As a professional, it is necessary to maintain a competitive edge. Being committed to continual learning and growing is a sure-shot way of keeping your spark intact and progressing in your career. Surely, successful ASL interpreters follow this mantra too.
If you are satisfied with your current level of skills and think you don’t need to make any improvements, you are mistaken. Continuous learning plays a key role in staying on top of your game. Below, we dive deep into how you can continue learning and growing as an interpreter.
Keep practicing
The success of an ASL interpreter primarily revolves around one thing- practice. The more you practice your interpreting, the better you become at it. Some might consider interpreting on the job as a practice of the skill in itself, and they are not entirely wrong. However, deliberate and conscious practice can make you more aware of what you are doing and, thus, enhance learning.
We recommend these five exercises that you can do by yourself to practice:
- Retrospecting- Watching recorded videos of your previous interpreting jobs and seeing what you can do differently.
- Analyzing- Observing other interpreters on the job or watching videos of interpreters and learning from them.
- Translating- Translating English into ASL and vice versa, without any time restraints.
- Mirroring- Watching interpreting videos and copying what the interpreter does.
- Paraphrasing- Focusing on interpreting a single message in multiple ways.
The benefits of these exercises are manifold. They help you hone your language skills and discover more effective ways of interpreting. The more you practice, the better you become as an interpreter.
Build your vocabulary
As someone whose primary role is bridging the communication gap between the Deaf and hearing communities, your vocabulary needs to be exemplary. If you are determined to grow as an interpreter, you must focus on expanding your vocabulary in English and ASL.
In a world that is ever-changing, language, too, keeps evolving. With time, some words and phrases catch on, while others are forgotten. You need to stay updated about the latest developments in both languages. One of the easiest ways of doing this is to keep using both languages in your daily life and consuming diverse content in those languages.
Moreover, as an interpreter, you have to work in varied settings. Depending on the project and the language proficiency of your client, you might have to alter your interpretations. To do so, your vocabulary in both languages must be expansive.
If you fail to build your vocabulary, you might be caught off-guard while interpreting, find yourself unable to interpret something accurately, or appear outdated.
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Get a mentor
Irrespective of the stage of your career you are in, mentorship can be one of the best ways to grow as an interpreter. A mentor can guide you as you strive to reach the next milestone. Whether your goal is to develop a skill, earn another certification, or become better at interpreting, a mentor can help you achieve those goals quickly. With a good mentor, continuous development is a given.
If you are looking for a mentor to help you grow, ask fellow interpreters who have previously worked with one for references. Before deciding on a mentor to work with, ensure to do your research on the individual and their credentials.
Develop further cultural competence
Your interpreting and language skills can take you only so far. To become a better and more effective interpreter, you must understand the people you are interpreting for.
As an interpreter, staying culturally competent is an essential factor for growth. Immersing yourself in the Deaf culture and actively participating in the Deaf community can help you acquaint yourself with various terms, contexts, idioms, and other things that are unique to the community. Talking to deaf and hard-of-hearing people, participating in events within the community, reading literature written by them, and learning about their history are some ways to develop cultural competence.
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Connect with fellow interpreters
Being in the same boat as someone can keep your spirits high and help you stay motivated.
Fostering meaningful relationships with people from the same profession can contribute to career growth. When you discuss your professional experiences with others like you, you will realize that these conversations can be insightful. You can learn from the mistakes of other interpreters, get their opinions on how you can improve, become aware of new techniques, discuss issues you face on the job, and find solutions to them.
These connections can be a great source of information, too. Through other interpreters, you can stay updated about industry trends and developments, expand your vocabulary, and maybe even practice your interpreting skills. In this science, every conversation can become a learning opportunity.
You can join professional associations to connect with other interpreters and learn from them.
Training programs and workshops
Look into additional training programs and workshops that can help you improve your skills, learn new techniques, and contribute to professional development.
Conclusion
If you have reached this part of the blog, it must be clear to you how a commitment to deliberate learning can help alleviate various concerns you might have about your career. Through the six easy steps mentioned above, you can be assured that you are on your way to becoming a better interpreter.
Unspoken Language Services is looking for committed professionals like you. To know more about becoming an Unspoken Interpreter, contact us today.
Thumbnail Credit: Photo by Julia M Cameron
