What is interpreting?

Interpreting, simply stated, is receiving a message in one language and delivering it in another. Not as simple as it sounds, interpreting is a complex process that requires a high degree of linguistic, cognitive and technical skills.

Professional sign language interpreters develop interpreting skills through extensive training and practice over a long period of time.

Sign language interpreting is a highly specialized field. The professional sign language interpreter adjusts to a broad range of deaf consumer preferences and needs. Some deaf individuals use American Sign Language, a natural language with its own grammar and structure that is distinct from English. Others prefer a form of signing that more closely follows the grammar and structure of spoken English.

The professional interpreter is expected to work comfortably along this wide spectrum. Sometimes it is necessary to have two or more interpreters working simultaneously in order to satisfy the preferences and needs of a varied audience. On occasion, one of the interpreters may be a deaf individual or a person fluent in a language other than English or American Sign Language. Interpreters are aware of and sensitive to ethnic/cultural and linguistic concerns.