Page 200 - Reading Between the Sign Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

8

Techniques for

Cultural Adjustments

So far, we have (1) established that cultural differences greatly
affect communication, (2) become familiar with contrasts between
American mainstream culture and American Deaf culture, (3) iden-
tified specific cultural misunderstandings that occur in common
interpreting situations, and (4) explored the roles and responsi-
bilities of sign language interpreters. In this chapter we will look
at successful cultural interventions and examine what the inter-
preters did well in these situations. I will then offer a set of ques-
tions interpreters can employ to assess whether cultural adjust-
ment is needed in any interpreting situation. Next, I will suggest
useful techniques for cultural adjustment, and finally, I will return
to a few of the scenarios from chapter 6 and offer some options
(based on these techniques) for handling them more effectively.
This approach will give us a framework that we can apply to fu-
ture interpreting challenges.
Every profession has a vocabulary with which to discuss the
techniques used by its practitioners. Chefs learn how to scald,
sauté, and simmer. Football players can compare the advantages
of a double reverse, a shovel pass, and a quarterback sneak. Ballet
dancers can work to perfect their jetés, pirouettes, and arabesques.
Because the profession of sign language interpreting is so young
and the concept of cultural adjustment is itself relatively new, we
have not yet developed a set of terms with which we can easily

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