Hello,
I am a not bad but not great signer taking community night classes at ASD. I really love the language and am picking it up fairly easily so far (for whatever reason). I am thinking about possibly training to become an interpreter. My question is once I have finished the level 3 class, that's about as far as I can go that I know of. The closest college level interpreter class is almost an hour away one way for me which is not really doable with three kids and a single income (me). My knowledge will need to increase somehow outside of that and after level 3 the internet doesn't provide that much more help beyond either. I'm curious how to go to that next step from a level 3 novice (whatever that means skill-wise) to being able to sign fluently, nevermind interpret.
As an interpreter how did you get into signing, and once you started, how did you take that next step to fluency? Did you do volunteer work, etc? This question doesn't really apply to CODAs or people with close family or friends where you had a person(s) you could sign with every day. I'm looking for the people who didn't have that kind of opportunity available and how they got to fluency.
My teacher doesn't have an answer for me and because the classes are at night and during summer break there are no other terps on site to ask. It has been suggested to go to Deaf clubs, though I don't want to intrude on anyone by me just randomly showing up. I would imagine a Deaf club is for Deaf people to socialize and they probably don't need someone asking them every 5 seconds "What does that sign mean or how do you sign *fingerspelled word*?" but maybe I'm wrong. I just respect people's space and time.
I'd really appreciate feedback as to how you took that step from first learning all the way to knowing the language enough to be able to interpret.
And if you have had a story similar where you didn't become a terp but gained fluency through untraditional means, I'd be curious to hear that as well.
Thanks!
K
I am a not bad but not great signer taking community night classes at ASD. I really love the language and am picking it up fairly easily so far (for whatever reason). I am thinking about possibly training to become an interpreter. My question is once I have finished the level 3 class, that's about as far as I can go that I know of. The closest college level interpreter class is almost an hour away one way for me which is not really doable with three kids and a single income (me). My knowledge will need to increase somehow outside of that and after level 3 the internet doesn't provide that much more help beyond either. I'm curious how to go to that next step from a level 3 novice (whatever that means skill-wise) to being able to sign fluently, nevermind interpret.
As an interpreter how did you get into signing, and once you started, how did you take that next step to fluency? Did you do volunteer work, etc? This question doesn't really apply to CODAs or people with close family or friends where you had a person(s) you could sign with every day. I'm looking for the people who didn't have that kind of opportunity available and how they got to fluency.
My teacher doesn't have an answer for me and because the classes are at night and during summer break there are no other terps on site to ask. It has been suggested to go to Deaf clubs, though I don't want to intrude on anyone by me just randomly showing up. I would imagine a Deaf club is for Deaf people to socialize and they probably don't need someone asking them every 5 seconds "What does that sign mean or how do you sign *fingerspelled word*?" but maybe I'm wrong. I just respect people's space and time.
I'd really appreciate feedback as to how you took that step from first learning all the way to knowing the language enough to be able to interpret.
And if you have had a story similar where you didn't become a terp but gained fluency through untraditional means, I'd be curious to hear that as well.
Thanks!
K