International Perspectives on Sign Language Interpreting

FOREWORD

F O R E W O R D UBUNTU, A WORD from the Xhosa people of Africa, has been in the headlines recently; it has no real English equivalent, but one definition by Archbishop Desmond Tutu describes a person with ubuntu as being someone open and available to others, someone who is not only willing to share but to be vulnerable and admit their weaknesses. A person with ubuntu has the self-assurance of knowing they belong in a greater whole and are supported by it. So, on reading this latest volume in the Interpreter Education series published by Gallaudet University Press, I could not help but feel the strong sense of ubuntu throughout. As a practicing interpreter, interpreter trainer, and president of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI), which is in touch with interpreters from 171 different countries, I am very aware of the commonality of interests and challenges shared by my colleagues around the globe. From the moment WASLI was established in 2005, it was overwhelmed by requests from all over the world for information and resources in relation to the education and training of signed language interpreters. There is no doubt, therefore, that this publication will fill an enormous void, providing as it does, an international overview. The contributors , many of whom I know personally and all of whom are experienced educators, trainers, or practitioners from both income-rich and income-poor countries from every continent, not only give us an insight into how signed language interpreter training has developed in each nation but share with us honestly the difficulties they have faced. Such honesty is refreshing for it enables us to see that no part of the world has achieved all that is necessary in the field of interpreter education ; a common thread is the constant striving to do more, and do it better. We see a move away from ad hoc short courses, often Deaf community led, where trainers have had to fight against the stigmatization of signed languages, into full-time degree courses within tertiary education and with xiii L I Z S C O T T G I B S O N government funding. We explore how culture, religion, politics, and legislation affect the professionalization of signed language interpreters. We read of the challenges in utilizing today’s new technology to extend the reach of training opportunities across nations. Each chapter deepens our understanding of the issues and helps us to draw comparisons between the perspectives of the authors and our own. I believe that significant progress in the education and training of interpreters can be made through collaborative relationships and dialogues, and the kind of information sharing so ably demonstrated in this book. However , in the move toward the shared internationalization of such knowledge, we must recognize that we are not seeking the homogenization of training structures or the imposition of knowledge from more experienced nations on those that are beginning to establish such training. The comments from contributors on the risks and rewards of foreign outside expertise should serve as a timely reminder to us all. The very breadth of the articles included are indeed a framework for the respectful sharing of ideas and experiences, and the promotion of best practice, but they should also lead us to critical scrutiny, to question, and ultimately to value the diversity of our profession as well as those things that we have in common. The recent United Nations Convention on the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) refers to the rights of deaf people to use professional signed language interpreters—terminology hard fought for by representatives of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD). The following WFD Congress held in Spain in 2007 saw both WASLI and the WFD agree on a formal joint statement, which included the expressed wish to work together to increase learning opportunities for signed language interpreters and provide support to developing countries. WASLI firmly believes that progress in the field of signed language interpreting can only take place by working in partnership with deaf people and their associations . To quote another Xhosa speaker, Nelson Mandela: “The common ground is greater and more enduring than the differences that divide.” I am delighted to see this positive ethos reflected in International Perspectives on Sign Language Interpreter Education. I commend it to you. xiv FOREWORD International Perspectives on Sign Language Interpreter Education ...