As an ASL Interpreter, you might be faced with several challenges in your professional path. While these hurdles can vary, depending on the specific nature of the job and the skills of the interpreter, some common challenges are faced by every interpreter. Whether you are a seasoned interpreter or a novice, these obstacles can hinder your progress. The first step to overcoming the issues is to acknowledge them. 

Let us take a brief look at some common challenges faced by ASL interpreters. 

Common challenges faced by ASL interpreters

  • Hearing privilege— which, in turn, gives rise to Audism— creates a lack of trust among the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community for ASL interpreters.
  • A lack of cultural awareness leads to inefficient interpreting. 
  • Strict requirements for education can pose a barrier to entry into the profession. 
  • Technical issues can hamper comprehension.
  • Often, insufficient time is allotted for interpreting.
  • The absence of brief or adequate information can adversely affect the preparedness of the interpreter.

You can read in-depth about these challenges here. 

These issues can be worrying as they might hinder your growth as an ASL interpreter. However, now that you have acquainted yourself with the common challenges that come with the profession, you can prepare yourself beforehand to alleviate these concerns. 

Below, you can find some tips on how to overcome common challenges faced in the profession. 

Increase language proficiency 

They say there is no end to learning a language, and the proof of this is in the pudding. 

While as a professional ASL interpreter, you might already have some proficiency in both English and ASL, it is important to keep honing your language skills to maintain professional competence. Language proficiency can shine through in your interpreting job by making it easier for you to interpret varying situations. 

Sometimes, a single situation or piece of communication can be interpreted in various ways. It, then, becomes the interpreter’s job to determine which option would deliver the intended message the most effectively. To make this informed decision, you should possess strong language skills.

Further, language proficiency can also help you interpret things promptly. It often happens that interpreters are not given adequate time to interpret. You will be expected to comprehend the message and interpret it in a short amount of time. Having an expansive vocabulary can help you at times like these. 

Deliberately practice your interpreting skills

Another way to overcome the hurdle of inadequate time would be to keep practicing your interpreting skills. If you have spent considerable time in the profession, it is likely that at some point you will become complacent. You might think that practicing your profession is enough to brush up on your skills. However, nothing comes close to deliberate practice. 

There are various ways to practice your interpreting skills, including retrospecting, analyzing, translating, mirroring, and paraphrasing. Each method has its own set of advantages. 

Generally speaking, through deliberate practice of your interpreting skills using these methods, you can-

  • Find better or more effective ways to interpret something
  • Improve different aspects of interpreting- rhythm, body language, etc.  
  • Increase comprehension
  • Expand your linguistic skills
  • Practice varied movements and signs
  • Sharpen your memory
  • Become flexible in your approach 

Moreover, improved interpreting and linguistic skills contribute to your overall preparedness, which may help you deal with challenging jobs and situations. 

Get to know the Deaf community

Gaining cultural awareness has many benefits. When you immerse yourself in the Deaf community to learn more about the culture, you put yourself in a position where you are better able to understand their issues and concerns. Through empathy and curiosity, you can gain the trust of the Deaf community and assure them that you aim to help and support them. To overcome the hurdle caused by your hearing privilege, you need to display empathy and immerse yourself in the Deaf culture. 

Moreover, cultural competence can help you interpret more effectively. Often, every culture and community has certain jargon, phrases idioms, trends, and jokes that are specific only to them. The Deaf community is no different. To accurately understand and interpret these nuanced messages, you need to be culturally aware. 

One of the easiest ways to gain cultural competence is to talk to Deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Through this, you can acquaint yourself with the latest trends and other contextual vocabulary which will help you interpret effectively. 

Photo by RDNE Stock

ALT Text: A man showing sign language

Acquaint yourself with the interpreting job

The absence of a brief or adequate information can pose a major barrier to effective interpreting. It is advised that before starting a new interpreting job, you get some basic information from the client which can help you to do a better job. Information that will be helpful to you can include-

  • The client’s work
  • Expectations of the client, goals of interpreting
  • Language proficiency of the Deaf person/s
  • Specific jargon or terms that might be used during the speech
  • Availability of any audio equipment and/or visual cues

Based on the specific nature of your job, you can determine what information will be useful to you. 

Having a proper brief can allow you to strategize how you will interpret. Briefs also reduce the chances of being blindsided by unexpected situations. 

While briefs provided by the clients are important, remember to go beyond the brief. Do your research. As an ASL interpreter, it is important to keep yourself updated on industry trends and developments. You can refer to reliable sources to understand more about interpreting in a specialized field or to gain insights about effective interpreting. 

Conclusion 

While there are challenges, there are also ways to overcome those challenges. ASL interpreting can be a highly rewarding job that ensures no dull days at work. You get to contribute to the Deaf community while continually stretching your abilities and learning on the job. It is truly a fulfilling career path! 

Unspoken Language Services is looking for professional ASL interpreters to join our vast community of interpreters. By becoming an Unspoken Interpreter, you gain access to new and exciting opportunities. You also get to mingle with like-minded interpreters who share the same passion as you! Reach out to our Support Team to know more. 

Thumbnail Photo Credit to: Photo by RDNE Stock Project