A VIEW FROM DOWN UNDER

An Australian Sign Interpreter
at the NAJIT Conference

Merie Spring

The recent NAJIT conference in San Diego was one of the most enjoyable and informative conferences I have had the pleasure to attend. It was truly an international conference, with delegates traveling from England, Spain, Japan, Mexico, South Africa and Australia (despite difficulties and expense incurred) to network, share ideas and benefit from the Professional Development "banquet" provided by NAJIT. Concurrent sessions and diverse subject matter offered made choice of session extremely difficult for most of us, I am sure.

"‘Speak the Speech, I Pray You': Using Hamlet's Advice To Develop the Power and Quality of your Voice," presented by Dianne J. Winslow, was most practical and enjoyable, focusing on the need for interpreters to have "efficient physical organisation and structural integrity" if their vocalisation is to do justice to their interpreting skills. The body must be in proper alignment— the spine and trachea must be organised efficiently for good speech production. It was an interactive session, with people experimenting producing sounds, doing walking and breathing exercises, and enriching their appreciation of their vocal apparatus. Relaxation techniques and the value of meditation were also discussed.

Gladys Segal's session, "From Wiretap to Witness Stand: An Overview," highlighted the need for interpreters to work efficiently with law enforcement officers to produce "results that are seamless." For team players to understand the role and responsibilities of the interpreter, client education is necessary throughout the entire process. She outlined the linguistic skills needed to accurately translate tapes and the many difficulties encountered by interpreters/translators. As language consultants, interpreters must always abide by the code of ethics and remember that "integrity is the cornerstone of expert testimony." Gladys is obviously a most experienced practitioner and a wonderful resource for all interpreters and translators working in the legal arena.

As technology takes over our working lives to a greater extent, "The Ins and Outs of E-mail and Internet Browsers" by Marianne Pripps-Huertas was an enlightening session for delegates not up-to-date with appropriate e-mail protocol or how to get the most benefit from using new technology.

Angela Zawadzki and Inés Swaney provided insights into the role, responsibilities and potential difficulties for interpreters working with legal personnel in the area of "Depositions And Other Civil Matters." The importance of interpreters being familiar with the context of any particular situation was highlighted, with examples provided of how easily spoken dialogue can be misunderstood and or misinterpreted due to false cognates and/or homophones. It was also acknowledged that training for members of the legal fraternity in how to work effectively with interpreters is essential.

Linda Haughton's presentation, "Sign Language Interpreters On Trial: An Oral Interpreter's Perspective" was the first time I have ever heard a non-signer explain issues pertaining to Sign Language Interpreting with such accuracy. Although the role, responsibilities and potential hazards are similar regardless of the language pairs interpreters work between, a number of unique differences had to be considered with this particular court case. Linda outlined her involvement in organising seven sign language interpreters (from Texas, New Mexico and Washington D.C.) and then building a relationship of trust with the administrators and the interpreting team. Because the language of all participants was at varying stages of non-standard Sign Language (either ASL-American Sign Language or MSL - Mexican Sign Language) including dialectic variations, much pre-trial work needed to be done within the interpreting team itself. Throughout the trial the attorneys had to be trained as to the type of questions to ask the witnesses. This was 'team work' at its very best — interpreters, lawyers and judges working co-operatively together to achieve a successful outcome.

During Rosemary Moeketsi's paper, "Redefining The South African Court Interpreter: Conduit or Broker?" I could not help but make comparisons with what is happening here in Australia. The lack of tertiary training and clear career paths for the majority of interpreters is a common dilemma, as is the "revolving door" syndrome Rosemary mentioned. Although we have done a lot of ground work here in educating attorneys and other court personnel as to the role of interpreters in the legal setting, there is still much to do. I find it inspiring to hear how the interpreting and translating professions are being developed slowly but surely in countries such as South Africa, and I feel fortunate to be able to network and get to know the people breaking new ground in the area of language services.

One of the highlights for me was Holly Mikkelson's paper, "The Court Interpreting Profession At a Crossroads." The analogy of growing from infancy into adolescence with its accompanying problems was most apt to describe the development of court interpreting over the past number of years. Holly focused on the questions: (1) What does "professional" mean? and (2) What makes an occupation a profession? As we listened to her presentation, it became obvious that the issues have an impact on each of us individually as well as on the profession as a whole.

Social Activities

Many NAJIT members made me feel welcome in San Diego. This was my second NAJIT conference (last year I attended the San Antonio conference), but surely not my last. Thanks to Alee Alger-Robbins, for opening her home to the conference participants. It was a lovely evening. The conference dinner was also most enjoyable. It gave me the chance to meet more interpreters and translators and make some new friends.

Resources

Although much of the material on display was language specific, I was able to purchase resource materials for interpreter training here in Australia. My thanks to those people who gave of their time to answer questions and provide access to additional information.

Summary

Since many of us work in isolation most of the time, it is imperative that opportunities to network, share experiences and access ongoing professional development be provided and taken advantage of. For me personally, attendance at such a conference is like a shot in the arm. The presentations, interaction and discussion with others validated many of my beliefs and ideas as well as provided me with much food for thought. I would l like to thank most sincerely the organisers, the presenters and each delegate for making the conference such a success. I hope to be with you in Miami next year.

The author, who has worked in Australian courts since 1986 in Queensland, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, is accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters; has been a NAATI Examiner for Australian sign language; is a member of NAATI Regional Advisory Committee of Queensland; and is President of the Queens-land Australian Institute for Interpreters and Translators. She manages Interpreting Services for the Queensland Deaf Society, Inc., provides training to sign language interpreters and gives community education lectures to governmental departments.