The Deaf Interpreter demonstrates the following language, culture, and communication competencies critical to effective interaction with the range of consumers with whom s/he may work:

  • Native or native-like competency in ASL, and/or a second signed language, including spontaneous use of pragmatic and sociolinguistic features of ASL, and/or a second signed
  • language discourse including prosody, accent, transition markers, discourse markers, and turn taking;
  • Adeptness and flexibility in working across a range of registers, genres, and variations of ASL, and/or a second signed language, attributable to consumer’s age, gender, ethnicity and cultural background, region, socioeconomic status, physical and cognitive health, and education levels;
  • Ability to recognize and negotiate cultural behaviors, values, mores, and discourse features and styles for effective communication;
  • Creativity and flexibility in the use of alternative visual communication strategies to convey complex concepts to consumers including drawing, mime, props, etc.;
  • Ability to read and write English for sight translation of standard forms and instructions (e.g. hospital admission, informed consent, job applications, insurance, billing) and written translation of the Deaf consumer’s responses;
  • Ability to effectively explain and discuss the following concepts to a variety of stakeholders in an articulate, professional manner:
  • Process of consumer assessment and the rationale for using particular interpreting strategies and interventions;
  • Roles, functions, and processes of the interpreting team;
  • Rationale for the decision to use consecutive or simultaneous interpreting;
  • Extent to which interpreters’ linguistic negotiation and consumer language constraints may limit appropriate stakeholder use of portions of the interpretation.