Interpreters: Let's Talk About Us

by Ari-Asha Castalia and Dan Veltri

This program features eleven interpreters discussing ethical issues. You may earn a total of 0.8 RID PS CEUs by viewing the program and answering the discussion questions. Please note, there is an additional charge of $15.00 for CEU processing payable when you submit your answers to the discussion questions.

Click here for CEU Processing information.

ISBN: 1-932501-75-4

Price: $59.95

View a short clip from the program. Click on the lower right to view full screen.

In December, 2005, Ari-Asha Castalia and Dan Veltri, both interpreters and workshop presenters from San Francisco, had a conversation about the need for an honest dialogue among professional interpreters about the work we do. Beyond the linguistic skills and knowledge involved, and beyond the surface readings of the old Code of Ethics and the new Code of Professional Conduct, they saw a need for an opportunity to discuss subtle issues that sometimes cause conflict among interpreters and between interpreters and the consumers they serve.

Ari and Dan decided to bring together eleven certified interpreters from diverse backgrounds, seeking a blend of interpreters of all colors, men and women, hearing and Deaf, seasoned and newer interpreters, codas and non-codas. Freelance community interpreters, educational interpreters and those who work primarily for video relay services were all invited to participate in the project.

The participants were brought to a private home in Sacramento, California for a weekend in May, 2006. They were divided into discussion groups and provided topics with an illustrative scenario to discuss. Participants were not given the scenario until just prior to the cameras rolling, to capture their immediate reactions. Groups were free to take the topic in whatever direction they saw fit. With one camera focused on each participant, the entire discussion was captured. Later each session was edited.

The scenarios invited discussion on the following topics:
Support while working (both asked for and not)
VRS and teaming within VRS settings
Clarifying motivation for interpreting choices: message clarity vs. “saving face”
Handling concerns about each other’s business practices
Managing feelings of ownership of the process and content
Managing disparity of skills amongst team members
The Deaf participants had an additional discussion on these topics:

Working with interpreters who over-manage the situation
Responding to the interpreter’s demeanor
Working with interpreters for the first time
Cultural mediation vs. boundary crossing for CDI’s
The program is divided into eight sessions. Some of the sessions are conducted in sign language and some are in spoken English. The sessions conducted in sign language may be viewed with or without captions. Click the CC button in the lower right of the screen to turn captions on or off. For sessions in spoken English, captions are permanently displayed.

Suggestions for using this program:

To use in a group setting we suggest first printing the  “Instructions for Interpreters” file on the main menu page.  This files contains the scenarios so group members can read the material prior to viewing. Then view the sessions, and lead a discussion, using the questions found in the document. Feel free to add questions of your own.

For individual use we suggest reading the scenario on screen. Then view the sessions. After watching, print the “Instructions for Interpreters” file and answer the discussion questions. To earn CEUs, follow the instructions to complete and submit your paperwork, purchase the CEU processing and complete the evaluation.