Working with an Interpreter and Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students

Working with DHH

The interpreter is there to facilitate communication between the deaf student, you, and the hearing students. The goal of the interpretation is message equivalence. For the interpreter to achieve message equivalence it is essential that the teacher share classroom philosophies and educational goals with the interpreter in order to help them produce the best interpretation possible. The interpreter is not interjecting his/her own opinions into the interpretation. If the instructor leaves the room, the interpreter is not in charge.

It is tempting to view the educational interpreter as another adult in the classroom who can help with the numerous tasks that a teacher must undertake. However, the number one rule that a teacher must remember is that the primary job of the educational interpreter is to interpret. A student who is deaf or hard of hearing should never miss classroom communication or peer interaction because the educational interpreter cannot interpret.

An interpreter will do a much better job if they understand the teacher’s teaching goals, style of classroom management, and general philosophy of learning. In order to interpret the teacher’s goals and intentions, the interpreter needs a good understanding of each of these elements. The more an interpreter knows about how a teacher teaches and what they will be teaching, the better the message will be conveyed through sign language.

By talking with the interpreter, a teacher can learn what they do that helps make the interpreter’s job easier or harder. It also helps the teacher learn about how the interpreter communicates with the student. For example, is the interpreter modifying what the teacher is saying to accommodate the student? Communicating regularly, accurately, and appropriately also gives the teacher a sense of how much, if any, assistance the interpreter is providing to the student. And, open communication gives the interpreter the opportunity to share observations and recommendations on how better to reach the deaf or hard of hearing student. The teacher can also support students who are deaf or hard of hearing by taking time to familiarize the interpreter about curricular goals ahead of time.

The interpreter usually sits at the front of the classroom near the instructor. This allows the student to look from the interpreter to the instructor with ease. At times the interpreter needs to reference something that you have written on the board, an overhead or a PowerPoint slide so the interpreter may walk over and point to what you have written or displayed. If the class is more interactive where students are moving around, then the interpreter may choose to stand and move to be next to the person who is speaking.

Questions for the DHH student should be asked directly to the deaf student using second person speech, rather than be directed to the interpreter.

Interpreting causes a slight delay of information which is a reason for the delayed response from the student.

Good lighting is essential. When darkening the room, please try to arrange enough light to interpret by.

The DHH student may also require a note-taker since it is very difficult for the student to take notes and look at the interpreter at the same time.

The interpreter is not there to tutor the student and is not an E.A. There are times when the student is engaged in independent work and the interpreter is not needed. The interpreter should be given this time to prepare to interpret future lessons by looking at classroom books and teacher’s materials. The student will benefit more when the interpreter is prepared.

When possible, interpreters work in teams because of the mental and physical rigors of the job. Sometimes an interpreter may show-up to your class after you have already begun teaching. This is either to team with the interpreter assigned to your class or for observation purposes.

Interpreters follow the “Code of Professional Conduct” as outlined by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and the EIPA Code of Professional Conduct.

Visual aids are a deaf student’s best friend! Using PowerPoint during class and posting them online is a wonderful tool, along with overheads, writing key concepts/names on the board during instruction, and pointing. In the rare instance when the interpreter is absent, try to make the information accessible using visuals, Power Points, writing key terms on the board or providing printed materials as possible without compromising your teaching style.

IN ORDER TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR NEW AND/OR USED VIDEOS AND DVD’S ARE CAPTIONED! PLEASE INCLUDE YOUTUBE AND OTHER STREAMING MEDIA! For web-based media, often there are transcripts attached, so if you can display that at the same time, the DHH student will be able to read the transcript under the video. It would also be most helpful if the student and interpreters were able to get a hard copy of the transcript beforehand. Please note that interpreting media is different than interpreting lecture and discussion in the class because it is difficult for the student to watch the interpreter and the video at the same time and be able to catch all of the nuances. FYI…most DVDs today are captioned or have subtitles. Did you know that captioning can benefit the entire class…especially for the spelling of names and concepts?

Educational interpreters should have access to a full set of teaching materials, including copies of student books and the teacher’s manual. The teacher’s manual can help the interpreter understand which concepts are important. If these concepts are new to the interpreter, they can learn about them before interpreting.

Include the interpreter in meetings regarding the student. Talk with the interpreter about what information they can share with parents. Talk with the interpreter about his/her perceptions on how the student is doing.

The interpreter should have his/her own space to store personal belongings and to prepare for future lessons. The interpreter should not be permanently ‘parked’ next to the student who is deaf or hard of hearing. The student needs some independence just as the interpreter needs some preparation time.

Please include the interpreter when making copies of handouts for the students, e.g. syllabi, articles, etc.

Include the interpreter’s email in your roster for access to online school platforms or other website information. Interpreters prepare for the class, so being abreast of assignments, Power Points, and discussion threads will make sure that the interpreting process is successful.

If you happen to have an extra textbook for the interpreters to borrow during the term, that would be most helpful for their preparation. Even if it isn’t the most recent edition; but if it has the same information, concepts, terms that the students are required to know, it will help them to prepare for the class. Usually the publishers are willing to send another desk copy when they understand it’s for access reasons (e.g. Interpreters). The interpreters will return all materials at the end of the term.