Cara in TX

Please? I am an interpreting student in Houston TX. I have a class assignment where I need to ask some "interview questions". I need a Level 2/advanced or higher to answer the first set and an out-of-state Terp to answer the second set. Anyone out there who would like to help a lowly student? Please?


Level2 or Advanced Terp:


Name: (first name is enough, or board name)

What type of Certification do you hold?


1. How many years have you been interpreting?

2. What do you like about the industry?

3. What do you dislike about the industry?

4. What have you experienced on your job that you wish you had been more adequately trained?

5. What is one of the worse experiences you have had as an interpreter?

6. Do you enjoy interpreting?

7. What advice do you have for students in the interpreting training program, preparing to be interpreters?


Any Out of State Terp (not TX and can't be the same person as above)

Name: (can be just your first or board name)

What type and level of Certification do you hold?

1. How many years have you been interpreting?

2. What do you like about the industry?

3. What do you dislike about the industry?

4. What have you experienced on your job that you wish you had been more adequately trained?

5. What is one of the worse experiences you have had as an interpreter?

6. Do you enjoy interpreting?

7. What advice do you have for students in the interpreting training program, preparing to be interpreters?


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Thank you so much, in advance! I am loving my classes so far and really want to work with kids. This will help me so much in my Intro to Interp class.

~Cara in TX

Deafness

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HoHGuyOhio

Chris--NAD V, NIC Advanced

12 years

That it really is an interpreter's market now. There is so much work (community and VRS) that the interpreter really gets to choose when they want to work compared to the pre-VRS days where interpreters were at the mercy of how the cards fell that week.

That so many interpreters are choosing to work in VRS exclusively while their home Deaf community goes without interpreters.

There's not a whole lot that I haven't done in the way of interpreting. You can't prepare for every situation. It's important to be flexible and able to adapt to unexpected situations.

Being a staff interpreter at a hospital and on-call 24/7 with little back-up. Overworked and underpaid.



Absolutely!

I worry that the Deaf community is being removed from the interpreter training equation. Socialization, even immerson into the Deaf community is really a necessity for learning ASL and developing a profound respect for the Deaf community. You'll never "get it" if you only learn from your instructor, DVDs, and the occasional deaf community event.

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Chris
Certified Interpreter
NAD V, NIC Advanced

Cara in TX

Thank you so much! This will really help.

You will be happy to know that at my school Deaf events are requirements. Of the four classes I am taking...Intro to Interp, ASL 2, Fingerspelling, and Visual Gesture, they each require we attend at least 3 events where we must interact with the Deaf community. Tonight I am going to a Deaf Ed panel about educating Deaf kids and tomorrow night is a social at the mall food court. So that means I must attend about one event a week during this semester.

Last weekend we had 3 different events I attended. We also have Deaf Dinners, bowling, etc. I am really getting to know the Deaf community here.

I also think interaction is invaluable. So do my professors. We are lucky here in Houston that we have a very involved community.


Thank you again! Gotta leave in a few minutes, it will take me over an hour to drive across town for the panel.

Oceanblue7

Hope that helps you

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All year round Patriots Gal
Lord, you give light to my lamp. My God brightens the darkness around me. Psalm 18:28

Etoile

Do you still need answers from other out of state terps?

Cara in TX

Tank you so much OceanBlue, that will help so much!

Etoile, I would love to have one more, if you don't mind.

Thank you!

Etoile

Meredith
RID certification - CI/CT
Almost 6 years
You get to experience a wide variety of situations. I have done medical, theater, VRS, educational, all different kinds of things. I have learned a little bit from every place I have gone to. I don't necessarily remember it all, but I think doing a little bit of everything helps broaden your knowledge overall.
There is a lot of personal competition. I think we should all be focused on serving our clients, but instead there is a lot of "I'm better than you" and "I'm more experienced than you" and general haughtiness between terps. Not always, but it's there. Also, it's frustrating to watch audism happening and not be able to do anything about it.
I wish I had been more prepared for criticism. Some people will find something to criticize no matter what. Even if your interpreting was flawless, they didn't like that you crossed your legs when sitting, or your posture when standing, or your jewelry, or whatever.
That would have to be my very first assignment ever. It was a hospital setting, and the deaf client lifted up his hospital gown and flashed me. Repeatedly. I ended up sitting in the hall. I was kind of in the way, but once the nurses heard what had happened, they understood!
Oh yes, I love it. I may whine and complain a lot but I still love my job.
Trust yourself. If you aren't confident, it will come through in your interpreting. If you don't trust yourself with the assignment, don't do it...so the rest of the time, trust yourself!. Also, be a good teammate...don't read a book while your team is up there interpreting. Be ready to feed them if they need it, switch early if they need it, etc. Also, be prepared for hearing people to come up to you and say "that was so beautiful, you're such a good interpreter" - refrain from replying "how would you know?"