Hello, I’m The Interpreter. A Blog.

The title of this page also happens to be the first 4 words I say when entering an appointment as “The Sign Language Interpreter”. This brief statement says so much more than just the meaning of the terms. The Interpreter has a big complicated job to do and it is not one we take lightly. The majority of my colleagues take very seriously our charge to provide communication access. Ask us, we’ll tell you all about it!

We interpreters are professionals who work to continue to advance our skills throughout our career, much like other professionals such as doctors, lawyers and educators. In fact our credentials require a quota of continuing education hours in order to maintain our certification allowing us to provide interpreting services.

The signs and facial expressions the interpreter produces are not just magic flying hand signals. American Sign Language abbreviated as ASL, is a complex language distinctly separate from spoken English. ASL, like all languages contains within it the characteristics needed to be considered its own language. Like norms for pronunciation, a standard order of words, as well as signs used to differentiate asking a question or make to a statement.

The interpreter while taking into account the functional production of ASL must also take into consideration the many variations of the language dependent on things such as region, age, gender and other social and cultural diversities.

The next time you see an interpreter producing visual language, know that there is a lot of complicated stuff happening in their head and it is all happening nearly instantaneously. We do this to create connection between a world that signs and a world that speaks.