Newbie type question for Interpreters

[Etoile]

While I don't actually see anyone abruptly leaving class, I want to work so that an interpreter would not even want to do so. I will also be very careful to not give feeds to interpreters, I'd be pretty upset if someone tried to do that to me. My goal is to make this as pleasant as possible, but that is very difficult to do if I have no clue as to what the pleasantries are. Thank you all again, you are a blessing!

I would think that if a terp was wishing they could leave class, it probably wouldn't be because of an overeager hearing student. Remember, while working with an interpreter is new to YOU, both the deaf student and the interpreter have been doing this for years. I wouldn't worry about trying so hard to make it pleasant - the terp will know what he or she needs to work comfortably and will certainly make that happen. Also, did I understand correctly that you don't know sign language? (You mentioned "the speechreading we use now" so I am guessing you do not sign.) If you don't sign, then you won't have any occasion to feed the terp anyway. Feeding means giving them a word they didn't catch - for example, if they couldn't hear a word, a feed is when the other terp signs the word to them. Personally I wouldn't expect a non-signer to be feeding me at all.

Again, I wouldn't focus so much on providing the ideal setting for an interpreter. That job belongs to the professor, the interpreter, and the deaf student - the three of them work together to give the terp a comfortable environment. Not disturbing them during downtime is just courtesy...the rest of it is probably not anything you need to worry so much about.

 

[Interpretrator]

Do you not interpret the group communication? I've always had to do that, it's a pain in the neck but it's how I've always handled it.

Oh yeah, I definitely do, and oh yeah, it's a pain in the neck.

My statement wasn't clear; what I meant is that what I have seen is the deaf student being involved in small-group discussions (which I interpret) as well as one-on-one communication with hearing students that they negotiate themselves using writing or gestures, unless one of them asks for me.