This paper explains how the hearing loss of deaf persons affects communication, describes methods deaf individuals use to communicate, and addresses the role of interpreters in the communication process. The volume covers: communication methods such as speechreading or lipreading, written notes, gestures, or sign language (American Sign Language,…

Explores the role and status of hearing people within the Deaf community, in particular sign language interpreters. Indicates that hearing people and sign language interpreters in particular can become members of the Deaf community. (Author/VWL)

This study documented prevalent signs used during the interpreting process, specifically related to negation in tactile American Sign Language (TASL). Focused on ASL to TASL only.(Author/VWL)

A study involving 12 hearing sign language users examined the effect of the signing task on temporal features of speech during simultaneous communication (SC). Results indicated longer sentence duration for SC than speech-only conditions, and longer anticipatory duration of the diphthong and interword interval preceding the experimental words.…

The Educational Sign Skills Evaluation (ESSE) was developed to provide a means of identifying the dominant signing style of an individual and to provide feedback on areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. It provides an overall expressive skills rating as well as information on the type, level, and degree of understanding demonstrated…

The paper, one-third of which consists of appendixes, examines the emergence, development, and growth of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. The literature is reviewed relative to the historical, philosophical, and general forces bearing on the evolution of sign language into a formal language, which was a prerequisite to the…

A study assessed the frequency of self-reported hand/wrist problems among 184 sign-language communicators. Fifty-nine percent reported experiencing hand/wrist problems, 26 percent reported experiencing hand/wrist problems severe enough to limit their ability to work, and 18 percent reported a medical diagnosis of wrist tendinitis, carpal tunnel…

A special set of skills is essential for interpreting for mainstreamed deaf preschool students. Eleven issues in clarifying the job of the preschool interpreter are discussed, such as whether hearing children should learn to sign and how to encourage communication among hearing and deaf children. (JDD)

Provides a list of teacher-training programs to prepare educators for teaching children with hearing impairments, a list of programs of advanced study for professional specialists, and programs for training interpreters of sign language. Programs are listed by state. (CR)

Describes an instrument for objective assessment of sign language interpreters, which used videotapes to assess the accuracy of interpreted output. It categorizes the kinds of modifications made in response to cultural factors, estimates the degree of American Sign Language or English use, and records fingerspelling influence. (Author/SED)

In a survey concerning repetitive stress injury (RSI) and carpal tunnel syndrome, 87 percent of the 40 sign language interpreters reported that they had at some time experienced at least 2 symptoms associated with RSI, and most interpreters knew others with RSI problems. Data indicate that RSI is a severe problem among sign language interpreters.…

When hearing raters subjectively evaluated the signed and spoken output of 25 sign language interpreters, rater agreement was between 0.52-0.86; the correlation between subjective and objective evaluation was between 0.59-0.79. Raters were unsuccessful in identifying which interpreters had deaf parents. (CB)

This final report discusses the outcomes of a project designed to promote higher standards for Sign Language interpreter preparations programs and to provide an opportunity for such programs to engage in self-examination. The project field-tested a set of program standards and a program self-study process with five Sign Language interpreter…

A survey instrument for determining the competence that educational interpreters are perceived to need in 3 areas (skill, knowledge, attitude) was administered to 71 participants from the Alabama Registry of Interpreters for the deaf, students completing a training program, and classroom teachers who use interpreters. Differences among the groups…

Videotapes of simultaneous communication users were analyzed by three sign language professionals. Successful simultaneous communication was characterized by clear lip movement, fingerspelling of ambiguous signs, eye contact, communication of mood and attitude, modality match, and grammatical facial expression. Matching the semantically…