Interpreters who work with signed languages and those who work strictly with spoken languages share many of the same issues regarding their training, skill sets, and fundamentals of practice. Yet interpreting into and from signed languages presents unique challenges for the interpreter, who works with language that must be seen rather than heard. The contributions in this volume focus on topics of interest to both students of signed language interpreting and practitioners working in community, conference, and education settings. Signed languages dealt with include American Sign Language, Langue des Signes Québécoise and Irish Sign Language, although interpreters internationally will find the discussion in each chapter relevant to their own language context. Topics concern theoretical and practical components of the interpreter's work, including interpreters' approaches to language and meaning, their role on the job and in the communities within which they work, dealing with language variation and consumer preferences, and Deaf interpreters as professionals in the field.

Table of contents

Contributors ix–x

Acknowledgements xi

Part I. Introduction

Introduction to the theory and practice of signed language interpreting Terry Janzen 3–24

Part II. Aspects of interpreting theory

Towards a cognitive model of interpreting Sherman Wilcox and Barbara Shaffer 27–50

Making the effort in simultaneous interpreting: Some considerations for signed language interpreters Lorraine Leeson 51–68

Interpretation and language use: ASL and English Terry Janzen 69–105

Contact sign, transliteration and interpretation in Canada Karen Malcolm 107–133

Consecutive and imultaneous interpreting Debra Russell 135–164

Ethics and professionalism in interpreting Terry Janzen and Donna Korpiniski 165–199

Part III. Interpreting in practice

The working interpreter Hubert Demers 203–230

Best practices in interpreting: A deaf community perspective Angela Stratiy 231–250

Vying with variation: Interpreting language contact, gender variation and generational difference Lorraine Leeson 251–291

Case studies in education: Practical application of ethics and role Patricia Conrad and Susan Stegenga 293–322

Deaf interpreters Patrick Boudreault 323–355

Index 357–362

"The book gives a comprehensive theoretical and practical insight into interpreting with a signed language as one of your working languages and is well worth reading." Christopher Stone, University College London, in Journal of Specialised Translation, 2007

"I am quite sure that De-/Re-Contextualizing Conference Interpreting casts new light on the field of Interpreting Studies. One of the major merits of the author is the attempt to consider conference interpreting as a 'real' multifaceted profession, distancing it from the 'ivory tower' aura that somehow sets it apart from other interpreting fields as well as other 'professions' and yet, as many may have experienced, does not help the public identify 'who' interpreters are or 'what' simultaneous conference interpreting may be. Diriker's highly valuable contribution will hopefully be followed by further research that integrates cognitive, social and linguistic aspects with ethics and the 'real' practice of the profession-in-context(s)." Erika Arecco, University of Trieste, Italy, in Across Languages and Cultures, Vol. 8(1) 2007