2017

The Environment of
Educational Interpreter
UNDERSTANDING INTERPRETER IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT AND
THE USE OF THEIR TOOLKITS
SEAN SINDERHOLM
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The research focus on the idea of how Educational Interpreter preform their tasks during

their position. There is different approach from each interpreter. The goal of this research is to

analyze the interpreters toolkits, tasks, and duties. We can get a deeper understanding of how the

innerworkings of educational interpreter for us to see how much the tasks they would do during

their job. I sent out the anonymous survey to few sources. Disabled Student Program and Service

Department, Interpreter Preparation Program, Interpreting Agency and one Professional Hearing

Interpreter. The survey is released two months before this paper. The sample size is about 9

interpreters and all of them is educational interpreters with different experience in their field. The

sample is female from the age of 20 to 40 years old. Only 6 out of 9 have completed Interpreting

Training and Preparation Program. The participant has few credentials and degrees such as National

Interpreter Certification (NIC), Interpreting Studies, Education in K-12, Educational Interpreter

Performance Assessment (EIPA), American Sign Language Interpreting, Children Development, and

General Studies. The years of experience is from 2 to 15 years. Only 5 out of 9 is currently working

in both setting. Only 3 out of 6 interpreters is certified by Educational Interpreter Performance

Assessment. There is two specific categories, K-12 Education, and Higher Education.

K-12 and Higher Education is two separate environments. K-12 focus on children from the

age of 4 to 18. This kind of environment allow the children to develop their own individual and their

education from their own environment. K-12 Interpreters is at the risk during the environment

because most of the children will be learning from two peers; the instructor and the interpreter. It

is critical for the interpreters to ensure that they are convey the faithful message to the children. In

some case, some interpreter will have to do additional roles such as being teacher aide or aide for

the child they are assigned with. With additional role, it become burden on the interpreter to

facilitate communication with the children due to different factors during the interpretation. Often
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the district has no knowledge or understanding importance role of interpreting. Some cases, some

district want to save money on person and want the interpreters to take on dual role. Children rely

on interpreter as their role model since they are language model to the children. D/deaf

community strongly objected to this because children is being influenced by the interpreter with

the interpreters language.

Higher Education Interpreter is specialized for post-K-12 education. It came with different

factors for the interpretation. What make this different than K-12 Education is they are no longer to

care for the child. The consumers in Higher Education is independent from K-12 education. They are

longer under the authority of the interpreters. Students is freely to do anything as they please and

expect effective interpretation from the instructors. They have their own critical thinking and their

own individual that would allow them to thrive in their own setting. Interpreters do not need to

worry about having dual role and expect to be there for interpreting.

In the survey, there is 8 questions for the interpreters to answer. This section focus on roles,

functions and logistics for the setting interpreters is currently preforming their task. The question is

the question range from describing their work environment, their role as the interpreter by their

employer, tools used during the interpreting process. The next section of question focus on the

educational and professional background. The question is based on if the participant felt the

interpreting training program adequately prepare them for the field in educational setting, what

interpreting training program should include to prepare the interpreting student, their ideal

interpreting toolkit, resources for continuing education and professional development and lastly

what is their tip to share among to future interpreters. The question allows me to understand the

mindset of educational interpreters and how they able to effective communicate between two

consumers.
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As the role that is defined by their employers. This is the factor in the interpreters role to

understand how to perform their task. Often in k-12 education is assigned with dual roles as

Interpreter/Aide. With Dual role, it affects the ability for the interpreter to effective communicate

among their consumers and often would need to withdraw from interpreting to perform the aide

task. Based on the responses, most of them do their assigned position as the interpreters. Which

means the interpreter is only assigned to do communication facilitator for both consumers. One of

the participant have responded is assigned with teaching role to teach the hearing students in K-12

setting. This participant is qualified to teach American Sign Language due to educational

background.

Work Environment is the setting inside the classroom or different room the participants is

assigned to their roles. It has different factors can impact on the interpretation. The participants

respond their task is to interpret such as classroom, bus riding, Individualized Education Program,

Faculty on campus. Participant would explain the role of the interpreting and attempt to advocate

for the students to understand their right. K-12 and Higher Education is similar in environment

setting.

Tools during the interpreting process is the toolkit for the interpreters to use before, during

and after the interpreting. There is different approach of how to effective communicate with the

consumers and how to convey the message as such from Source Language to Target Language. In

specific case, interpreters use materials for supplemental information to the consumers. One of the

participant utilize the use of iPad for the toolkits to demonstrate the materials for the class such as

using YouTube showing Sign Language to the consumers. It became an issue for the participant to

use during highs school due to instructors reporting the interpreting for misconduct use of iPad

under the assumption the interpreter is playing on the iPad. Other participant has use the same tool
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to for the consumers with Minimal Language Skill to explain to the interpreter what the consumers

is attempting to convey. It allows the consumers to track down specific items or object in iPad and

show to the interpreter to understand their expression. Most of the participant have use

PowerPoint, Syllabus, books, notes and handouts to further understanding the materials during the

classroom. Participant asked the instructors to provide the materials to the interpreter. Interpreters

would study the materials before class which aid them to find a concept for the materials. Based on

of the response from participant for toolkits and their role, it shown interpreters have similar

objective and toolkits they have use during interpretation. It shown the participants is aware of

their ability to use and what interpretation they are attempting to use for the consumers.

Focusing on the next section of the survey, the question is the interpreting training and

preparation program adequately prepared the participants to effectively interpret in educational

setting. Based on the response, there is a clear indication the difference among the two setting of

educational interpreters. Majority of K-12 interpreters respond they are not prepared for K-12

Educational interpreter. They shared concerns how they are not prepared to do the task for K-12

educational interpreting. It is shared staffs in the school do not have a specific understanding of

what is the role of interpreting for the consumers. The K-12 staff have believed they are under the

assumption they are staff hence it came with board role of what staff is able to do. Teacher and

administrator of the school district do have a higher position; therefore, they have an authority

over what the interpreter should be doing in their role. It is felt it is the violation of Registry of

Interpreter for the Deafs Code of Professional Conduct, Code of Ethics as the layman term, for the

interpreters to have dual role and it interfere the interpreting process. It can affect the consumers

educational learning process. Interpreting Training Program mainly focus on the content of how to

interpret the language to other language, ethical dilemma, roles of the interpreter, and code of
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ethics. It is not taught during training program with K-12 environment. K-12 interpreter felt they are

limited with their knowledge to understand how to interpret effectively for K-12 students because it

is a different environment. In Higher Education, majority of participant in this setting is satisfied

with the training program prepared them for the future. Participants feel they are provided with

enough source to understand how to effective interpret in higher educational setting.

Next is the question regard on how the participants feel is the ideal toolkits for educational

setting. Participants share their ideal world of what the interpreter should have use for the toolkits.

Toolkits is the effective ability to understand the process of interpreting and how to apply in

interpreting. Majority recommend bringing black attire, googles, notes, sunscreen, cough drops,

notepad, papers, and name badge. Two participants point out about soft skills. It stands out to me

since other participants have not comment on that. Soft Skills is important development for

interpreters to have. Soft Skills focus on professional development. It represents of how the

interpreter are. It is the skill of how the interpreter can interact with the consumers, how to

represent itself, communication skills, etc. That skill is important due to how the consumers can

interact with the interpreters. If the interpreters do not have higher standard of soft skills, it can set

negative experience for consumers and possible for the clients to hire the future interpreters.

Others comment on understanding the materials itself such as obtaining the information from

consumers for interpreter to prepare for the task. One suggested to get class textbook for the class

and use that to prepare for the interpretation. Content Knowledge is critical for educational

interpreting due to complicated information convey to the consumers. Often the interpreters are

not always knowledgeable in specific subject that enable them to effective interpreting. Being

flexible with the content knowledge such as obtaining materials from the instructors. Also,

participant encourage the use of internet, it has a vast information regard to specific subject to
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enable the interpreter to understand the content well. Which other participant have comment

about assigning itself homework to understand the materials. It shown a common trait among

higher educational interpreters. Everyday interpreters go to multiple setting of the classroom each

day, understanding the materials is important toolkits to help the team and the consumers to know

the information that is given to them. Without the understanding of knowledge will fail the

interpreters lead to negatively impact the consumers with their experience, not only with

interpreters but also with instructors and the classroom setting. Higher education interpreters

recommend obtaining the textbook for each classroom, instructors usually follow the textbook and

enable the interpreters to pace themselves and arm with knowledge for the consumers without any

lag time.

There is a difference between higher education and K-12 education. K-12 interpreter

recommend playing with the questions and the words to allow the students to understand the

content. For example, the interpreter decides to think as a 5-year-old, how the interpreter would

interpret the message as in something for a 5-year-old to understand the materials. Using higher

education interpretation will not apply in this setting because the register and the terminology is

over the 5 years old head. Each age group have a different level of understanding the content and

the materials. Interpreters in K-12 setting is encourage to follow how the instructor taught in class.

This critical for K-12 interpreter to get the materials beforehand from the instructors for the

interpreter practice with words and concept. K-12 students is still going through the language

acquisition. This combined with other participants response to access ASL-STEM (American Sign

Language Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic). There is a few sources regard to

ASL-STEM, STEM is vastly different information with immense of information within one package

for each subject. Interpreter feel the importance on STEM and how STEM to taught to student
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during class. ASL-STEM enable the interpreters to understand the content and how to use in

interpretation for the consumers. It has technical terminology to expand on what each word meant

to the consumers.

I asked the participant how they feel to include content in interpreter training program to

prepare the future student to be effective in educational setting. There are a few different

comments that stand out among the higher education and K-12 interpreters. Higher educational

interpreter to have the content include such as mentoring, volunteering and cultural awareness.

Mentoring is essential part of interpreting field, it enables the interpreter to be molded and

improve their toolkits to be effective tool in the field. It is difficult to find the mentoring in this field

due to how the dark environment in the field. Cultural awareness which assumed as Deaf Culture

class. The class itself have the information to history, cultural, well known people, and respect.

Students is encouraging to take this class due to understand the social and cultural norms of D/deaf

community. I assume it would prevent the cultural appropriation for the interpreters, it prevents

interpreter from taking on the aspect of Deaf culture the community would be offended from. K-12

participant emphasize the learning different thing to effective interpretation for education setting.

One of the response stand out is how to set the boundaries with the students. One respondent

comment on this subject,

It is hard to do so when working k-12 and all the other interpreters act like moms because

theyve known the kids since they were 6. It is hard to know what a boundary while

interpreting should look like (K-12 Respondent)

Interpreters in K-12 tendency to take on parental role for the students which it should be

avoid at all cost. It is understandable to create bond with the student but to take on the role as a

parent would stunt the growth of the students to be effective in post-K-12.

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Interpreters have recommendation on for educational and professional development.

Higher Educational respondents recommend attending all workshop without the guise of CEUs. It

allows the interpreters just to attend to learn everything without any reason associate with CEU.

Majority have felt that interpreter attending workshop for CEU will not able to thrive in the

interpreting fields. Interpreters only need to renew their CEU every 4 years and 40 hours. And

mentoring is part of professional development. K-12 respondent recommend taking children

development class and understanding the childhood language acquisition of deaf and hearing

children. It allows the interpreters to understand the language acquisition process during the

childhood development stages. This tool can create positive growth for the children to thrive in life.

Other respondent suggests on understanding the transition of dependence to independence from

kindergarten to graduation. Children during the stage of K-12 will rely on adult figure to depend on

them to provide them growth and education. I recalled one interpreter whom is not in this part of

survey have recommend on switching out different interpreter for each stage of grade or class to

reduce the interpreters language model and parental role. The children can learn and understand

the purpose of interpreters and their right as a person with equal access for everyone.

Participant have different tips for future student and interpreters. I believe it will help the

interpreters to understand the importance of their role. Recognize your worth is one of the

participants comment. I believe that is critical for interpreters that this field is often a thankless job.

One participant comment on focus on classifiers and the use of place. K-12 is heavily reliance on

classifiers for the students to understand in conceptual language. Interpreters relying on the use of

different communication style such as Signing Exact English (SEE) is ineffective tool to use for

children to learn as it will stunt their understanding of conceptual language. Other suggest on the

idea of researching each topic before to understand the context in the content. One response is to
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accept any criticism from the team. Without the acceptance of the criticism will not encourage the

interpreter to thrive in the field to the fullest potential. K-12 participant said to practice thick skin

in the specific setting. Children always looking for role model and tendency to attach the

interpreters without learning anything from class. It is best to avoid taking on paternal role in

interpreting.

This conclude the research in Environments of Educational Interpreters. There is two distant

information on how the interpreters perform their role in educational setting. Educational setting is

not a simple task to take on because of amount of information to convey to the consumers. K-12

and Higher Education have different and similar roles and toolkits they used in interpreting process.

It is to my understanding that interpreters are serious with their role and their ability to interpret

the message to different language to have equal communication with the consumers. Deaf

consumers are not the only consumers in this field, hearing person is consumers as well as the

interpreter role is communication facilitator for both signers and speakers.