texts on paper, this method induces constraints such as time pressure and attention splitting, thus making ST essentially an on-line information processing activity, closely resembling SI. Apart from reviewing how to design the method, the author compares it with the two existing methods (i.e., ST with prior reading and ST without prior reading), makes some hypothetical analysis of its functionality in SI training, and discusses some preliminary …

Editorial: And So It Goes..., Jemina Napier

International Journal of Interpreter Education

No abstract provided.

Mentoring: A Vital Learning Tool For Interpreter Graduates, Jemina Napier

International Journal of Interpreter Education

In 2007, the Australian Sign Language Interpreters Association [Victoria; ASLIA (VIC)] and the Victorian Deaf Society (Vicdeaf) ran a twelve-month pilot mentoring program for new graduate sign language interpreters who lived in the state of Victoria, in collaboration with Macquarie University and the Centre of Excellence for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing at the Northern Melbourne Institute of Technical and Further Education (NMIT). Fourteen mentees and matching mentors participated in the program. Both ASLIA (VIC) as a professional body, and Vicdeaf as an employer, shared a commitment to professional development for practitioners and also a keen desire …

Teaching Goals Of Interpreter Educators, Stephen Fitzmaurice

International Journal of Interpreter Education

Angelo & Cross (1993) found substantial differences in the teaching goals of faculty from different disciplines, yet they found no differences for educators based on their employment status or the type of institution in which they worked. The current quantitative study compared the teaching goals of interpreter educators with those of educators from other disciplines. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of 52 goal statements from Angelo & Cross’ Teaching Goal Inventory (TGI) in terms of what they aim to have students accomplish in their courses. The data suggest that interpreter education constitutes a separate discipline from the nine …

Training For Interpreting In Mental Healthcare In Ireland, Krisztina Zimány

International Journal of Interpreter Education

Interpreting in mental healthcare is a very specialized activity, and given the comparatively low demand, few interpreters receive full-time, area-specific training. As part of a larger research project completed in Ireland, mental health professionals who have worked with interpreters as well as interpreters with experience in working in mental health care shared their views on the subject. The interviews reveal what is available as well as what is lacking in terms of training for this specialised sub-domain of community interpreting. The findings, in general, suggest that there is room for improvement. In addition, there appears to be a difference between …

A Competency Model For Video Relay Service Interpreters, Norma Oldfield

International Journal of Interpreter Education

The development of Video Relay Services (VRS) has resulted in a new specialization in the field of sign language interpreting. However, the supply of highly skilled practitioners falls short of the increasing demand. Though interpreters are being placed in VRS call centers, there is no standardized model by which to measure VRS interpreter performance. This study uses a classic competency model design to guide the development of a competency model that identifies and describes sign language video interpreter competencies related to VRS work. A VRS competency dictionary and rating tool were created and used to measure current practitioners, and both …

Culture Brokers, Advocates, Or Conduits: Pedagogical Considerations For Deaf Interpreter Education, Campbell Mcdermid

International Journal of Interpreter Education

In a qualitative review of interpretation and Deaf² studies programs in Canada, some educators described their experiences teaching Deaf students. Most of the Deaf instructors had worked as Deaf interpreters (DIs). Given the challenges they faced as a DI, and in light of research concerning interpreters from other minority cultures, the conceptualization of their subjectivity should consider their ethnicity; perhaps the role of culture broker or advocate is appropriate in some settings. The inclusion of Deaf students in the programs led to many benefits, as described by the participants, including a heightened awareness of power, Freire’s (2004) conscientização, …

Issues In Interpreting Pedagogy, Leelany Ayob

International Journal of Interpreter Education

This paper attempts to uncover some of the issues that are relevant to the training of interpreters: (a) optimal training at the undergraduate or postgraduate level; (b) training consisting of teaching language, as opposed to teaching translation only; (c) theoretical input as a means to assist and improve translation and interpreting; (d) text typologies as a pedagogical tool; and (e) evaluation and errors. These issues are also discussed in the Malaysian context. By uncovering the issues pertaining to the training of interpreters, steps can be taken to allow further improvements to be made, not only for training purposes but also …

Effective Strategies For Teaching Consecutive Interpreting, Debra Russell

International Journal of Interpreter Education

Current research in the field of spoken and signed language points us in the direction of using consecutive interpreting; however, signed language interpreter education programs report inconsistent approaches to incorporating this research (Russell 2002b). This paper describes a frame of reference used to shape learning activities that help students to acquire the competencies required for proficient use of consecutive interpreting. This framework includes guidelines for structuring observation and analysis of interpretations. In addition, we present a typical progression of skill sequencing and material selection criteria. Finally, we suggest that programs that structure the teaching of consecutive interpreting from a holistic …

International Development Of Interpreter Specialization: Assumptions And Principles For Interpreter Educators, Anna Witter- Merithew, Brenda S. Nicodemus

International Journal of Interpreter Education

Specialization of interpreting practice exists in the field of interpreting and interpreter education through de facto and de jure processes. Interpreters are de facto specialists when they self-designate as having specialized competence for working in a particular setting, with certain populations, or within unique functions. Conversely, interpreters may be designated as specialists through external (de jure) processes such as adhering to national standards, completing advanced educational programming in specialty areas, and achieving specialty certification. There are a variety of factors that have shaped the evolution of specialization in the United States—several of which have application to the specialization of practice …

Vital: Virtual Interpreting Training And Learning, Javier González, Francesca Gany

International Journal of Interpreter Education

This paper describes a distance learning solution for the training of medical interpreters: the Virtual Interpreting Training and Learning (VITAL) Program. VITAL was developed to offer an effective, efficient, and scalable learning alternative to conventional models. The main objective of VITAL is to increase the pool of trained medical interpreters, while providing the same quality of training as in-person programs. Currently, VITAL is used in training bilingual (i.e., English and Spanish) individuals to perform as medical interpreters. An expanded pool of trained medical interpreters will ultimately lead to enhanced communication between providers and their patients and reduce the occurrence of …

The Master's Degree In French/French Sign Language Interpreting At Esit, Philippe Séro-Guillaume

International Journal of Interpreter Education

This paper presents the master’s degree in French/French Sign Language Interpreting at École Supérieure d’Interprètes et de Traducteurs (ESIT) at Université Paris III–Sorbonne Nouvelle. First, it describes the situation of deaf people, sign language, and spoken language interpreting practice and training in France. Second, the paper explains the specifics of the ESIT master’s degree.

Struggling Between Aspirations To Innovate And The Tyranny Of Reality, Yong Zhong

International Journal of Interpreter Education

In this paper, I reflect on over twenty years of teaching interpreting, evolving from a “listen and interpret” teacher to an aspirant for innovation. There are discussions of how I broke out of the comfort zone of notions of “accuracy” and “correct interpretation,” but the focus of the paper is on how a broadened vision enabled me to formulate my own teaching philosophies and on how I am teaching interpreting in an evolved regime. I will also discuss the outcomes of the innovations. As will be shown, there are positive outcomes for the students, the innovator, and the university. But …