We have started a demo reel to give you a glimpse of where we are coming from. We hope to include your participation to make it a fuller image of the interpretation profession. Please feel welcome to send us photos/videos of you taking part in music-related activities, whether you were the performer or attended a performance. We are mainly looking for interpreters enjoying themselves outside of work.
We would also like to include interpreters whose native language is ASL, and interpreters of color, from different communities that represent richness and diversity of the world we live in.

We do not intend to advertise our company in an intro or outro. By not doing so, we can include all interested interpreters. The final video link will be shared to those who were selected to participate.
Check out our Interpreters and Music Demo Reel here.
Please send photos or videos to info@montereylanguages.com

Please feel welcome to pass the invitation to interpreters who you think would be interested.

Thank you and have a nice day!

Standardized Testing

ASL interpreters are often present in the classroom as educational interpreters. Similarly, interpretation is needed for providing instructions for standardized testing, such as the SATs in American schools. Sometimes the same educational interpreters can be called upon to interpret for standardized testing in their respective schools, but this might not be a certainty. The test may take place on a weekend and require a different interpreter to fill in, for example.

Standardized tests also don’t necessarily take place in a K-12 environment. For example, these tests might be taken to certify a job requirement or receive a passing grade to enter a special program.

American Sign Language and Foreign Sign Language

When we were asked to provide an interpreter for a patient who required Mexican Sign Language (LSM), we were able to send a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) who was familiar with both ASL and LSM. CDIs themselves are Deaf or hard-of-hearing and are native in sign language and Deaf culture.

The CDI assigned to this task was exceptional at interpreting between ASL and LSM. However, due to the fact that the CDI could not vocalize the client’s needs to the hospital staff, a second interpreter — this one for ASL — was brought in to interpret between the CDI and the staff. Thus, the communication flow looked like this:

Patient > CDI > ASL Interpreter > Hospital Staff, and vice versa.

The interpretation was successful in large part thanks to the hospital interpreter manager who was able to inform us ahead of time that they would require LSM, which gave us the time to comb through our large network of interpreters and send a right fit. The ability to identify a proper language is a very important prerequisite for a successful and smooth interpretation encounter. The hospital was our county’s public hospital Natividad Medical Center. Their excellent caregiving to the patient and hospitality to our interpreters were highly commendable. We appreciate all the hard work involved on all sides and are honored to share such an excellent work between foreign sign language and American sign language interpretation.

The Classroom

Typically in the United States, many ASL interpreters are known to interpret into sign language for deaf or hard-of-hearing students in the classroom setting, whether it be K-12, colleges, or universities.

Classroom interpreters may also be called “educational interpreters”—these interpreters aren’t just advocates for the students they interpret for, but also role models and supporters. Educational interpreters are part of the educational teams that are responsible for students’/children’s learning goals and outcomes. While the interpreter must maintain confidentiality, of course, confidentiality is not limited to themselves and the classroom teacher. Instead, the interpreter must speak with the student’s educational team about the student’s behavior, answers, development, etc. during classroom and/or school hours.

To properly teach a deaf or hard-of-hearing student, the interpreter and other members of the educational team must decide beforehand on a) what specific type of sign language is necessary to use; b) whether the interpreter should modify vocabulary and/or register (this is especially important if the child has a developmental disability); and c) what each lesson’s outline and expected learning outcome will be.

A Workshop

We’ve recently received a request to provide ASL interpreters for an upcoming workshop designed to promote leadership and effectiveness in the workplace. Workshops can be on any topic–technology, business, medical, community CPR and fire training, etc.

Depending on the length of the workshop and number of attendees, a team of interpreters might be better than a singular interpreter, as interpreting can be tiring with constant hand movement and so require sufficient breaks. If there is a speaker addressing an audience, an interpreter will stand up on stage as well and sign to provide interpretation (usually simultaneous), and can switch out with another interpreter as needed. Providing a team of interpreters can also allow for one or two of them to work with someone who may require extra assistance.

ASL interpreters may be asked to “voice” during the workshop. Voicing is the process of using spoken English in tandem with signing. Deaf or hard-of-hearing people using an interpreter’s services can benefit greatly in their understanding of the interpretation by reading the interpreter’s lips. Those with some level of hearing can also pick up on the morphemes (simply put, small units of spoken sound) coming from the interpreter. Depending on the needs of the situation, the interpreter may be asked not to voice during their work, too.

A Hospital or Forensic Setting

Hospitals are a very common setting for any type of interpretation, and it’s no different for ASL interpretation. Oftentimes, an emergency or a high-priority appointment will pop up. In those cases, time is of the essence to find an interpreter, and it takes a quick, calm, and agile manager or coordinator to find who is available and experienced to interpret.

Recently, we were contacted for a same-day ASL interpretation request concerning medical forensics. We worked fast to send an interpreter who not only could make it in time to the appointment, but also fluent in medical terminology with a proven track record of interpreting for potentially upsetting circumstances.

In our next post we will be highlighting more ASL interpretation scenarios, so please stay tuned.

In normal circumstances, it has been shown that people who speak little to no English tend to have worse health outcomes from routine procedures than English speakers do. One major reason for this is non-English speakers might not fully understand the directions given by the doctor and therefore don’t manage their recovery appropriately. This disparity can be even larger in a medical crisis, like we are experiencing now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, many people are working hard to close this gap by providing as much information about the coronavirus in as many languages as possible. Pooja Chandrashekar, a first year Harvard medical student, started a movement to translate critical information about COVID-19 “in an effort to help patients from vulnerable communities know when and how to seek care.” Called the COVID-19 Health Literacy Project, this initiative now includes over 35 institutions, and has translated into 34 languages. This is an incredible volunteer program that will certainly help many people manage this health crisis. If you are interested in contributing to this project, click here for more information!

This pandemic is especially hard for children, whose lives have been completely disrupted for something that they can’t fully understand. It is important to support them and give them information they can relate to, which is why the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (a collaboration of various United Nations organizations) created a children’s book that would show children how to protect themselves from the virus and how to “manage difficult emotions when confronted with a new and rapidly changing reality.” The group surveyed over 1700 children, parents, caregivers and teachers from 104 countries to find out what children’s mental health needs are during the pandemic, and to examine how different people cope with COVID-19. The survey was available in Arabic, English, Italian, French, and Spanish, to make sure that a diverse range of people were able to share their experiences. These responses formed the framework for the book, whose writers wanted to make sure that the story would resonate with children across the globe. The story, called “My Hero is You,” was initially released in six languages, and with the help of volunteer translators, has now been translated in 32 languages and counting. The book is available for free online; if you would like to read it, or if you want more information on how to volunteer to translate, please click here.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many public officials have been having regular press briefings, sometimes even daily. American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are a key part of these briefings, as they allow deaf and hard-of-hearing people to understand the same information in real time. Because there are so many briefings, these interpreters have been gaining a lot of attention and admiration for their work, as seen in such headlines as “‘One of the world’s best’: Idaho interpreter wins fans during COVID-19 news conferences” and “American Sign Language interpreters shine during COVID-19 press conferences.” Jonathan Lamberton, an ASL interpreter for Bill de Blasio, gave an interview where he described the rewards and challenges of interpreting during times as difficult as now. He told the reporter that “Sometimes when I’m interpreting it’s a challenge to not cry myself, it is on my mind but I’m able to put it on the mental backburner while I’m focusing on my job,” which highlights the emotional strength that our interpreters must have in addition to their linguistic skills. It’s no wonder that ASL interpreters are gaining fans!

We are incredibly thankful for all of the translators, interpreters, and other language professionals who are continuing to work or volunteer to make sure everyone has access to the information they need. They inspire us to keep doing our best to share information in as many ways as we can. We are proud to be part of the language services community!

Melissa Krile’s is a former special education teacher who also has experience teaching lower levels of ASL. She has always noticed that her son had interest in expression through his hands and not only his mouth. By the time Noah Krile (now three years of age) was 15 months old, the toddler already knew 150 different signs.

Melissa noticed that by using signs such as “MILK,” “DIAPER,” “MORE,” and “ALL-DONE” Noah could clearly explain to her exactly what he wanted. In turn, this cut down tantrums and communication problems between them.

Now, Melissa is working with the Lancaster Parks and Recreation programs to hold Parent-Child ASL classes over the summer.

Source: http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20120523/NEWS01/205230313