more interpreter issues...UGH!

[DeafCaroline]

Everything is twisted.

Hahaha...his facial expression just made me laugh. it's perfect.

 

[jillio]

Hahaha...his facial expression just made me laugh. it's perfect.

I think I have been making some of those faces while reading, lol!

 

[Frisky Feline]

Hahaha...his facial expression just made me laugh. it's perfect.

Its my pleasure. (i loved this old show tv.) lol this thread is tiring.

 

[Frisky Feline]

I think I have been making some of those faces while reading, lol!

Yes. that's what I did!

 

[Mountain Man]

I feel it is important to make a point regarding interpreting here. Effective interpreting requires an individual to utilize split brain attention to two sets of equally demanding and important information simultaneously. There is a reason that most people who know sign, even those who are fluent, cannot pass a certification examination. There is a reason that the number of interpreters compared to the number of people who know ASL or one of the MCEs is so low. It is more than a matter of knowing 2 languages. It involves specialized cognitive skills.

Think how many hearing people, or even deaf who learned English first, complain about the inability to automatically parse into ASL syntax. It requires a conscious shift from one language to the other. An interpreter remains in both English modality and ASL modality AT THE SAME TIME. They do not have the luxury of taking the time to make that shift after each segment of spoken information and each translation into ASL. Because of time lapse, they are also producing ASL translation of one segment while listening to another segment. People seem to think that all interpreting requires is a knowledge of the language. A terp also needs to know their client and to adjust interpreting based on that client's needs and cultural considerations. People seem to think that all that is needed to terp is knowledge of the language. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Here's Dennis Cokley's diagram of the interpreting process. There's a joke among interpreters that says, "This is your brain. This is your brain on Cokley."

 

[AlleyCat]

Are you thinking that some parents don't fight against being assigned an uncertified interpreter because they are "desperate to make their child 'normal'"? Do you mean that they don't want to rock the boat and be seen as a troublemaker and are willing to let their child suffer with substandard services?

There are many many like that.

Yep. Even my own parents. Not everything was all rosy.

 

[ash345]

Are you thinking that some parents don't fight against being assigned an uncertified interpreter because they are "desperate to make their child 'normal'"? Do you mean that they don't want to rock the boat and be seen as a troublemaker and are willing to let their child suffer with substandard services?

my parents faught against my school and one of my ST's trying to get me to learn ASL... my parents wouldn't allow it... because they wanted me "normal" so yes it does happen... some parents just want what is easiest for themselves, not what is best for their children. Time and time again my parents were told ASL would be better for me, and because it wasn't the doctors telling them that, but the people who had lots of interaction with me instead, they didn't listen to them... now they are just starting to find out different... and that they made lots of mistakes when it came to raising their "child who just has a LITTLE problem hearing (aka deaf child who they tried to make hearing).

 

[jillio]

Here's Dennis Cokley's diagram of the interpreting process. There's a joke among interpreters that says, "This is your brain. This is your brain on Cokley."

Thanks for posting that! I have developed even more respect for an interpreter's skills after seeing it actually diagrammed out like that!

 

[Secretblend]

I feel it is important to make a point regarding interpreting here. Effective interpreting requires an individual to utilize split brain attention to two sets of equally demanding and important information simultaneously. There is a reason that most people who know sign, even those who are fluent, cannot pass a certification examination. There is a reason that the number of interpreters compared to the number of people who know ASL or one of the MCEs is so low. It is more than a matter of knowing 2 languages. It involves specialized cognitive skills.

Think how many hearing people, or even deaf who learned English first, complain about the inability to automatically parse into ASL syntax. It requires a conscious shift from one language to the other. An interpreter remains in both English modality and ASL modality AT THE SAME TIME. They do not have the luxury of taking the time to make that shift after each segment of spoken information and each translation into ASL. Because of time lapse, they are also producing ASL translation of one segment while listening to another segment. People seem to think that all interpreting requires is a knowledge of the language. A terp also needs to know their client and to adjust interpreting based on that client's needs and cultural considerations. People seem to think that all that is needed to terp is knowledge of the language. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Based on what you said, I take it that it's easier to translate English to Spanish or Russian or any other spoken language than to translate into ASL??

 

[jillio]

Based on what you said, I take it that it's easier to translate English to Spanish or Russian or any other spoken language than to translate into ASL??

Good question. Still have to go through the same process. Syntax is different, various words represent different concepts, same thing going on. The only thing that would make it a bit easier would be that they were both spoken languages. But to interpret in the same setting that an ASL terp would be still requires split brain attention. It is very, very difficult to achieve that when both tasks being attended to require focused attention.

 

[DeafRaptor]

Are you thinking that some parents don't fight against being assigned an uncertified interpreter because they are "desperate to make their child 'normal'"? Do you mean that they don't want to rock the boat and be seen as a troublemaker and are willing to let their child suffer with substandard services?

Or no services at all. Yes, it happens with unfortunate regularity.

My parents were hearing; I was deaf. Unless you've seen my previous posts (and already know), try and guess which route they took (hint: Mountain Man's first sentence).

 

[Mountain Man]

Thanks for posting that! I have developed even more respect for an interpreter's skills after seeing it actually diagrammed out like that!

What's even more insane is that while the chart lays it all out in a logical progression, interpreters are at multiple stages of the process simultaneously. While they're producing one part of the message, they are receiving and processing another part. And round and round it goes. Novice interpreters (like me) can only keep it up effectively for about 10-minutes before their brain starts to shut down.

 

[Mountain Man]

Based on what you said, I take it that it's easier to translate English to Spanish or Russian or any other spoken language than to translate into ASL??

The primary difference is that spoken language interpreting is generally done consecutively while sign language interpreting is generally done simultaneously. I don't know if it's easier, but my guess is there's a lot more going on in the brain of a sign language terp at any given moment.

 

[jillio]

What's even more insane is that while the chart lays it all out in a logical progression, interpreters are at multiple stages of the process simultaneously. While they're producing one part of the message, they are receiving and processing another part. And round and round it goes. Novice interpreters (like me) can only keep it up effectively for about 10-minutes before their brain starts to shut down.

Exactly. That is what I stated in my post about a terp using split brain attention. But charted out like that it looks even more impossible than my description sounded.:P

I have said numerous times that even though I am bilingual and fluent in ASL and can interpret from English to ASL and ASL to English, I am not an interpreter. That ability to use split brain attention is really an innate talent, and most of the population simply can't do it. Count me in with the most.

 

[jillio]

The primary difference is that spoken language interpreting is generally done consecutively while sign language interpreting is generally done simultaneously. I don't know if it's easier, but my guess is there's a lot more going on in the brain of a sign language terp at any given moment.

That is an excellent point. Spoken language interpreting allows for the time to have an actual cognitive shift from language to language without having to function in both languages simultaneously.

 

[coolgirlspyer90]

The problem is that most parents aren't informed enough to even know to question an interpreter's qualifications. They might observe a class and see the interpreter's hands moving quickly and smoothly and think, "Wow, she's really good," then they'll look at their son who is watching the interpreter attentively and occasionally nodding, and they'll think everything is fine. Little do they know that the interpreter was not using conceptually accurate signs, and because she was overwhelmed by the speed at which the teacher was talking, she was quickly summarizing and leaving out a great deal of crucial information. At the next IEP meeting, the parents praise the skill of the interpreter and then turn to the matter of trying to figure why their son just doesn't seem to be performing at the same level as his peers.

I agree with this. My interpreter that I had since middle school up until last year of spring break, she would do this when people are watching her. Everytime i go to my IEP meetings they would wonder why I'm not doing a good job at taking tests. Its mainly because the interpreter keeps missing out information that I need to know. This has happened A LOT lately. She doesn't sign much, but when somebody is watching her, she would sign to me, but only about her personal matters and making it look like it was about school. The only way i would think about this is if the ASL teacher would come and watch her sign with the special education director with her and translate to her what the interpreter was saying.

 

[coolgirlspyer90]

I feel it is important to make a point regarding interpreting here. Effective interpreting requires an individual to utilize split brain attention to two sets of equally demanding and important information simultaneously. There is a reason that most people who know sign, even those who are fluent, cannot pass a certification examination. There is a reason that the number of interpreters compared to the number of people who know ASL or one of the MCEs is so low. It is more than a matter of knowing 2 languages. It involves specialized cognitive skills.

Think how many hearing people, or even deaf who learned English first, complain about the inability to automatically parse into ASL syntax. It requires a conscious shift from one language to the other. An interpreter remains in both English modality and ASL modality AT THE SAME TIME. They do not have the luxury of taking the time to make that shift after each segment of spoken information and each translation into ASL. Because of time lapse, they are also producing ASL translation of one segment while listening to another segment. People seem to think that all interpreting requires is a knowledge of the language. A terp also needs to know their client and to adjust interpreting based on that client's needs and cultural considerations. People seem to think that all that is needed to terp is knowledge of the language. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In preschool-Kindergarden, I was taught English Sign Language first by my old interpreter that I had up until when i was entering elementary school. I was also attending to deaf clubs throughout my preschool-elementary years and I was also learning sign there as well. Then when I entered Horace Mann (2nd grade up to 3rd grade), They had 2 small deaf class rooms, I was starting to learn ASL including when I was attending St.Rita's school for the deaf for about 1 semester in the 4th grade and moved back to Centerville city schools. I'm pretty fluent in ESL and ASL. When I entered high school, I know the ASL teacher and She was upset about how I was taught ESL first and not ASL. I guess its based on communication problems? I don't know! :/

 

[posts from hell]

I agree with this. My interpreter that I had since middle school up until last year of spring break, she would do this when people are watching her. Everytime i go to my IEP meetings they would wonder why I'm not doing a good job at taking tests. Its mainly because the interpreter keeps missing out information that I need to know. This has happened A LOT lately. She doesn't sign much, but when somebody is watching her, she would sign to me, but only about her personal matters and making it look like it was about school. The only way i would think about this is if the ASL teacher would come and watch her sign with the special education director with her and translate to her what the interpreter was saying.

Csign, take note. Oh and Grendel.

 

[CSign]

Csign, take note. Oh and Grendel.

What's the deal?

I don't have my head buried in the sand, and Grendel doesn't either.

Seriously, you need to stop with the personal issues. I haven't posted anything incorrect, nor am I ignorant about my Childs needs. Your incessant need to be negative towards and about Grendel and I is getting old.

I will say thank you in advance for not derailing the thread with the personal comments that don't contribute any to the topic at hand.

 

[posts from hell]

What's the deal?

I don't have my head buried in the sand, and Grendel doesn't either.

Seriously, you need to stop with the personal issues. I haven't posted anything incorrect, nor am I ignorant about my Childs needs. Your incessant need to be negative towards and about Grendel and I is getting old.

I will say thank you in advance for not derailing the thread with the personal comments that don't contribute any to the topic at hand.

Nah, you implied that it doesnt happen. I was just pointing it out. Nothing personal.

As far as I am concerned - I was not derailing the thread. Your comments about me being personal *IS* derailing the thread. kthxbye