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Great Interpreters Don't Grow On Trees
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134 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2004
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August 24, 2023書中收錄123項技巧，教讀者成為更好嘅手語傳譯員。抄出嚟同大家分享先。書中每項技巧佔半頁至一頁篇幅，書摘濃縮成一句，想深入啲就睇翻本書啦～
I. On the job
1. In a group, identify people when they speak/sign.
2. After each job, write a list of things you did right.
3. Ask for time when you need it. Softly say/sign some words when signing/speaking to cue people to slow down.
4. Allow longer lag time.
5. Make a mind map for an upcoming job.
6. Ask for handouts.
7. Sign clearly and completely.
8. Use location consistently in your sign space.
9. No speed-spelling.
10. Articulate each word clearly.
11. Use timeline accurately.
12. Fingerspell below your chin and in front of your dominant shoulder.
13. Ask for clarification.
14. Use age-appropriate sign and word choices.
15. Sign numbers clearly.
16. Raise your awareness of loan signs to improve memory retrieval.
17. Sign transitions: Point to fingers; shift head, body, or eye gaze.
18. Articulate transitions: And, on another topic… I’d like to shift gears to discuss…
19. Remain cognitively engaged (e.g., practice the math being taught) while your team member is interpreting.
20. No bouncing fingerspelling.
21. Try consecutive interpreting.
22. Arrive ten minutes earlier than you normally would.
23. Fix your mistake and move along: What was that amount? Excuse me. What day of the week was that again?
II. Outside the job
24. Observe other interpreters.
25. Draw your career line relating to skill advancement and plot your future.
26. Videotape yourself and analyze your work.
27. Look at how deaf people run meetings.
28. Improve your English proficiency.
29. Look at how class is taught at deaf school.
30. Practice voicing and signing curse words.
31. Watch sign-terminology videos.
32. Read the bibliography of this book.
33. Read materials at least one day before your job.
34. Compare and contrast ASL, PSE, gestures, mime, oralisim, cued speech, tactile communication, SEE I & II, the Rochester Method, LOVE, and CASE.
35. Negotiate for deaf interpreters.
36. Interpret language functions.
37. Practice classifiers describing a televised sporting event.
38. Practice classifiers describing everything in your house.
39. List English transitions articulated on television or radio.
40. Watch how a fluent signer shows topic changes and list their transitions.
41. Practice giving directions in your immediate area.
42. Identify your problems on receptive skills and improve them.
43. Use third-person interpreting when you’re unable to understand a message.
44. Look for workshops in interpreting and other disciplines.
III. News
45. Memorise each continent’s countries.
46. Learn the name signs for all countries.
47. Look for information on ethnic minorities.
48. Learn signs about technology.
49. Read a newspaper, listen to radio, and look at new sources on the Internet.
50. Look up information about economy.
51. Look for names and positions in your area’s governmental system.
52. Search for information about laws regarding deaf people and education.
IV. Semantics
53. No unnecessarily repeating signs.
54. Make the implicit become explicit: COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT, PAPER NOT-GOOD COMMUNICATE -> issues such as equality and English fluency
55. Make the implicit become explicit: DEAF INSTITUTE (proudly) -> residential school with culturally Deaf students and teachers who all use the same language
56. When voicing, produce grammatically complete sentences.
57. Watch videos with native signers and simply enjoy the stories.
58. Use names before pronouns.
59. Make sure your directional verbs are going the right direction.
60. Fingerspell all proper names and proper nouns.
61. Interpret the affect as accurate as possible.
62. Be politically correct: Language deficits instead of Minimal Language Skills (MLS)
63. No extra letters when fingerspelling.
V. Mentoring
64. Get one or even several mentors.
65. Don’t be the chauffeur or the schedule reminder.
66. No unnecessary verbal fillers.
67. Use politically correct terminology about gender, sex, race and more.
68. Learn the vocabulary about sex and drug.
69. Improve your expressions of numbers.
70. Set up discussion groups or a local mentoring scholarship program.
VI. Teaming
71. Agree to a time for a switch (typically every 15 to 30 minutes) and stick to it unless for a good reason.
72. Tell your team how you are likely request support.
73. Tell your team how you prefer to receive a feed or support.
74. Pay attention to the middle items on a list.
75. Monitor your vocal output when you sign.
76. Discuss with your team the manner in which you will be switching.
77. Monitor sounds made by your movement.
78. Request feedback on the areas you would like to work on, but be wary of giving unsolicited feedback except feedback that corrects incorrect interpretations.
79. Arrive on time, wear a watch, stay the entire length, prepare for assignments, call if you need to cancel, participate while in “off” role, monitor the message, know how to request and give feeds, share your preferences, and be open to suggestion.
VII. Self-care
80. Reduce the contact force of hand-to-hand or hand-to-body contact.
81. On a bad day, spend time and energy on reflection, and then go eat some ice cream.
82. State your fee with poise and confidence.
83. Minimise your costs by multitasking, minimising your travel between towns, and making use of tax-deductible items.
84. Outline a list of skills to improve upon, and make a plan to address each one.
85. Rest your arms and hands as you work instead of adopting the “prayer” pose.
86. Keep track of your pain after interpreting.
87. Alleviate anxiety about a voicing job by taking three minutes of silence, medications, stretching, reducing caffeine intake, or breathing from your abdomen.
88. List out pros and cons of taking certificate exams.
89. Assess your insurance needs and your current coverage.
90. Carry supplies in your bag: planner, water, lotion, hand sanitizer, tissues, glasses, flashlight, medication, snacks…
91. No slouching. Work out your back.
92. Buy a non-mirroring mirror developed specifically for interpreters.
93. Collect business cards and invoices, and generate your own unique design.
94. Buy a diagnostic assessment of your work.
95. Take a small bottle of water to each job.
96. Arrange your jobs so you have frequent breaks.
97. For personal safety, take a self-defence course, wear clothes for mobility, buy a personal alarm…
98. Keep track of your costs and ask a tax accountant for tax filing issues.
99. If you have strong distressing reactions, try these self-care options: exercise or yoga, time in nature, mentorship or self-help group, journalling, counselling…
VIII. Minimising intrusions
100. List out jobs you cannot work due to personal reasons, jobs you may have problems, and jobs you can sail through without blinking.
101. Wear pigment-contrasting shirts and minimise accessories.
102. Use your arms and shoulders to open up your sign space.
103. Be aware of extra body movements.
104. Use one hand for all one-handed signs and two hands for all two-handed signs.
105. Identify and interpret seemingly implicit information to make both parties better understand each other. Or move on and do not obsess about that one party didn’t get it.
106. When interpreting for yoga, exercise, algebra or other visible concept, stop signing and allow the addressee to watch the actions.
107. Relax your shoulders.
108. No yawning.
109. Do not soften a message in heated debates.
IX. Misc
110. Draw pictures, point to information, and demonstrate job tasks.
111. When deaf people look down to take notes, wait until they look up before interpreting.
112. When deaf people look away to reduce the eye fatigue, take advantage of the extra processing time.
113. When you forget a consumer’s name, share Hoffman’s interesting statistic that on average we forget 80% of what we learn on a day.
114. To prevent a consumer giving you information that you shouldn’t know, explain liability issues and do not stay with a consumer if no interpreting is necessary.
115. When working for two or more deaf clients who have two or more language/mode preferences, ask them to choose one or somewhere in between.
116. To interrupt a fast-paced conversation, you can say: Excuse me, XXX would like to go back to a point a minute ago. / XXX has a comment. Or simply interject the comment.
117. When encountering hearing people who have no frame of reference for deaf people and interpreters, begin with third-person interpreting.
118. Within the limitations placed upon our profession, tell those closest to you the location of a job.
119. If you are not part of the interpreting team, sit quietly.
120. Convey that we do our job ethically and are neither judgemental nor biased.
121. Prepare a thirty-second introduction explaining your role and function.
122. When a hearing consumer asks you a question while you are working, you can interpret the question to the deaf person and allow them to decide, or answer it and quickly get back to your job telling the deaf person what just happened. Ignoring the question is not recommended.
123. List commonly asked questions and match them to answers that are both respectful and informative.
I. On the job
1. In a group, identify people when they speak/sign.
2. After each job, write a list of things you did right.
3. Ask for time when you need it. Softly say/sign some words when signing/speaking to cue people to slow down.
4. Allow longer lag time.
5. Make a mind map for an upcoming job.
6. Ask for handouts.
7. Sign clearly and completely.
8. Use location consistently in your sign space.
9. No speed-spelling.
10. Articulate each word clearly.
11. Use timeline accurately.
12. Fingerspell below your chin and in front of your dominant shoulder.
13. Ask for clarification.
14. Use age-appropriate sign and word choices.
15. Sign numbers clearly.
16. Raise your awareness of loan signs to improve memory retrieval.
17. Sign transitions: Point to fingers; shift head, body, or eye gaze.
18. Articulate transitions: And, on another topic… I’d like to shift gears to discuss…
19. Remain cognitively engaged (e.g., practice the math being taught) while your team member is interpreting.
20. No bouncing fingerspelling.
21. Try consecutive interpreting.
22. Arrive ten minutes earlier than you normally would.
23. Fix your mistake and move along: What was that amount? Excuse me. What day of the week was that again?
II. Outside the job
24. Observe other interpreters.
25. Draw your career line relating to skill advancement and plot your future.
26. Videotape yourself and analyze your work.
27. Look at how deaf people run meetings.
28. Improve your English proficiency.
29. Look at how class is taught at deaf school.
30. Practice voicing and signing curse words.
31. Watch sign-terminology videos.
32. Read the bibliography of this book.
33. Read materials at least one day before your job.
34. Compare and contrast ASL, PSE, gestures, mime, oralisim, cued speech, tactile communication, SEE I & II, the Rochester Method, LOVE, and CASE.
35. Negotiate for deaf interpreters.
36. Interpret language functions.
37. Practice classifiers describing a televised sporting event.
38. Practice classifiers describing everything in your house.
39. List English transitions articulated on television or radio.
40. Watch how a fluent signer shows topic changes and list their transitions.
41. Practice giving directions in your immediate area.
42. Identify your problems on receptive skills and improve them.
43. Use third-person interpreting when you’re unable to understand a message.
44. Look for workshops in interpreting and other disciplines.
III. News
45. Memorise each continent’s countries.
46. Learn the name signs for all countries.
47. Look for information on ethnic minorities.
48. Learn signs about technology.
49. Read a newspaper, listen to radio, and look at new sources on the Internet.
50. Look up information about economy.
51. Look for names and positions in your area’s governmental system.
52. Search for information about laws regarding deaf people and education.
IV. Semantics
53. No unnecessarily repeating signs.
54. Make the implicit become explicit: COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT, PAPER NOT-GOOD COMMUNICATE -> issues such as equality and English fluency
55. Make the implicit become explicit: DEAF INSTITUTE (proudly) -> residential school with culturally Deaf students and teachers who all use the same language
56. When voicing, produce grammatically complete sentences.
57. Watch videos with native signers and simply enjoy the stories.
58. Use names before pronouns.
59. Make sure your directional verbs are going the right direction.
60. Fingerspell all proper names and proper nouns.
61. Interpret the affect as accurate as possible.
62. Be politically correct: Language deficits instead of Minimal Language Skills (MLS)
63. No extra letters when fingerspelling.
V. Mentoring
64. Get one or even several mentors.
65. Don’t be the chauffeur or the schedule reminder.
66. No unnecessary verbal fillers.
67. Use politically correct terminology about gender, sex, race and more.
68. Learn the vocabulary about sex and drug.
69. Improve your expressions of numbers.
70. Set up discussion groups or a local mentoring scholarship program.
VI. Teaming
71. Agree to a time for a switch (typically every 15 to 30 minutes) and stick to it unless for a good reason.
72. Tell your team how you are likely request support.
73. Tell your team how you prefer to receive a feed or support.
74. Pay attention to the middle items on a list.
75. Monitor your vocal output when you sign.
76. Discuss with your team the manner in which you will be switching.
77. Monitor sounds made by your movement.
78. Request feedback on the areas you would like to work on, but be wary of giving unsolicited feedback except feedback that corrects incorrect interpretations.
79. Arrive on time, wear a watch, stay the entire length, prepare for assignments, call if you need to cancel, participate while in “off” role, monitor the message, know how to request and give feeds, share your preferences, and be open to suggestion.
VII. Self-care
80. Reduce the contact force of hand-to-hand or hand-to-body contact.
81. On a bad day, spend time and energy on reflection, and then go eat some ice cream.
82. State your fee with poise and confidence.
83. Minimise your costs by multitasking, minimising your travel between towns, and making use of tax-deductible items.
84. Outline a list of skills to improve upon, and make a plan to address each one.
85. Rest your arms and hands as you work instead of adopting the “prayer” pose.
86. Keep track of your pain after interpreting.
87. Alleviate anxiety about a voicing job by taking three minutes of silence, medications, stretching, reducing caffeine intake, or breathing from your abdomen.
88. List out pros and cons of taking certificate exams.
89. Assess your insurance needs and your current coverage.
90. Carry supplies in your bag: planner, water, lotion, hand sanitizer, tissues, glasses, flashlight, medication, snacks…
91. No slouching. Work out your back.
92. Buy a non-mirroring mirror developed specifically for interpreters.
93. Collect business cards and invoices, and generate your own unique design.
94. Buy a diagnostic assessment of your work.
95. Take a small bottle of water to each job.
96. Arrange your jobs so you have frequent breaks.
97. For personal safety, take a self-defence course, wear clothes for mobility, buy a personal alarm…
98. Keep track of your costs and ask a tax accountant for tax filing issues.
99. If you have strong distressing reactions, try these self-care options: exercise or yoga, time in nature, mentorship or self-help group, journalling, counselling…
VIII. Minimising intrusions
100. List out jobs you cannot work due to personal reasons, jobs you may have problems, and jobs you can sail through without blinking.
101. Wear pigment-contrasting shirts and minimise accessories.
102. Use your arms and shoulders to open up your sign space.
103. Be aware of extra body movements.
104. Use one hand for all one-handed signs and two hands for all two-handed signs.
105. Identify and interpret seemingly implicit information to make both parties better understand each other. Or move on and do not obsess about that one party didn’t get it.
106. When interpreting for yoga, exercise, algebra or other visible concept, stop signing and allow the addressee to watch the actions.
107. Relax your shoulders.
108. No yawning.
109. Do not soften a message in heated debates.
IX. Misc
110. Draw pictures, point to information, and demonstrate job tasks.
111. When deaf people look down to take notes, wait until they look up before interpreting.
112. When deaf people look away to reduce the eye fatigue, take advantage of the extra processing time.
113. When you forget a consumer’s name, share Hoffman’s interesting statistic that on average we forget 80% of what we learn on a day.
114. To prevent a consumer giving you information that you shouldn’t know, explain liability issues and do not stay with a consumer if no interpreting is necessary.
115. When working for two or more deaf clients who have two or more language/mode preferences, ask them to choose one or somewhere in between.
116. To interrupt a fast-paced conversation, you can say: Excuse me, XXX would like to go back to a point a minute ago. / XXX has a comment. Or simply interject the comment.
117. When encountering hearing people who have no frame of reference for deaf people and interpreters, begin with third-person interpreting.
118. Within the limitations placed upon our profession, tell those closest to you the location of a job.
119. If you are not part of the interpreting team, sit quietly.
120. Convey that we do our job ethically and are neither judgemental nor biased.
121. Prepare a thirty-second introduction explaining your role and function.
122. When a hearing consumer asks you a question while you are working, you can interpret the question to the deaf person and allow them to decide, or answer it and quickly get back to your job telling the deaf person what just happened. Ignoring the question is not recommended.
123. List commonly asked questions and match them to answers that are both respectful and informative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2015
Very helpful book. Gives lots of good tips for interpreters. I would have liked to see some advice geared specifically to educational interpreters, but there was a lot of good information and advice I cor any interpreter can use.
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