Deaf Education in America: Voices of Children from Inclusion Settings

8. Interviews With Educational Interpretation

110 The focal point of this study was the voices of deaf children. But in addition, the perspectives of others in the educational setting are also helpful in gaining understanding of the intertwined dynamic of social interaction and communication. Since the interpreter is in the middle of most communicative acts, the interpreter’s perspective seems particularly beneficial. I interviewed ten interpreters for this study.The interpreters interviewed ranged from 26–58 years of age, and resided in Pennsylvania, Missouri, and Ohio. All interpreters have worked as educational interpreters in the K–12 setting (see Table 8.1). All interpreters have worked in large suburban school districts, and some interpreters have also worked in small rural school districts. All interpreters interviewed share a common experience of being bilingual in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. Eight of the interpreters have graduated from an interpreter training program, five are certified, and four also hold credentials as a teacher (see Table 8.2). The interpreters’ responses have been organized by topics. After presenting the responses for each topic, an interpretive section discusses the themes emerging within those responses. The final interpretive section presents a collective discussion of the major themes found throughout the interpreter interviews. The names used are fictitious, and some additional identifying information has been changed to protect the identities of the participants. However, all the stories and vignettes are direct quotes from the interpreters. Narrative Sketches of the Interpreters Patricia: Patricia is a certified interpreter who has an extensive background in educational interpreting. Her experiences include 16 years of interpreting for deaf students from kindergarten through graduate school. She also has interpreted for a number of students with various special Interviews With Educational Interpreters 8 111 Interviews With Educational Interpreters needs. Patricia has taught interpreting at the college level and has worked as a freelance interpreter for members of the adult deaf community. Patricia is a certified interpreter. Linda: Linda has been involved in interpreting for nearly 16 years. She was initially a deaf education teacher and then later chose to change careers to become an educational interpreter. Her experiences have been mostly with elementary children and always in inclusion settings. Kimberly: Kimberly learned sign language from a deaf childhood friend. She attended an interpreter training program and was hired as an educational interpreter after graduation. She has been interpreting for 5 years and has maintained a strong focus on promoting the social side of learning. Kelly: While attending an interpreter training program, Kelly became actively involved in the deaf community. Since graduation, she has continued to be actively involved with deaf adults in her community. Kelly is Table 8.1 Professional Experiences of Interpreters Elementary Middle school High school Patricia X X X Linda X Kimberly X X X Kelly X Toia X X X Mary X X Cheryl X Cathy X X X Laurie X X Jean X X X Table 8.2 Education/Certifications of Interpreters Graduated from an interpreter-training program Certified interpreter Holds credentials as a deaf education teacher Patricia X X Linda X Kimberly X Kelly X X Chapter Eight 112 a young interpreter and promotes professionalism among interpreters as a strong priority. She currently works both as a freelance interpreter and as an educational interpreter. Kelly is a certified interpreter. Toia: Toia has both national and international experiences with deaf people. She has graduated from an interpreter training program and has since been hired as an educational interpreter. Her experiences include elementary school, middle school, and high school. She also has experience teaching at a school for the deaf. Mary: Mary graduated from an interpreter training program. Since graduation, she has been actively involved in the deaf community through her church. She has now completed her second year as an educational interpreter in integrated schools. Cheryl: Cheryl was first introduced to sign language through her husband ’s deaf parents. She later graduated from an interpreter training program and became certified. Cheryl maintains significant involvement in the deaf community through her church activities and serves in a leadership role in her school system. Cathy: Cathy became interested in sign language as a teenager, when three deaf girls joined her Girl Scout troop. She followed her interest in college, where she gained the qualifications to be a deaf education teacher. However, she later decided to change career and become an educational interpreter. Soon...