Course Reflection
For my Civic Engagement Final Assignment, I decided to put everything I had been learning about ASL/English interpreting and what it means to be an interpreter to use.
Before this class began and before I became a certified interpreter, I had taken many classes in order to learn how to become not only a skilled interpreter, but a committed one as well.
One important aspect to the Deaf community is that their interpreters are involved with more than short term interpreting appointments, but are active members of the community. Since this culture is more communal and collectivist than mainstream hearing American culture, great emphasis is put on relationships. If an interpreter thinks that he or she can only interpret the conference, appointment, etc. without building a relationship with the Deaf community, then he or she will not last in this profession long. |
Because of this, the interpreters need to not only do their jobs as interpreters, but need to go to Deaf events, socials, gatherings, conferences, and more. There is also an expectation that the interpreters are competent and are continually learning. Because of this, Utah requires its interpreters to not only be certified before beginning any work, but also have continuing education requirements in order to remain in line with the Deaf community's wishes.
One of these continuing education conferences took place July 20th through the 24th in Salt Lake City, as seen in the image above. RID is the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and UTRID is Utah's local registry. In 2016, I had volunteered to help with the UTRID conference as part of my practicum of the interpreter training program. I had decided to volunteer to help with the 2017 RID conference not as a student needing to meet a requirement, but as a newly certified interpreter fulfilling my role to aid interpreters and the Deaf community as a whole. I had signed up to volunteer Friday night and Saturday morning for a couple of hours each, thinking this would be a similarly small conference as I went to in 2016, only to be surprised at the stark differences.
The RID conference, at least from what I saw when volunteering, was huge. The conference took place in the Hilton hotel in downtown Salt Lake City with hundreds, if not a thousand attendees, rather than the dozens of attendees in the small Taylorsville Deaf Center that I went to in 2016. Because this recent conference was at such a larger scale, I was able to apply what I've been learning in my Humanities 1010 coursework in ways I couldn't last year.
One of these continuing education conferences took place July 20th through the 24th in Salt Lake City, as seen in the image above. RID is the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and UTRID is Utah's local registry. In 2016, I had volunteered to help with the UTRID conference as part of my practicum of the interpreter training program. I had decided to volunteer to help with the 2017 RID conference not as a student needing to meet a requirement, but as a newly certified interpreter fulfilling my role to aid interpreters and the Deaf community as a whole. I had signed up to volunteer Friday night and Saturday morning for a couple of hours each, thinking this would be a similarly small conference as I went to in 2016, only to be surprised at the stark differences.
The RID conference, at least from what I saw when volunteering, was huge. The conference took place in the Hilton hotel in downtown Salt Lake City with hundreds, if not a thousand attendees, rather than the dozens of attendees in the small Taylorsville Deaf Center that I went to in 2016. Because this recent conference was at such a larger scale, I was able to apply what I've been learning in my Humanities 1010 coursework in ways I couldn't last year.
Critical ThinkingTowards the start of this semester, in Module 2, we evaluated what critical thought was and how to approach doing so. Critical thinking requires the need to look at a topic from more than one viewpoint and to be as objective as possible when analyzing.
When I was volunteering at the conference, I saw how critical thinking played an important role in the bettering of the attending interpreters. All of the interpreters were mixed together with a seating chart so then there could be differences of opinions and perspectives at each table. Each table would engage in discussions based on certain topics or what was related to what the speaker said. I wish I could have been more involved in the conversations, but since I was volunteering, I had to be available to run errands for the speakers or the attendees. |
GenderIn Module 8, "MISSinterpreted," we learned about gender equality and equal rights. We learned about the injustices and prejudices that women face, especially in the professional world.
Interpreting, particularly ASL/English interpreting, is an interesting juxtaposition to what we discussed in the module. The vast majority of interpreters are female, not only in Utah, but throughout the country. Since the proportion is so skewed and many of the highly accomplished interpreters are female, this may be one of the few exceptions to unearned male privileges as discussed. As a male, I was in the minority of the professional attendees, which gave me a glimpse of what many female politicians and businesswomen must experience. |
Individual & SocietyIn Module 5, "Early Government Structures," I learned about how society and the government interact with each other, but also how individuals and society influence one another.
The interaction between the majority society and a Deaf individual is one of the main mediation focuses interpreters have. There's an array of different identities found in relation to the Deaf culture, also, which need to be evaluated in comparison to society. These include, but are not limited to, Deaf, deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, hearing, CODA (child of Deaf adults), interpreter, transliterator, CDI (certified Deaf interpreter), student, and others. Each of these have a different role in the Deaf community and with society as a whole. |
Fiero, G. K. (2013). Landmarks in Humanities (Third ed.).
Conclusion
Although the recent activity was larger and benefited more interpreters, I was not able to provide as much assistance as I expected. I ended up only providing two hours of service, which was mainly consisting of small errands, since they told me I was not needed for my Saturday morning shift. That being said, this was a great first step for me to make that I hope will impact the rest of my interpreting career.
As an interpreter, I will need to continue to use my critical thinking skills, will need to continue to respect women and advocate for their equality as I see in the interpreting profession, and will be self-reflective of my role in the Deaf community, and as a member of the majority society. I feel that this volunteer work did, in fact, make me a more responsible citizen. Since beginning my education in regards to interpreting, I have learned that I have a bigger role to play in some peoples' lives than I sometimes realize. I also learned that there's a lot more to being a great interpreter than just doing my job. By being able to apply what I've learned to the real world, I can better ensure that the lessons I gained will stay with me and make me better.
While this wasn't the most enjoyable experience, I will definitely do it again. Next time I do, though, I will be sure I can be more involved than I was last weekend. I have a lot to learn from other interpreters who have more experience about how to best be an ally to the Deaf community while still respecting and supporting the mainstream American society.
As an interpreter, I will need to continue to use my critical thinking skills, will need to continue to respect women and advocate for their equality as I see in the interpreting profession, and will be self-reflective of my role in the Deaf community, and as a member of the majority society. I feel that this volunteer work did, in fact, make me a more responsible citizen. Since beginning my education in regards to interpreting, I have learned that I have a bigger role to play in some peoples' lives than I sometimes realize. I also learned that there's a lot more to being a great interpreter than just doing my job. By being able to apply what I've learned to the real world, I can better ensure that the lessons I gained will stay with me and make me better.
While this wasn't the most enjoyable experience, I will definitely do it again. Next time I do, though, I will be sure I can be more involved than I was last weekend. I have a lot to learn from other interpreters who have more experience about how to best be an ally to the Deaf community while still respecting and supporting the mainstream American society.