More on Sign Language Misinterpreting

RantWoman is behind the curve about lots of holiday festivity. RantWoman may also be behind the curve about the current public conversation about longtime Seattle Men's Chorus Sign Language interpreter Kevin Gallagher. But rather than read and catch up, RantWoman is just shamelessly going to wade in with her own thoughts.

Seattle Times article on Seattle Men's Chorus Interpreter
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2022486781_deafinterpreterxml.html

RantWoman has VERY limited capacity to evaluate anyone's sign language interpretation but RantWoman would like to comment based on a couple different experiences with sign language interpretation for cultural performances. RantWoman has occasional moments as an interpreter in one spoken language.RantWoman also has  "I speak but do not interpret and interpreters sometimes tell me I hold my own" experience in another language. In other words, RantWoman knows from the interpreting thing even if she does not know from the sign language thing very much.
From the interpreting thing.

Look, any kind of poetry or cultural performance is REALLY difficult to interpret, especially on the fly. So prepare in advance. Practice, Rehearse. Then do it all over again. Interpreters do pull rabbits out of hats on the fly, but results are MUCH better if people rehearse, prepare.

Next, know your limits. RantWoman has one client working with a group she deeply respects and  admires. The assignments tend to be difficult because there is lots of simultaneous interpretation to and from multiple languages in a small space. RantWoman's particular challenge in this case is her grammarian father. The other usual interpreters all speak interpreter level English but interpreter level English still is not necessarily all the exact syntax and grammar RantWoman has had drilled into her head since she was a tiny tot. The other interpreters whose first language is not English all understand each other fine. It's only RantWoman who suffers because she has to filter for idiomatic language before she can interpret. In fact, RantWoman suffers enough that she knows it's better just to make connections with someone who can handle the particular situation.

ASL is a separate language from English with very different syntax. Very few hearing interpreters grow up with native level fluency in ASL. RantWoman would absolutely predict that ASL interpreting for a cultural performance would cause someone to need to contend with both the matter of rendering the culture content and the issue of why an interpreter is needed in the first place. RantWoman has no idea whether her experience working with non-native English speakers offers any guidance in this situation.

Now as to sign language specifically:
RantWoman once attended a choral concert that was only different musical settings of the Ave Maria, the annunciation to Mary of Christ's impending birth. The text of the different works was virtually identical and RantWoman remembers that signs were recognizably in line with the text. however, RantWoman also remembers that the interpreter was able at least partially to convey different elements of rhythm and harmony through variations in how the signs were performed. That is RantWoman with her bad eyesight, RantWoman whose knowledge of specific signs is not zero but definitely negligible could tell that the signs repeated as did the text. RantWoman could also tell that the interpreter was making efforts to reflect different elements of the music as well. In other words, RantWoman can attest that rending both precise signs and additional elements of a performance seems doable.

Another moment: the group Sweet Honey and the Rock always travels with their own interpreter. Sometimes for different reasons there might be another interpreter present too. One time because of a volunteer assignment, RantWoman sat in on a rehearsal / sound check and took note that the interpreter was as much as part of the rehearsal as everyone else. RantWoman wonders whether inviting some deaf people to rehearsals to consult with Mr. Gallagher would be a useful exercise. RantWoman wonders this, but RantWoman as a hearing person is notin a position to make a reasonable accommodations request and therefor not the most relevant person to ask. RantWoman definitely thinks representatives of the Seattle Men's Chorus need to speak to members of the deaf community directly.

Again, RantWoman would like to read online chatter about this but does not have time. RantWoman also hopes some other interpreters are paying attention to this issue! And RantWoman wishes everyone involved a joyous and educational holiday season!