- Speak to the deaf person not the interpreter – It is easy to find yourself talking to the interpreter as they are the ones producing the sounds in the conversation. Try to ensure you face the deaf person and think of the interpreter as a telephone aiding communication.
- Don’t say ‘tell him/her’ ‘explain to them’ – This is quite commonly said when the person forgets that they should be talking directly to the deaf person. Using an Interpreter may be a new experience for some but it is important to remember that they should focus on the deaf person as they are the ones talking.
- Talk in your normal speed – When talking please use your normal talking speed, don’t slow it down for the interpreter. They are very quick particularly as the structure of British Sign Language (BSL) is different to English so it is often quicker anyway.
- Talk in your normal tone – Your tone too should stay the same, people meaning well often slow their speech and loudly over pronounciate. This causes ‘goldfishing’ where the shape of the word is lost on your lips and the sound gets distorted too.
- Give notes etc to the interpreter beforehand (The earlier the better) – This is very useful to an Interpreter, this allows them to absorb the content and become familar with it. The Interpreter can then ensure they have the appropriate signs prepared and can query any jargon/acronyms used beforehand to ensure the content produced is to a high standard.
- EVERYTHING said is signed – Be aware that everything that you say will be signed, this is particurly important to remember when working with younger people. The Interpreter is there to translate what a hearing person in that same situation would hear so be mindful of what you say!
Cotswold Signing
Accessability, awareness and training