Books by Laurie Swabey
With the growing emphasis on scholarship in interpreting, this collection tackles issues critical... more With the growing emphasis on scholarship in interpreting, this collection tackles issues critical to the inquiry process — from theoretical orientations in Interpreting Studies to practical considerations for conducting a research study. As a landmark volume, it charts new territory by addressing a range of topics germane to spoken and signed language interpreting research. Both provocative and pragmatic, this volume captures the thinking of an international slate of interpreting scholars including Daniel Gile, Franz Pöchhacker, Debra Russell, Barbara Moser-Mercer, Melanie Metzger, Cynthia Roy, Minhua Liu, Jemina Napier, Lorraine Leeson, Jens Hessmann, Graham Turner, Eeva Salmi, Svenja Wurm, Rico Peterson, Robert Adam, Christopher Stone, Laurie Swabey and Brenda Nicodemus. Experienced academics will find ideas to stimulate their passion and commitment for research, while students will gain valuable insights within its pages. This new volume is essential reading for anyone involved in interpreting research.
With the growing emphasis on scholarship in interpreting, this collection tackles issues critical... more With the growing emphasis on scholarship in interpreting, this collection tackles issues critical to the inquiry process — from theoretical orientations in Interpreting Studies to practical considerations for conducting a research study. As a landmark volume, it charts new territory by addressing a range of topics germane to spoken and signed language interpreting research. Both provocative and pragmatic, this volume captures the thinking of an international slate of interpreting scholars including Daniel Gile, Franz Pöchhacker, Debra Russell, Barbara Moser-Mercer, Melanie Metzger, Cynthia Roy, Minhua Liu, Jemina Napier, Lorraine Leeson, Jens Hessmann, Graham Turner, Eeva Salmi, Svenja Wurm, Rico Peterson, Robert Adam, Christopher Stone, Laurie Swabey and Brenda Nicodemus. Experienced academics will find ideas to stimulate their passion and commitment for research, while students will gain valuable insights within its pages. This new volume is essential reading for anyone involved in interpreting research.
Deaf Americans have identified healthcare as the most difficult setting in which to obtain a qual... more Deaf Americans have identified healthcare as the most difficult setting in which to obtain a qualified interpreter. Yet, relatively little attention has been given to developing evidence-based resources and a standardized body of knowledge to educate healthcare interpreters. In Our Hands: Educating Healthcare Interpreters addresses these concerns by delineating the best practices for preparing interpreters to facilitate full access for deaf people in healthcare settings.
The first section of this volume begins with developing domains and competencies toward a teaching methodology for medical and mental health interpreters. The next chapter describes a discourse approach that relies on analyzing actual transcripts and recordings to train healthcare interpreters. Other chapters feature a model mental health interpreter training program in Alabama; using a Demand-Control Schema for experiential learning; the risk of vicarious trauma to interpreters; online educational opportunities; and interpreting for deaf health care professionals. The second section offers four perspectives on education, including healthcare literacy of the clients; the education of Deaf interpreters; the development of standards for spoken-language healthcare interpreters; and the perspectives of healthcare interpreter educators in Europe. The range and depth of In Our Hands takes significant strides in presenting educational opportunities that can enhance the critical services provided by healthcare interpreters to deaf clients.
Articles by Laurie Swabey
Translating from English into American Sign Language holds a number of
challenges, particularly w... more Translating from English into American Sign Language holds a number of
challenges, particularly when the English source text is a formal, high profile, scripted speech. This study examined perspectives of Deaf bilinguals on translating President Obama’s 2009 inaugural address into American Sign Language. We conducted a microanalysis of translations of the opening line – ‘my fellow citizens’ – to investigate
the product and processes employed by Deaf translators. Five Deaf ASL-English bilinguals who are ASL teachers or interpreters/translators were asked to translate the opening paragraph of the address and were interviewed about the processes they used to render their translations. Findings revealed a lack of standard translations for the phrase
among the participants, but with some overlap in lexical terms. The Deaf translators discussed the challenges in creating the translation, including how to meet the needs of a national, but unknown, Deaf audience; the lack of standard ASL correspondents for English lexical items; incorporating cultural and sociolinguistic norms of ASL; and conveying semantic intent and register. The findings provide insights into the processes
of the Deaf translators, which may be helpful to both Deaf and hearing individuals when rendering interpretations and translations.
This study examined omissions, errors, and variability in lexical selection across simultaneous i... more This study examined omissions, errors, and variability in lexical selection across simultaneous interpretations of President Obama’s 2009 inaugural address,
in three spoken languages (French, German, Japanese) and in American Sign Language (ASL). Microanalysis of how information conveyed by 39 source speech lexical items was transferred into the target languages assessed to what extent omissions and errors reflected differences in lexical structure (relative frequency of ready lexical correspondents and of shared cognates between the source and target languages; and, for ASL in particular, size of lexicon compared to English). The highest number of errors and omissions was found in ASL, which has the smallest documented vocabulary, fewest lexical correspondents, and no shared cognates with English. If omission/error rates in interpretation
of lexical units are taken as a rough indicator of interpreting difficulty, results suggest that it is more difficult to interpret the speech into Japanese than into French or German and, by the same token, more difficult to interpret it into ASL than into the three spoken languages. These findings are consistent with the idea that language structures impact cognitive load during interpreting, and that interpreting effort increases in relation to the degree of difference between the source and target languages.
nterpreters who work regularly with a deaf health professional are often referred to, in the U.S.... more nterpreters who work regularly with a deaf health professional are often referred to, in the U.S., as designated healthcare interpreters (DHIs). To date, there have not been any systematic studies that specifically investigate the work of DHIs, yet the number of deaf people pursuing careers in the health professions continues to grow (Zazove et al., 2016), and the number of qualified DHIs to work with these professionals is insufficient (Gallaudet University, 2011). Before educational programming can be effectively developed, we need to know more about the work of DHIs. Using a job analysis approach (Brannick, Levine, & Morgeson, 2007), we surveyed DHIs, asking them to rate the importance and frequency of their job tasks. The results indicated that the following task categories are relatively more important: fosters positive and professional reputation, impression management; demonstrates openness to unpredictability; and builds and maintains long-term relationships with others. Tasks rated as more frequently performed included: dresses appropriately; decides when and what information to share from the environment; uses healthcare-specific knowledge; and demonstrates interpersonal adaptability. We discuss the results of the importance and frequency of the tasks of DHIs and consider the implications for education and future research.
Historically, interpreter education programs and professional codes of ethics have taken a cautio... more Historically, interpreter education programs and professional codes of ethics have taken a cautionary stance toward practitioner involvement in interpreted interactions. Yet, situations arise – particularly within healthcare settings – which require interpreters' expertise and intervention. This dierence between professional rhetoric and real-world experience can result in ambiguity for interpreters. Recent work on the competencies necessary for eective healthcare interpreting suests that certain types of involvement are critical for making eective decisions in interpreted interactions. To facilitate the decision-making process, interpreters must assert their presence and engage in their role in an open and authentic manner. This takes place when practitioners' cultivate professional relationships with the communication participants and foster opportunities for informed and transparent decision-making throughout the interaction. Achieving this requires interpreters to nd and exercise " voice " – a competence that has been historically suppressed and discouraged. To achieve interpreter presence and role transparency, educational paradigms need to change. A specic pedagogical approach – Problem-Based Learning – is oered as a viable means to teach students how to establish presence toward the goal of making eective decisions in the healthcare setting.
A fundamental principle held by professional American Sign Language-English interpreters is the c... more A fundamental principle held by professional American Sign Language-English interpreters is the critical importance of preparing for assignments; however, neither preparation strategies nor their efficacy have been studied in depth. For this study, six experienced ASL-English conference interpreters were interviewed about the preparation process they used to render President Barack Obama’s 2009 inaugural address into ASL. The participants were given the full script of Obama’s speech and 20 minutes of preparation time. After completing their interpretations, the participants engaged in a retrospective verbal report regarding their preparation strategies. The descriptive findings suggest that even ASL-English interpreters with experience in conference settings do not have standard strategies for preparing with written material, especially when interpreting a dense text under time constraints. A systematic approach to teaching preparation may improve the quality of the interpretations of scripted speeches, and other discourse genres, by ASL-English interpreters.
Rivista di psicolinguistica applicata. 12/2011; 11(3):69-83
Papers by Laurie Swabey
International Journal of Interpreter Education , 2022
In this commentary, the authors explore “practice” in interpreter education. They outline differe... more In this commentary, the authors explore “practice” in interpreter education. They outline differences in meaning and usage of the term, including the notions of “reflective practice” and “deliberate practice,” discuss the importance of high-quality skill development-focused practice (SDFP) in skill acquisition, and call for a systematic program of research into SDFP in interpreter education, particularly within the context of dialogue interpreting.
A fundamental principle held by professional American Sign Language-English interpreters is the c... more A fundamental principle held by professional American Sign Language-English interpreters is the critical importance of preparing for assignments; however, neither preparation strategies nor their efficacy have been studied in depth. For this study, six experienced ASL-English conference interpreters were interviewed about the preparation process they used to render President Barack Obama's 2009 inaugural address into ASL. The participants were given the full script of Obama's speech and 20 minutes of preparation time. After completing their interpretations, the participants engaged in a retrospective verbal report regarding their preparation strategies. The descriptive findings suggest that even ASL-English interpreters with experience in conference settings do not have standard strategies for preparing with written material, especially when interpreting a dense text under time constraints. A systematic approach to teaching preparation may improve the quality of the interpretations of scripted speeches, and other discourse genres, by ASL-En-glish interpreters.
This literature review has two purposes. First, it serves as the basis for development of an expe... more This literature review has two purposes. First, it serves as the basis for development of an experiential learning graduation-to-certification program for American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters through both face-to-face and virtual environments. Second, it is intended as a reference on experiential learning for those working with interpreters at any stage of their training or professional development. In this context we present theoretical and practical information from the relevant literature in the hope that it will inform interpreter educators' approaches to helping learners develop the necessary skills and knowledge to become competent, autonomous professionals. To support educators and learners on this journey, this review takes as broad and inclusive an approach as possible, touching on many topics of interest in experiential learning and interpreter education, by: defining experiential learning, discussing the design of learning experiences, presenting examples of experiential learning in action, exploring field-based experiential learning, discussing assessment, and evaluating the educator's role in experiential learning. Our focus is on ASL–English interpreter education; however, much of this information is also applicable to the education of interpreters working between other languages.
In the U.S. healthcare system, signed language interpreters frequently facilitate communication b... more In the U.S. healthcare system, signed language interpreters frequently facilitate communication between deaf individuals who use American Sign Language (ASL) and their non-signing physicians. A small but growing number of deaf individuals are pursuing medical training and becoming physicians, creating an opportunity for some deaf patients to communicate directly with their doctors in ASL. In addition to providing direct access for deaf patients, this also creates a situation in which it is possible to examine the linguistic features used by deaf bilingual physicians. We analyzed 18 ASL translations of three common medical interview questions as produced by both deaf physicians (N = 3) and experienced ASL-English interpreters (N = 3). Results indicate that the physicians and the interpreters consistently utilized contextualization, contrasting, and specification in their translations, but showed variability in the production of these discourse features. We provide an overview of the ...
BOOK CHAPTERS by Laurie Swabey
In C. Valero-Garces & A. Martin (Eds.), Crossing Borders in Community Interpreting: Definitions and dilemmas. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company
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Books by Laurie Swabey
The first section of this volume begins with developing domains and competencies toward a teaching methodology for medical and mental health interpreters. The next chapter describes a discourse approach that relies on analyzing actual transcripts and recordings to train healthcare interpreters. Other chapters feature a model mental health interpreter training program in Alabama; using a Demand-Control Schema for experiential learning; the risk of vicarious trauma to interpreters; online educational opportunities; and interpreting for deaf health care professionals. The second section offers four perspectives on education, including healthcare literacy of the clients; the education of Deaf interpreters; the development of standards for spoken-language healthcare interpreters; and the perspectives of healthcare interpreter educators in Europe. The range and depth of In Our Hands takes significant strides in presenting educational opportunities that can enhance the critical services provided by healthcare interpreters to deaf clients.
Articles by Laurie Swabey
challenges, particularly when the English source text is a formal, high profile, scripted speech. This study examined perspectives of Deaf bilinguals on translating President Obama’s 2009 inaugural address into American Sign Language. We conducted a microanalysis of translations of the opening line – ‘my fellow citizens’ – to investigate
the product and processes employed by Deaf translators. Five Deaf ASL-English bilinguals who are ASL teachers or interpreters/translators were asked to translate the opening paragraph of the address and were interviewed about the processes they used to render their translations. Findings revealed a lack of standard translations for the phrase
among the participants, but with some overlap in lexical terms. The Deaf translators discussed the challenges in creating the translation, including how to meet the needs of a national, but unknown, Deaf audience; the lack of standard ASL correspondents for English lexical items; incorporating cultural and sociolinguistic norms of ASL; and conveying semantic intent and register. The findings provide insights into the processes
of the Deaf translators, which may be helpful to both Deaf and hearing individuals when rendering interpretations and translations.
in three spoken languages (French, German, Japanese) and in American Sign Language (ASL). Microanalysis of how information conveyed by 39 source speech lexical items was transferred into the target languages assessed to what extent omissions and errors reflected differences in lexical structure (relative frequency of ready lexical correspondents and of shared cognates between the source and target languages; and, for ASL in particular, size of lexicon compared to English). The highest number of errors and omissions was found in ASL, which has the smallest documented vocabulary, fewest lexical correspondents, and no shared cognates with English. If omission/error rates in interpretation
of lexical units are taken as a rough indicator of interpreting difficulty, results suggest that it is more difficult to interpret the speech into Japanese than into French or German and, by the same token, more difficult to interpret it into ASL than into the three spoken languages. These findings are consistent with the idea that language structures impact cognitive load during interpreting, and that interpreting effort increases in relation to the degree of difference between the source and target languages.
Papers by Laurie Swabey
BOOK CHAPTERS by Laurie Swabey
The first section of this volume begins with developing domains and competencies toward a teaching methodology for medical and mental health interpreters. The next chapter describes a discourse approach that relies on analyzing actual transcripts and recordings to train healthcare interpreters. Other chapters feature a model mental health interpreter training program in Alabama; using a Demand-Control Schema for experiential learning; the risk of vicarious trauma to interpreters; online educational opportunities; and interpreting for deaf health care professionals. The second section offers four perspectives on education, including healthcare literacy of the clients; the education of Deaf interpreters; the development of standards for spoken-language healthcare interpreters; and the perspectives of healthcare interpreter educators in Europe. The range and depth of In Our Hands takes significant strides in presenting educational opportunities that can enhance the critical services provided by healthcare interpreters to deaf clients.
challenges, particularly when the English source text is a formal, high profile, scripted speech. This study examined perspectives of Deaf bilinguals on translating President Obama’s 2009 inaugural address into American Sign Language. We conducted a microanalysis of translations of the opening line – ‘my fellow citizens’ – to investigate
the product and processes employed by Deaf translators. Five Deaf ASL-English bilinguals who are ASL teachers or interpreters/translators were asked to translate the opening paragraph of the address and were interviewed about the processes they used to render their translations. Findings revealed a lack of standard translations for the phrase
among the participants, but with some overlap in lexical terms. The Deaf translators discussed the challenges in creating the translation, including how to meet the needs of a national, but unknown, Deaf audience; the lack of standard ASL correspondents for English lexical items; incorporating cultural and sociolinguistic norms of ASL; and conveying semantic intent and register. The findings provide insights into the processes
of the Deaf translators, which may be helpful to both Deaf and hearing individuals when rendering interpretations and translations.
in three spoken languages (French, German, Japanese) and in American Sign Language (ASL). Microanalysis of how information conveyed by 39 source speech lexical items was transferred into the target languages assessed to what extent omissions and errors reflected differences in lexical structure (relative frequency of ready lexical correspondents and of shared cognates between the source and target languages; and, for ASL in particular, size of lexicon compared to English). The highest number of errors and omissions was found in ASL, which has the smallest documented vocabulary, fewest lexical correspondents, and no shared cognates with English. If omission/error rates in interpretation
of lexical units are taken as a rough indicator of interpreting difficulty, results suggest that it is more difficult to interpret the speech into Japanese than into French or German and, by the same token, more difficult to interpret it into ASL than into the three spoken languages. These findings are consistent with the idea that language structures impact cognitive load during interpreting, and that interpreting effort increases in relation to the degree of difference between the source and target languages.
Keywords: narrative pedagogy, reflective practice, ASL–English, medical, domains,
More than 40 years after American Sign Language (ASL) and interpreter education were first offered as programs of study in higher education, little is known about the level of ASL proficiency of graduates from baccalaureate degree programs in interpreting and what level of ASL proficiency may be associated with passing the performance portion of the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) examination. With this in mind, we posed three questions: 1) What is the distribution of ASL Proficiency Interview (ASLPI) ratings of a national sample of novice interpreters relatively near the time of graduation from baccalaureate degree programs in interpreting? 2) What is the distribution of ASLPI ratings of a national sample of novice interpreters relatively near the time of taking the NIC Performance Exam? 3) What is the relationship between ASLPI ratings and passing/not passing the NIC Performance Exam? Results showed that relatively closer to IEP graduation (N = 134), about 56% of ASLPI proficiency levels were at or below Level 2+, and 44% were at or above Level 3. For ASLPI proficiency levels obtained relatively closer to taking the NIC Performance Exam (N = 154), about 30% were at or below Level 2+, and 70% of ratings were at or above Level 3. Results showed that all those who passed the NIC Performance Exam and who had a rating for the ASLPI taken relatively closer to taking the NIC Performance Exam (N = 27) obtained an ASLPI proficiency level of 3 or higher. However, it is essential to note that approximately 75% of participants who obtained a proficiency level of 3 or higher did not pass the NIC Performance Exam the first time they took it. Additionally, the higher the ASLPI level, the higher the proportion of people passing the NIC Performance Exam. This study has implications for further research regarding ASL proficiency for students entering and exiting IEPs and preparing for national credentialing.
interpretation. In this small-scale, exploratory study, we examined
the fingerspelling of interpreters working in five different sign
languages: American Sign Language (ASL), Australian Sign Language
(Auslan), British Sign Language (BSL), Irish Sign Language (ISL),
and Italian Sign Language (LIS). Sixteen interpreters were videorecorded
as they rendered President Barack Obama’s 2009 inaugural
address in their country’s sign language. After completing their interpretations, the participants engaged in a retrospective interview
about their work. The data were analyzed both quantitatively (for frequency and type of fingerspelling) and qualitatively (for factors
influencing fingerspelling). Results indicate that the most fingerspelled
items (n = 137) were produced in the ASL interpretations and
the fewest (n = 18) were produced in the LIS interpretations; variation
between the groups was found in lexicalized fingerspelling and
the fingerspelling of place names. We suggest that the variation in
fingerspelling both within and between groups may be explained by
sociolinguistic factors, including interpreters’ language attitudes and
perceptions of the deaf audience. This exploratory study provides a
first step in investigating the fingerspelling of interpreters in a variety
of sign languages.