Working with sign-language interpreters

When interviewing someone with a sign-language interpreter, greet the interpreter but don’t address them again until the interview has concluded, at which point you can thank them for their help and say goodbye. In the interview, make eye contact with the interview subject, not the interpreter, support person, family member or friend. Do not ask an interpreter to not translate certain parts of the interview — this goes against their code of ethics and professional standards. Do not ask an interpreter or support person to “tell them [a piece of information]”; speak just as you would in any other interview, directly to your interview subject. You may think paraphrasing will make it easier for the interpreter, but it actually creates more work for them!

A word of caution here: if a source uses a sign language, do not confuse a family member or friend who is there to “translate” with a professional interpreter (unless the family member is a professional sign-language interpreter who has offered their services for the interview and the interview subject has consented to use their services). With very few exceptions, the translation you get from a relative or friend will not be accurate and will lack nuance. Do not ask a child to interpret for a sibling or friend — this can lead to inaccuracies and put both in a vulnerable position.

 
Professional sign-language interpreters help people who hear overcome their language barrier when communicating with deaf or Deaf people. As with interpretation in any languages, sign-language interpretation is a skill that requires more than just fluency in both languages — it requires understanding the grammar and vocabulary of both languages, conveying tone and nuance, assimilating and transmitting information in real time, and other skills that professional interpreters learn. It is complex and difficult work. Sign-language interpreters in Canada have several different qualifications they can meet. There are different ideas among the Deaf community as to how formalized training for interpretation can be. The field is not currently regulated, meaning a sign-language interpreter does not need to have a licence and there is no body that can assess formal penalties for not adhering to standards of practice.

 
However, there are provincial associations and a national association to which interpreters can belong[1]. Membership in these associations requires interpreters to complete certifications and be bound by a code of ethics and professional standards. If you are in charge of finding an interpreter, the national association might be a good place to start.

 
Hiring a professional interpreter will cost money. Fees will vary depending on the interpreter’s experience level and qualifications, the length of the interview or other discussion being interpreted, the complexity of what is being interpreted (for example, technical terms, specialized knowledge), the number of people in the conversation and other factors. In general, best practice is to give the interpreter materials such as interview questions (or, for example, PowerPoint slides for a presentation) in advance. Considering traditional journalistic mores, which don’t allow for anyone but the reporter and perhaps the editor and producers involved to know the questions, and which allow for improvised questions depending on what the interview subject says, this could be seen as a problem. However, an interpreter is not a source, and the interpreter’s job is to make communication between you and the source possible. One approach is to provide interview questions in advance to the interpreter, let them know that there could be extra questions, and let them now that you might not ask the questions exactly as written. In other words, give the interpreter all the preparation you reasonably can and be transparent about the rest.

Another kind of interpreter is a Deaf Interpreter. Deaf Interpreters are linguistically and culturally Deaf people (see Glossary) who provide interpreting services in concert with interpreters of American Sign Language, Langue des signes québécoise, and other sign languages. In addition to native fluency in these languages, Deaf Interpreters can also provide interpretation in other communication systems used by Deaf and Deafblind people, such as visual or tactile forms of communication. Deaf Interpreters are recommended when the person they are interpreting for has other physical or cognitive disabilities, when the information being conveyed is particularly nuanced or complex, and when high stakes are involved, such as with a medical procedure or legal case. Deaf Interpreters are also recommended when the sign-language interpreter already hired says one is needed. Deaf Interpreters always work with a sign-language interpreter to make sure everyone involved can accurately grasp all nuances.