A Deaf Student and Two Interpreters Walk into a

Classroom… ���

TESOL 2011 �TEDS 101 �

March 17, 2001 �Jennifer Kaika�

and that classroom �is YOURS! �

Can you tell which �student is deaf?�

Can you tell which �student is deaf?�

Can you now?�

•  Is the student fluent in ASL?�•  Are they from the US?�•  If they’re from abroad, how long have they been in the US?�

•  Can I understand the hearing students? �•  Waiting longer than usual before starting to interpret may help �

•  Should I sign in a literal manner?�•  Linguistic differences in word order, pronouns, prepositions, etc. �•  No one-to-one correspondence of vocabulary�

Things an interpreter may consider: �

•  What do I do when classroom activities don’t translate well?�•  spelling quizzes�•  reading aloud�•  pronunciation practice�•  music �

Things a teacher may consider: �•  How can I gauge my student’s communication

abilities?�•  Does hearing the interpreter affect my perception of the student?�•  What are the differences between speech and writing? �•  How does that affect deaf students’ expressive abilities?�

•  How can I meet the needs of my student?�•  Simultaneous demands on sight and sound create different experiences

for deaf and hearing students�•  Notetaking: Breaking eye contact means missing information �•  Side conversations: Incidental learning occurs from accessing others’

conversations�

•  Where do your deaf students use English?�•  How? �•  With whom?�

•  Your thoughts? �

Working Together�•  Both teacher and interpreter are experts in

language and communication.�

Seleskovitch, D. (1998). Interpreting for International Conferences: Problems of Language and Commmunication (3rd ed., p. 99). Arlington, VA: Pen and Booth.�

•  Work as partners to capitalize on the strengths of both professionals �

“The message that is ultimately transmitted to the [student] is the creation of two people, �

not one.” (Seleskovitch, 1998, p.99) �

•  Teachers accustomed to working alone�•  Working with another person takes time! �•  May feel strange having another adult in the class�

•  Preparation = better interpretations = better quality of instruction �•  Share books, syllabus, and any other materials with interpreters �•  Interpreters may want prep materials but teachers may prepare the

day of or day before classes�

Overall Considerations�

•  Consistency is key to quality �•  Emphasize to your disability support office

the need for ongoing, consistent interpreters �

•  Take time to talk with substitute interpreters�

�

Suggestions�

These are my plans for the �

day�

Make time to talk to the interpreter(s) before and/or after class�

Looking at a display and listening to your instruction at the same time doesn’t work as well when the instruction is being signed. To remind yourself of this, make eye contact with students when giving instructions. �

Suggestions�

Think through the steps of a given activity- will

the opportunity for participation be fair for

all students?�

Think through the purpose of a given activity- can

the activity be altered and achieve the same goal?�

Take-aways�Every deaf student is an individual. �

�A deaf student in your classroom is still your student. �

�Remember that you are teaching through someone’s

interpretation of your instruction.� �

The more the interpreters know, the better they can interpret your instruction.�

�The better an interpretation is, the better the

instructional & learning experience can be.�

�Thank you! �

�Jennifer Kaika�

JenKaika@gmail.com �