SIGN LANGUAGE/ENGLISH INTERPRETATION

Sign Language/English Interpretation



Sign Language/English Interpretation

Introduction

Sign language interpreting has been a practice since signers came into contact with speakers. Facilitating communication between these two groups of people constitutes what Stewart, Schein, and Cartwright (1998) call “the art and science” of sign language interpreting, a profession now centered on enabling communication between deaf, signing persons and nondeaf, speaking persons. Napier (2002) mentions that the interpreting process involves more than just these two (groups of) people, however. Indeed, interpreting is always a triangular act, calling on three—and sometimes even four—groups of people: those who know and use sign or sign languages, those who do not, those who interpret between those two, and sometimes also those who administer and finance interpreting programs. This paper discusses sign language/English interpretation in the context of my personal experiences in a concise and compressive way.

Sign Language/English Interpretation: My Personal Experiences

I was booked to do a financial work shop. Previously have done this kind of training for the same agency and assumed that it was for the same organisation but having different deaf clients. When I finally got the booking details, I was really busy the whole day and did not have time to look at it properly. So that night when I was doing a journey plan realised that the post code is state a different location. Then thought they have changed the location but still went to the address with the post code, only to discover that the venue is the New Scotland Yard building, I was overwhelmed, by the security checks that I went through which reminded me of my travels through the airport. When I finally got the receptionist, I was asked to wait for an escort to take me to the training room.

When I got to the registration table, I introduced myself to the officer who informed me that my co-worker had already arrived and at that instant, she walked towards me and informed me that the training had already started. To my surprised the training details says 2pm training and registration starts at 1.30 pm. Which means they had started even earlier than 1.30 pm? It became apparent that the training was a whole day affair. Unfortunately, the deaf person wanted to attend only the afternoon session. This information was not properly passed on to me or my co-worker. Therefore there was no opportunity to talk to any of the facilitator. It also became impossible for me to talk to my co-worker for us to team interpret as she reckoned that there was no time to do so; we she said we should take 20 minutes turns. She also told me that she has repetitive arm injury and that she would like to have more brakes. At this juncture the deaf client arrived and we discovered that the seat reserved for us is not appropriate, with this commotion my nerves played up and the pressure built-up.

Because of the whole arrangement, which has also made impossible for me to see my ...