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How
Do I Become A Sign Language Interpreter?
So
you're thinking of becoming an interpreter! That's good, because there's
always a demand for good interpreters who can sign fluently and be able
to read another person's signing well.
If you are a novice signer or have just begun to take sign language
classes, you are strongly encouraged to NOT become an interpreter yet.
Interpreting jobs are not meant to take the place of sign language classes.
Interpreting involves more than just signing. An interpreter must accurately
convey messages between two different languages. It is a skill that
takes time to develop.
Deaf and hard of hearing people deserve to have qualified, skilled interpreters
who know what they are doing. Interpreters who struggle with their own
expressive and receptive sign skills are difficult to understand, and
are inadequate at conveying their deaf clients' messages. This situation
benefits no one in the long run. Deaf and hard of hearing people get
frustrated, hearing people (businesses, speakers, interviewers, etc.)
form an unfavorable impression of the entire experience, and the interpreting
profession gets shortchanged. Let us put this another way: would you
have the nerve to go to the French Embassy and tell them that you want
to work as a French interpreter, armed with just a semester's worth
of French?
Prospective interpreters will be tested on their signing skills, their
voicing skills, sign-to-voice skills, and voice-to-sign skills. You are
encouraged to take as many workshops and classes as possible to increase
your signing skills. Practice with deaf and hard of hearing people often
to better your receptive skills. Better yet, find several deaf people
whose signing skills and speed makes you tremble all over, and ask them
for their honest assessment of your interpreting skills. If they think
you have what it takes to become an interpreter, then it is worth your
time and effort to get training in interpreting and undergo the certification
process. The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) maintains an
online list of Interpreter Programs (IPs).
Find
An Interpreter Program
If your signing and receptive skills are good to fluent, you may want
to contact the RID and take their certification exam. For general questions
about RID's testing system, email ntsasst@rid.org; their website address
is www.rid.org/nts.html.
The NAD and RID have recently released the new, joint National Interpreter
Certification (NIC). More information can be found at: www.rid.org.
For
More Information on Interpreting as a career, check out:
DiscoverInterpreting.com
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