ASL Interpreter wanted: Please apply within.

woodstock said:

I am surprised to think the deaf/ mute community may be at a disadvantage due to lack of opportunity. I am looking for someone who is fluent in ASL and has an interest in promoting the Constitution, particularly the 2nd amendment. Experience in firearms is not necessary, extensive ASL interpretation is. Looking to offer the class 4 times per year.

Please PM me for details. Larry.

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Magnumst said:

I'm not sure if this will work but my daughter is a high school senior and has taken 4 yrs of sign and wants to pursue a job in ASL interpreting after college. I will speak with her and you can let me know if this might be of interest.
Thank you,

Scott

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Hawkeye said:

My wife is a certified professional interpreter. She holds both CI/CT and NID certifications through the RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, the national governing body for ASL interpreters) and she's done it professionally for 15 years or so. I say that as a disclaimer before what I'm about to say as advice. I'm not trying to toot her horn or whatever, but this is an important point:

The trick, when you're looking for someone for a position like this, is to find someone who is certified as an interpreter, not just someone who knows ASL. Knowing both languages and being able to interpret back and forth between them are two entirely different skillsets, and that's especially important when it comes to anything that's touching on legally sensitive areas such as firearms law and the constitution. Part of this is due to the linguistic differences, but part of it is also due to cultural and other differences. Interpreting the Miranda warning, for instance, is incredibly difficult to do properly because you need to get not just the words across, but the meaning behind them and the impact and repercussions of what they mean.

I'm not trying to bag on anyone, because I sign like a two year old, and there are a lot of very cool, very smart people who are English / ASL bilingual out there, but in short, being fluent in ASL and English is not the same as being a good interpreter.



If you want to drop me a PM with specifics, I can ask my wife. If she can't do it, she can definitely point you to someone who could.

Where is your daughter looking at going to school? I can ask my wife for recommendations if you'd like. She's very well connected to people at the top of the field, has mentored new interpreters in the past, and is very happy to help new people in the field.

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Hawkeye said:

My wife is a certified professional interpreter. She holds both CI/CT and NID certifications through the RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, the national governing body for ASL interpreters) and she's done it professionally for 15 years or so. I say that as a disclaimer before what I'm about to say as advice. I'm not trying to toot her horn or whatever, but this is an important point:

The trick, when you're looking for someone for a position like this, is to find someone who is certified as an interpreter, not just someone who knows ASL. Knowing both languages and being able to interpret back and forth between them are two entirely different skillsets, and that's especially important when it comes to anything that's touching on legally sensitive areas such as firearms law and the constitution. Part of this is due to the linguistic differences, but part of it is also due to cultural and other differences. Interpreting the Miranda warning, for instance, is incredibly difficult to do properly because you need to get not just the words across, but the meaning behind them and the impact and repercussions of what they mean.

I'm not trying to bag on anyone, because I sign like a two year old, and there are a lot of very cool, very smart people who are English / ASL bilingual out there, but in short, being fluent in ASL and English is not the same as being a good interpreter.

If you want to drop me a PM with specifics, I can ask my wife. If she can't do it, she can definitely point you to someone who could.



Where is your daughter looking at going to school? I can ask my wife for recommendations if you'd like. She's very well connected to people at the top of the field, has mentored new interpreters in the past, and is very happy to help new people in the field.

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Hawkeye said:

So I spoke with my wife a bit about this last night. Woodstock, you have PM (or email) incoming about specifics.

For other folks with people in their families interested in becoming interpreters, here was her advice:

As of a year or two ago, people wishing to become certified as interpreters by the RID (registry of interpreters for the deaf, the national governing body for ASL interpreters in the USA) are required to have a Bachelor's degree. It doesn't matter what the degree is actually in, just that you have it. Her general advice would be to go to someplace like Towson that has a deaf studies program with good ASL classes and do that, and combine it with classes at a place like Catonsville that has an Interpreter Training Program (ITP). This will give you the bachelor's that you'll need to get certified as well as the interpretation skills that you'll need to do the job properly.
It's possible to get work as an interpreter without getting certified, but it's not the greatest idea, and you'll generally get paid more as a certified interpreter as well. Sometimes significantly more. Aside from that, many states, possibly including Maryland, are moving from using certification for interpreters to a state licensing type model which will impose all sorts of different legal requirements on interpreters as well. Anyone looking to get in to the field will have to meet certain requirements to practice, so it'd be a good idea to get a jump on that by getting certified now.

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woodstock said:

never got an email or PM. good info, none the less.

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j_h_smith said:

My daughter is a graduate of Loyola University with a BA degree in Speech Pathology.

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She signs in ASL and LSM (Mexican Sign Language). She did not get her certification, but is now applying to as many schools as she can to gain her Masters. I don't know what the process is to become certified, but maybe this is something Daddy will pay for if it's not $10K.

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Hawkeye said:

Yay, my Alma Mater.



Just out of curiosity, where'd she learn LSM? That's not an incredibly common skill in the US.

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j_h_smith said:

My daughter is a graduate of Loyola University with a BA degree in Speech Pathology. She signs in ASL and LSM (Mexican Sign Language). She did not get her certification, but is now applying to as many schools as she can to gain her Masters. I don't know what the process is to become certified, but maybe this is something Daddy will pay for if it's not $10K.

Let me get back to you after I talk to her.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

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woodstock said:

i'm still working on it and putting feelers out.

does she have any firearm knowledge/ interest?

thanks.

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