‘The Preservation of Sign Language’ film holds new meaning 100 years later
Around 1912-1913, George W. Veditz, one time president of the National Association of the Deaf of the United States, gave his famous ‘Preservation’ speech about the importance of preserving the language on film. According to Arika Okrent for Mental Floss, Veditz gave this speech at a time when deaf schools were switching to the oral […]
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Optimistic outlook for ASL interpreter job growth
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 11 percent growth in total for all occupations between 2012 and 2022. For the interpreters and translators sector of occupations, however, the projected occupation growth is much greater: 46 percent! In 2012, the number of interpreter and translator occupations was 63,600. This projected number is predicted to be […]
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Linguistics in American Sign Language
Just as quickly as the rhythms and movement of American Sign Language captivate, it also confounds — a grammatically complex language with no structural relation to English. Linguistics — the study of language and its structure — includes the study of American Sign Language. Linguists mine the complexity of the syntax of the language, its […]
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ASL Interpreting by video: a growing field
Federal civil rights laws require effective communication to be provided to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. But when an interpreter is not immediately available, companies, hospitals, mental health settings, schools, police stations, courthouses and many more can turn to video relay service interpreting (VRS) and video remote interpreting (VRI) services and providers. […]
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ASL poetry slams popping up across the country
Poetry slams are poetry competitions with elimination rounds. A highly verbal and rhythmic form of expression, poetry slams grew out of ties to hip-hop culture and open-mike jazz clubs. Poetry Slam, Inc. writes that you will “find a diverse range of work within [a poetry] slam, including heartfelt love poetry, searing social commentary, uproarious comic […]
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Deaf cultural celebrations frequent Fulton
In 1913, George W. Veditz, president of the National Association for the Deaf at the time reflected, “As long as we have deaf people on Earth, we will have signs, and as long as we have our films, we can preserve our beautiful sign language in its original purity.” 102 years later, not only the […]
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Part of a Series on American Sign Language Interpreters: Performing Arts Interpreting
Chicago-based interpreting service and instruction group Deaf Communication by Innovation puts it well: good performing arts “interpreters do not simply translate words into sign. They have the expertise to share with a Deaf audience the subtleties of a variety of works from Shakespeare to contemporary and from musical to comedy.” Performance interpreting can apply to […]
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Part of a Series on American Sign Language Interpreters: Healthcare Interpreting
Communicating effectively between a patient who is deaf and their healthcare provider is essential, considering the serious risks that may occur if the accuracy of information is compromised; a misdiagnosis, misunderstanding of a treatment regimen or another miscommunication has serious implications. This is why certified interpreters are an important part of a healthcare team. The […]
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Part of a Series on American Sign Language Interpreters: Legal Interpreting
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires the use of qualified interpreters in any court and legal setting. American Sign Language legal interpreters need to be highly skilled and trained specialists, considering the serious consequences in the event of a failed communication. As a result, the demand for interpreters in the legal world is higher […]
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ASL Film Showings Frequent Fulton
One of the best ways to learn a language is in immersion, the process of teaching a new language in which that language is the medium of instruction. The closer an Interpretation Studies student can get to surrounding themselves with ASL, the better their fluency will be with the language. This means spending time with […]
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