Interpreting Language Barriers In American Sign Language

American Sign Language like any other modern language while understood by a certain group of people is not understood and spoken by everyone. To reduce language barriers in a variety of situations interpreters are used. Not just anyone can be an interpreter, there needs to be a certain amount of training and certification. There have been some problems with untrained interpreters improperly translating at events or taking jobs from those who have gone through the training. Also, an interpreter in education and using technology instead of human interpreters has been a source of debate. Before the 1970s being an interpreter for sign language was not seen as a job, but rather as a voluntary position. If someone new something about sign language they would step in at an event that would benefit from some sort of interpretation and do their best to convey the message between the hearing and deaf communities. This informality posed some problems with the selection of the interpreter. There was no governing board that would give certifications or trainings so it was up to the community to pick someone that they trusted, usually a family member, who had proved themselves as adequately, understand what was being communicated in sign language.

Admittedly this is one area that does not necessarily play a part in interpreting most other languages. Understanding the culture and becoming known increases an interpreter’s ability to adapt to the given scenario and be better understood. This is also important because there are so many regional signs or signs that could be specific to the community. People’s name signs are important to know and one would not know them or ways to interact with the people at the event if one was not aware of deaf culture. (1) Knowing the culture also helps when discerning how to convey the meaning of what is being