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| Home / News / Deaf Services News / | ||
| Guidelines For Using An Interpreter | ||
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Speak directly to the Deaf or hard-of-hearing person. The interpreter is a professional who is there to facilitate communication between the two of you. There is no reason to ask the interpreter to tell something to the Deaf person. Speak as you normally would to any individual and leave the rest to the interpreter. Relax. Talk at you normal speed; the interpreter will only be a few words behind. That is the nature of interpreting one language to another. Use normal expressions and gestures. Locate the interpreter near the speaker so the Deaf or hard-of-hearing person can see both the interpreter and the speaker. Avoid direct light or window background, or shadows which make lip movements difficult to see. Remember that hearing loss does not affect intelligence, and Deaf people have the same feelings and needs as you. Interpreters are trained to bridge the gap between different languages, regardless of education or level of communication. If more than three people are present during a discussion, be sure to have each person speak one at a time. Confusion takes place if more than one person talks simultaneously or if people interrupt one another. Typically, an interpreter should have a break from continuous interpreting once an hour, or alternate with another interpreter every forty-five minutes. When an interpreter is on a break or during a meal, remember to give the interpreter an opportunity to relax and eat. If an interpreter is employed for lunch meetings, the interpreter expects to work and not eat. |
