Educational Interpreters Role and Responsibilities

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf official statement of qualifications for educational interpreters is “As a member of the educational team, the interpreter should be an educated and qualified professional.” According to their Standard Practice Paper publication “The fundamental role of an interpreter is to facilitate communication between persons who are deaf and hard of hearing and others” (RID 2000.)

They also define the very settings and person who the interpreters should interpret for, but reinforcing that “interpreting is the educational interpreter’s primary role, and must take priority over any other demands.” RID discuss these demands as maximizing and reducing the interpreter’s effectiveness. Examples of duties that maximizing and interpreter’s effectiveness can be collaborating with teachers, preparing for classroom task, tutoring a deaf child, and/or teaching staff and children sign language, when appropriate. RID also give examples that reduce an educational interpreter’s effectiveness. These include copying and filing, school ground duties, and supervision of children. They also state that, as for all interpreters, educational interpreters should follow the RID Code of Professional Conduct (RID 2000.)

RID supports educational interpreters to have training, qualifications, and credentials to interpret in the K-12 setting. “Simply knowing sign language dies not qualify a person as an interpreter.” Specific training, qualification, and credentials are not define by RID, but they state that interpreting is a “highly specialized field….and professional interpreters develop their specialization through extensive training and practice over a long period of time.” The association does take the stand that educational interpreters should be RID certified (RID2000.)

RID Standard Practice Paper: Interpreting in Educational Settings (K-12) (2000)

Retrieved on July 3, 2009 from The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Website: 

http://www.rid.org/UserFiles/File/pdfs/124.pdf

Submitted by Whitney Bryant July 4, 2009

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