Can anyone who knows how to sign be an Interpreter?
A. No, the biggest misconception held by the general public is that anyone who has taken classes in ASL (or knows the manual alphabet) is qualified to be an interpreter. A signer is a person who may be able to communicate conversationally with Deaf persons, but does not possess the skills and expertise to accurately interpret or function as an interpreter. To become an interpreter, it is necessary not only to be bilingual and bicultural, but to have the ability to mediate meanings across languages and cultures, both simultaneously and consecutively. This takes years of training and practice. Qualified interpreters need to have extensive experience and training in order to attain some level of national qualification or certification.
Related Questions
- When a teacher needs an interpreter to communicate with parents, is it good to use a student who knows English and the other language spoken? Are using translation websites a good idea?
- Can someone from our office who knows a little sign language act as the interpreter?
- CAN ANYONE WHO KNOWS SIGN BE A SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER?
