Frequently asked questions
Why do interpreters work in teams of two and why do they switch so often?
Question 1
ASL Interpreters work in teams of two or more for a couple of reasons which almost all boil down to message accuracy. The first reason is to prevent mental fatigue associated with working in two, sometimes three languages. The second is to prevent physical injury to the interpreter. Interpreters can be at risk for repetative use injury which is increased when working alone for long periods of time. Typically interpreters switch between the acive iinterpreter and the support interpreter every 20-30 minutes depending on several factors.
Another reason interpreters work in teams of two or more so that interpreters in the support role will catch hard to catch phrases, cue the active interpreter regarding overhead media, and work with the tech teeam to correct any techincal issues that effect the interpretation.
A.S.L. Interpreter and Interpreting
Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ)
Question 2
How long can an assignment be before it requires two interpreters?
Question 3
Is sign language universal?
No sign language isn't universal. Each country has their own sign language. There is an international sign language that is used at international Deaf events, but there is no one univerally used sign language.
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Every situation is addressed on a case by case basis. Generally any appointment sceduled to last more than an hour and a half will require two interpreters. A program lasting less than an hour an d a half but that is pirmarily lecture, would also require a team of two. A longer assigment that has a lot of "down time" or time when the interpreter is not actively interpreting, for example hospital bedside interpreting, would only require one interpreter for a four hour shift.
Question 4
Sometimes I see a Deaf person interpreting in addition to the hearing intepreters. What's that about?
Very observant! Deaf Intepreters (DI) are a valuable members of the intepreting team any time the intended recipient is Deaf but doesn't use ASL as their primary language, such as with refugees and those who have recently immigrated, or if the message is still unclear though skillfully intepreted using ASL such as can happen with conversations including vocabulary for which their is no established sign, or the sign is not descriptive and therefore less broadly understood. Deaf people living with cognitive delays, or sudden acute hearing loss can also benefit from having a Deaf Interpreter on the team.
Question 5
Why do interpreters where black so much of the time?
Intepreters wear solid colors that contrast with their skin tone, so if you are seeing an intepreter wearing black I presume they have lighter skin. Black is the traditional color because it is easily visibile from a distance, allowing an interpreter on stage to be visable to a person in a seat a few rows back in the audience. Black is also a great color for folks who are Deaf with low vision or blindness because of the contrast. I mentioned that the interpreter's skin tone dictates the color they wear but you will rarely see an intepreter wearing a white shirt (unless it is under another shirt/sweater). White reflects light and watching it for long periods of time can be hard on the eyes. Intepreters who wear colors other than black are careful to avoid shades, and textures that will be hard on the eyes of the Deaf people we serve.
Question 6
I work in a doctor's office and we use the laptop interpreter. Some of the patients complain that they don't like it. Isn't that the same as a live interpreter?
Face to Face intepreters are always ideal because the intepreter can visibly see in real time if the Deaf person is understanding the message and clarify any questions they have about the response. The face to face interpreter can insure line of sight and lighting that are sufficient for the Deaf person. Video Remote Interpreters (the laptop intepreter) are a wonderful resource for those in rural communities where there are few or no interpreters, and driving distance is prohibitive to providing a face to face interpreter. The chief complaint I hear from Deaf people is that the WiFi is unreliable and the itnepreter freezes up. Next , the intepreter is hard to see, or doesn't understand them and it's hard to interject to clarify.
With that said, if a face to face interpreter can't be arranged, a Video Remote interpreter may be an option. The final decision should be left to the Deaf person you are serving. Video Remote Interpreters are NEVER a good option for a person who identifies as Deaf/Blind