I agree as well, a degree in Interpreting alone is not enough for one to become a qualified Interpreter. First of all, interpreting takes years to master (to the best of one's ability) and you cannot master ASL or interpreting in two or four years in a classroom, as we know ASL is a highly complex language. It takes countless hours of socialization, mentoring and volunteering within the deaf community itself.
I believe the deaf community is one of our greatest teachers, where else can you learn more about ASL and Deaf Culture than from interacting within the deaf community? It is a great way to enhance your expressive and receptive skills and most importantly...you learn about the community who you will be interpreting for, after all it is their language. At the same time, I also feel that any education is advantageous to us all and that increasing our knowledge is one of the best assets we can ascertain. There are so many things that I learned from my program that helped prepare me for the world of interpreting. You will not learn in depthly the Laws, Code of Ethics, History of Deaf Education and Interpreting in the social world, you learn this by mentoring and by obtaining a degree from an ITP/EIP. In these programs you create a network, a camaraderie between your classmates and teachers. Socialization and education can work hand in hand.
Let's take a look at what a few other Interpreters had to say...
"I cannot see how we will be considered the professional equals of nurses, mental health professionals, doctors, lawyers, etc., until we have equivalent educational and licensing requirements."
"If we have degree programs that degree terps and the profession also requires certification or licensure, we are likely to make greater inroads in having terps taken seriously as professionals and treated as such, including financially."
Lynne Eighinger (MBA candidate) who holds a CI/CT, MO & NC Comprehensive, TX III, Give's some clear and excellent viewpoints:
"I am one of those FIRM believers that education is crucial for an interpreter (not only interpreting education [ITP, IPP, IEP] but liberal arts as well and experiential education). Almost every assignment I work in, I draw upon some part of my education. I couldn't possibly know I draw on that if I weren't involved in higher education: 'you don't know what you don't know.'
It is painfully obvious in the English to ASL interpretations when the interpreter doesn't really understand the English terminology, subtleties of what is being said or more importantly the impact of what is being said.
Conversely, ASL to English, those with education clearly stand apart. Their ability to render an interpretation, which linguistically matches the register, education of the deaf speaker, and the fluency of language use of the speaker becomes so obvious in their lexical variety of choices or lack thereof.
As well, I believe experiential learning is also very important to increase one's world knowledge. This can best be accomplished through travel. If that is not an option though, reading is the next best thing.
So very much information comes at us from our diverse experiences and the diverse experiences of others, to have some understanding and knowledge of those experiences either first-hand or vicariously through reading are very important to a successful interpretation. By successful, I mean not just surface, or a superficial word-for-a-word translation but a processed cultural and linguistic INTERPRETATION of the messages. You cannot truly interpret that which you do not understand so for those two maxims (1. You don't know what you don't know and You cannot interpret what you do not understand), I feel education is grossly understated."
In Closing, I want to thank everyone for sharing his or her thoughts with us. Whether one believes education is more important or socialization is more important, the benefits of both have been clearly shown. With saying that, I think mixing a good education from an Interpreter Training program and extracurricular activities (socializing, mentoring, workshops) will help make a well-rounded Interpreter!
