For INTERPRETERS: A Wishlist

It's not letting me edit my post, so I wanted to add:

-When an interpreter stops and asks you for clarification, especially when you use a name sign, and we ask you to spell it, do not treat us as if we're stupid. We don't know everyone in the entire world, and we especially do not know their name signs. There are many signs or things you don't understand, and we explain them to you without so much as a flinch. Please have the same respect for us.

-You know how when we or the hearing person gives you a phone number or an account number, we/they do it slowly so you can write it? Please have the same respect for us. Do not sign a number so incredibly fast that nobody except you understood it, and then get pissed because we/the hearing person asks you to repeat it. We take the time to help you understand things you missed, or write things down; please do the same, as we have to type them into the computer, and so does the hearing customer service representative who is looking for your account.

-Please sit a little closer than 300 feet away from the camera.

-Please sit a little farther away than two inches from the camera.

-Please use the option on your videophone so you can view yourself. It's hard to interpret for someone who has the camera focused on half of their body with their head cut off.

*sigh*
 
Wow, vrsterp. That is a very comprehensive list of all the things that I wish VRS users knew. We're interpreters, not mind readers. I'd just like to add one thing.

-Don't put your VP facing a window then stand in front of the window and expect me to interpret your call. If I can't see you, I'm going to ask you to fix your VP and call back.
 
vrsterp said:
-Please do not say the same word repeatedly until you see me mouth it. I am waiting for the rest of your sentence.
Click to expand...
This goes for non-VRS situations too! :D

-If you are testing your VP, please just tell me. Don't have me call someone who's standing 3 feet away from you and pretend to have a conversation with them. I can tell.
Click to expand...
Oh good, so when I tested the software I installed last night, I did the right thing. I set it up so I can have friends call to chat, but I didn't have anybody online to test it with, so I called VRS. Heh! At least I told her I was just testing.
 
vrsterp said:
-Please realize that different areas have different signs. It does not mean the interpreter is wrong. He/she will try to the best of their ability to use your local signs....
Click to expand...
Oh, yes! Maybe Deaf person #1 knows that shaking a "C" means Charlotte in North Carolina but Deaf person #2 is from South Carolina, and knows that's the name sign for Charleston.

We get quite a few "transplanted" Deafies in our area, and they expect all their regional signs and name signs to transfer with them. I get that "what's-the-matter-with-you?" look when I don't instantly recognize someone's local sign name or abbreviation from another state.
 
Rochester (NY) and Richmond (VA) share a name sign, which makes things very confusing in the Washington DC area.
 
I interpret for two boys, ages 15 and 16, who sign like boys at that age talk: A series of semi-coherant "mumbles," incomplete sentences/thoughts, etc. This is hard enough to voice when your hands are free. Please don't hold a pencil in one hand and a piece of paper in the other, then get upset when I can't figure out what you're saying. It's like a hearing person talking with a pen in their mouth.
 
ayala920 said:
I interpret for two boys, ages 15 and 16, who sign like boys at that age talk: A series of semi-coherant "mumbles," incomplete sentences/thoughts, etc. This is hard enough to voice when your hands are free. Please don't hold a pencil in one hand and a piece of paper in the other, then get upset when I can't figure out what you're saying. It's like a hearing person talking with a pen in their mouth.
Click to expand...
Hah! We talked about this when we met at Starbucks, right? I call it "college signing" because a lot of Gallaudet students sign this way, but it's really just mumbling.
 
I only have 20 minutes left on my lunch break, so I haven't read every single post...but while skimming through, I noticed that a big complaint was "ask them such and such", rather than just asking directly. I can understand why this would be frustrating, which is exactly why I'm going to try not to do it. Eventually, I plan on being a public interpreter.

But for now, I barely know ASL, and I'm going to (finally) introduce myself to a deaf member at church. Besides trying to remember all the signs I know already, if he says something I don't get, I'm going to ask our friend what he said, then reply directly back to him! Not just "oh, tell him such and such". If I don't know a reply sign, I'm gonna ask to be shown, and repeat it myself... for one thing, I need the practice ;)

Might turn out to be a sort of long introduction/conversation, but I figure it's polite at least!

Another thought, kinda following this, is TTY-relay operators. I used to do telemarketing (desperate for money! LOL), and I had a call, and she told me to speak like I was talking to the other person directly, and more or less ignore the fact she was between us. I think that should kinda be how it is for interpreteres...just think of them like a tool, rather than a copy of the person you're actually talking to. At least that's how I see it. (not to say that interpreters aren't people...but they are a resource too!)

I go back to number crunching now...yay...
 
Vivid-Dawn said:
Besides trying to remember all the signs I know already, if he says something I don't get, I'm going to ask our friend what he said, then reply directly back to him!
Click to expand...

Or you could just ask the deaf person what he said. :) One of the very first things we learned how to sign: "AGAIN SLOW PLEASE?" (And lord knows I haven't stopped using that one even as a professional...)
 
Interpretrator said:
Or you could just ask the deaf person what he said. :) One of the very first things we learned how to sign: "AGAIN SLOW PLEASE?" (And lord knows I haven't stopped using that one even as a professional...)
Click to expand...

hahahah
 
Interpretrator said:
Or you could just ask the deaf person what he said. :) One of the very first things we learned how to sign: "AGAIN SLOW PLEASE?" (And lord knows I haven't stopped using that one even as a professional...)
Click to expand...

Well, yes... but I've only had 6 hours of ASL class. I figure there's some things I'm not gonna know, no matter how slow he goes. But I have memorized that 'question', trust me ;)
The weird thing is, though, I hear most people have trouble reading signs. I'm the opposite...I can watch and understand just fine. It's trying to do them myself, that gets me all confuzzled *g*
 
Vivid-Dawn said:
Well, yes... but I've only had 6 hours of ASL class. I figure there's some things I'm not gonna know, no matter how slow he goes. But I have memorized that 'question', trust me ;)
Click to expand...

I understand what you're saying, but I still recommend asking the deaf person first, they can fingerspell if nothing else, and if after two or three times you still don't get it, (depending on the patience of the deaf person) then you guys can both agree to use an "interpreter." Most deaf people would much rather communicate directly with you, and don't you automatically turning to an interpreter every time you don't understand.

Vivid-Dawn said:
The weird thing is, though, I hear most people have trouble reading signs. I'm the opposite...I can watch and understand just fine. It's trying to do them myself, that gets me all confuzzled *g*
Click to expand...
With most languages you can understand more than you can say yourself, so that does kind of make sense, BUT most of the time, especially when are first learning ASL, you are able to say more than you understand if people are signing at normal speed. IF they slow way down for you, maybe you understand better, but most ASL students I know can say much more than they understand.
I actually have tutored some ASL students that will sign or fingerspell something, and then if I sign or fingerspell it right back because I am referring to it or asking for clarification they have to ask me to repeat, sometimes enough times that by the time they understand it they've forgotten they originally said it!
I don't mean to sound discouraging, just giving my two cents, I'm glad you are learning sign and I hope you stick with it!
 
I Am A Teacher And Deaf Interpreter For The Florida School For The Deaf And Blind And It Is On A Daily Basis That We Have A Hearing Guest Or Visitor On Campus. The Same Thing Always Bothers Me; Every Time A Hearing Visitor Replies To A Question Asked By One Of The Students, They Always Add "tell Him, Or Can You Tell Her?" It Is So Annoying. I Am An Interpreter, If A Student Ask You A Question, I Know That The Reply Is For The Student And Not Me, Duh!! All Of My Deaf Clients Are Great!!!!!! Of Course, I Am Also Thier Teacher, So They Kinda Have To Be
 
magroo16 said:
I Am A Teacher And Deaf Interpreter For The Florida School For The Deaf And Blind
Click to expand...
Welcome to AllDeaf, from an FSD alum! What department and what subject are you teaching?
 
magroo16 said:
I Am A Teacher And Deaf Interpreter For The Florida School For The Deaf And Blind And It Is On A Daily Basis That We Have A Hearing Guest Or Visitor On Campus. The Same Thing Always Bothers Me; Every Time A Hearing Visitor Replies To A Question Asked By One Of The Students, They Always Add "tell Him, Or Can You Tell Her?" It Is So Annoying. I Am An Interpreter, If A Student Ask You A Question, I Know That The Reply Is For The Student And Not Me, Duh!! All Of My Deaf Clients Are Great!!!!!! Of Course, I Am Also Thier Teacher, So They Kinda Have To Be
Click to expand...


Wouldn't it be possible to inform the hearing guest or visitor the proper etiquette? Most hearing people simply do not know what to do, but I believe given the proper etiquette most would use it.
 
magroo16 said:
I Am A Teacher And Deaf Interpreter For The Florida School For The Deaf And Blind And It Is On A Daily Basis That We Have A Hearing Guest Or Visitor On Campus. The Same Thing Always Bothers Me; Every Time A Hearing Visitor Replies To A Question Asked By One Of The Students, They Always Add "tell Him, Or Can You Tell Her?" It Is So Annoying. I Am An Interpreter, If A Student Ask You A Question, I Know That The Reply Is For The Student And Not Me, Duh!! All Of My Deaf Clients Are Great!!!!!! Of Course, I Am Also Thier Teacher, So They Kinda Have To Be
Click to expand...
Off Topic begin...
Is it necessary to capitalize the first letter of each words in your post? What's up with that?
Off Topic end...
 
loml said:
Wouldn't it be possible to inform the hearing guest or visitor the proper etiquette? Most hearing people simply do not know what to do, but I believe given the proper etiquette most would use it.
Click to expand...

This is one of the most common things interpreters complain about (at least the ones I know and work with). It's a sticky situation because there are several ways to handle it and they can all be good or bad ideas depending on the situation.

Here's my run-down, anyone else please join in:

1. Sign EXACTLY what is said to the deaf student, i.e. sign "TELL-HIM" at the beginning of every sentence. Ideally the student will question this ("TELL WHO?"), thus opening the way to correct the hearing person, or will simply recognize what's happening and ask to be addressed directly.

However, some deaf students either don't grasp the situation or, in my experience, don't want to correct a person in authority. So there are a couple of other things to do.

2. At a convenient moment, explain to the student what's going on. This may further encourage the student to address the situation himself (the best-case scenario), or the student might just blow it off.

Basically it's better to empower the deaf student rather than just taking charge yourself. However, sometimes you do have to decide if it's worth stepping in. Is it a good time to educate this hearing person, and is the person likely to be receptive or offended? The last thing you want to do is hinder communication because of a point that the student doesn't even care about, by making the hearing person feel like a fool.

3. If you do decide it's important to do something, then at a convenient moment, sign and speak a short and polite request that the hearing person address the deaf student directly. You don't have to go into details about why what the hearing person is doing is inappropriate, impolite, etc. Just make it short and sweet. I try to make it seem somewhat off-hand, almost like it doesn't matter, which often has the opposite (and desired) effect of making the hearing person realize that it IS important not to continue doing that.

After all this, there is usually one of three different results: The hearing person gets it immediately and there is no further problem; the hearing person gets it but can't help reverting back to "tell him..."; the hearing person doesn't get it at all and there's no point pressing the issue in a one-time meeting. That's my experience anyway.

If the deaf student and hearing person are going to be working together in the future, however -- or if the hearing person is going to be working with ANY deaf people and interpreters in the future -- sometimes it really is necessary to take further steps, like having a little three-way conference outside the classroom or meeting setting, to emphasize the necessity of addressing the deaf student directly. I have been in classrooms where this has been a problem for the entire semester and the teacher NEVER got it; also where the teacher frequently slipped but usually caught herself.

Sorry for this essay-length answer but I happen to be waiting around for a phone call. :whistle:
 
If it's a brief one-off conversation, I usually won't correct it. If they have a longstanding relationship, or will be developing one, I usually let it go the first couple of times and sign the TELL-HIM to the client. If the client hasn't said anything, I will jump in and say "you can go ahead and speak directly to (him/her/them)." Short and sweet.
 
Back
Top