Spring Semester Observations

Due to confidentiality and the consumers at my practicum site, I was not able to record samples of my work. I will instead describe three recurring interpreting situations, ways I improved over the course of the semester, and connections to the CPC.

Situation 1

Nearly every week I interpreted an early elementary STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) class with a hearing instructor and dDeafDB students. Having that consistency allowed me to get to know the learning and communication preferences of the students, get to know the teacher and flow of the class, and have an idea of how to prepare for the assignment. In the first few weeks, I was asked by my mentor if I wanted to view the presentation slides before class, but after a couple of weeks, I was able to take the initiative to request them myself early in the day and take more time to review. Additionally, I had different staff interpreters supervising me week to week, so I could receive a variety of suggestions for signs to fit commonly discussed topics and build a wider collection in my mind to use in future scenarios. 

In this situation, the major tenet that proposed a demand was “Interpreters conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the specific interpreting situation.” I have previously worked in early elementary education, and as such had a difficult time remembering to “wear my interpreter hat” as we referred to it, instead of playing with the children or correcting misbehavior. As time went on, it was easier to remember the purpose I served in the environment, as well as find times (such as before and after class) to find moments to briefly connect with students and build those connections.

Situation 2

Also on a nearly weekly basis, I interpreted a high school vocational class specifically assigned to one dDeafDB student instead of the more common structure of being assigned to the hearing/non-signing instructor. Another student in the class was dDeafDB, but they mostly relied on auditory access via assistive devices and would only look to me for support on rare occasions, in which case I did interpret for that student as well. Over time, I had more practice with interactive interpreting because the student produced more expressive language than many other students I interacted with. I learned valuable lessons like being careful in my word choice when voicing to avoid adding information the student did not provide. For example, the student was asked to select an object from several differently shaped objects, and I voiced “I want the circle one,” as opposed to “I want this one,” when the student pointed at the desired object. In a later discussion with the interpreter supervising me, it was brought to my attention that saying circle (something that may be considered more of an expansion than an addition in a different context) was not the best choice in that situation because the instructor may have been trying to gauge if the student knew the specific name for that shape or used it as a moment to teach the name of the shape.

In this situation, the tenet that applied the most and brought up the most demands was “Interpreters demonstrate respect for consumers.” It was not that it was difficult to respect the consumer in the standard definition of respect, and I always maintained a professional demeanor and strived to support the student’s independence and preferences as often as possible. The demand instead arose in finding language usage that best matched the client. Many students at this school have some level of difficulty with cognitive processing, and it takes time to figure out if students need things presented as yes/no questions, this/that questions, simplified sentences that depend more on gestures, etc. Some students also have more cognitive capacity than most peers and are offended if the initial approach is viewed as too condescending. This meant that for the first few weeks (and beyond, but with substantially less frequency) there was a lot of interpreting the instructor’s comment one way, checking for cues from the student, and rephrasing if necessary.

Situation 3

Throughout the practicum, there were multiple interactions with people I knew from outside interactions, as well as seeing people I knew from practicum out in the community. This involved seeing outside friends in situations where I now had to wear the interpreter hat instead of the friend hat and navigate being professional and neutral while not being cold or dismissive to my friends (Tenet 3). It also meant avoiding talking about my practicum site when in other situations with those friends to “adhere to standards of confidential communication.” 

I tend to process things best in conversation with others, and I think every piece of information that can be shared provides necessary context for understanding why the situation unfolded as it did. Because of this, I have had a difficult time learning what things are and are not appropriate details to share regarding interpreting situations, but I have been able to improve them tremendously throughout my time at my practicum. A large part of that was seeing how my mentor’s approach to debriefing one assignment changed from walking through public halls back to the interpreting office, alone in the office, with other interpreting staff in the office, and with non-interpreting staff in the office. Interpreting often involves seeing things in shades of gray instead of only black and white, and it was beneficial to see which details were and weren’t appropriate in front of certain groups. It also helped that I carpooled with another intern who is also a good friend because I was able to celebrate wins and vent any frustration that had accumulated throughout the day in a way that I typically would with friends without worrying about accidentally slipping in a name or similar confidential day.

Fall Semester Observations

  • Observation 1

    In my first week of internship, I was at an event that began later than anticipated, meaning that the client would not have an interpreter for as many portions of the event as previously thought. The client was giving a presentation, and while they spoke for themselves during the presentation, they had the interpreter for the Q&A after the presentation and networking before and after. Due to the time shift, there was no interpretation available for the post-presentation networking and the presentation itself had to be rushed. 

    This posed a demand for the interpreter because staying for the Q&A would require them to make a decision between having a cushion of time before their next assignment or staying an extra 15-20 minutes beyond the booked time. The interpreter did not have control options that could alter the time of the presentation or the start time of their next assignment, but they were able to control the time they left. Leaving later likely meant giving up the opportunity to pick up lunch from somewhere instead of eating a few snacks on the drive to the next assignment or a similar way to find a moment of rest on a busy day.

    While I did not like that the client was left without an interpreter for the remainder of the event, I also understand that had the interpreter stayed longer, the client at their next assignment would not have had the access they were supposed to due to circumstances beyond their control. There were a few team-building things done before the presentation that could have been saved for later to ensure adequate time for the presentation, but I do not think it would have been appropriate for the interpreter to make that suggestion. The client could have if they felt it would be appropriate, but beyond that, it was one of those situations where you just have to make the most of what you have.

  • Observation 2

    I observed the interpretation of the first American Sign Language class taught in a workplace. Most of the participants had little to no experience with American Sign Language or dDeafDB culture. The pace of the instructor was fairly rushed, and while I was able to follow what they were teaching due to prior knowledge, I would imagine it was quite difficult for a complete beginner to understand.

    This posed a demand for the interpreter because they had to interpret things such as how to describe handshapes and movements, gestures without English equivalents, and other things of that nature without adding information that the instructor had not given. That can become difficult when the subject is something the interpreter knows so much about. 

    Overall I think the interpreter expanded when necessary without adding information that the instructor did not give, as well as keeping their personal knowledge and opinions from seeping into the work. This was the first time I realized how difficult it can be to relay only the interpretation without jumping in to answer questions you already know how to answer. 

  • Observation 3

    I spent a fair amount of time with a freelance interpreter who was regularly in-office with a Deaf professional and interpreted as needed throughout the day. Because of this, I saw them navigate a variety of situations, but one that stuck out was a phone call with several demands to navigate. 

    The people involved in this call were the Deaf professional, the American Sign Language-English  interpreter (as well as two interns who observed), a professional at another company, the parent of an individual on the Deaf professional’s caseload, and a Spanish-English interpreter. The Deaf professional was assisting the parent with filling out an application, and both needed to talk to the other professional together to ask questions and properly fill out the form. At first, it was incredibly difficult to manage turn-taking as this was a voice-only call, not a video call. After a few minutes, the American Sign Language-English interpreter took on the role that another intern and I jokingly referred to as “the traffic cop” and would pause people to allow for complete interpretations for all involved. There were also demands caused by accents and going through a long list of Massachusetts town names, many of which have difficult spellings, similar suffixes, and/or no sign name. I was able to help clarify a few times when the interpreter needed assistance, and there were many instances where they paused for clarification. 

    This was a difficult call, and I think the interpreter handled it incredibly well. They are not often as assertive as this particular call required them to be, but when the situation required it, they directed traffic confidently and effectively. I often have a difficult time in situations like that because I am waiting for someone else to take the lead so I do not step on any toes. This call was a great example of why sometimes it is better to accidentally step on a toe than let a situation be inaccessible to multiple people and ultimately a waste of time.