Sign Language Interpreting
Critical Link, (2001)Abstract
Since the early 1980's French Sign Language (LSF) interpreters intervene in many new areas, for example theatre performances and conferences, or assisting deaf students attending secondary school and university courses. Meanwhile, LSF interpreters continue to work in many social domains. In both cases, interpretation is a decisive factor in the social integration of the deaf person. However, there is a gap between the bilingual French - French Sign Language deaf student, well integrated into the community, and a deaf person with little or no education, or no language skills at all. It is not just a question of linguistics. The interpreter must be able to convey meaning without reference to a language, adapt to the audience and to the context, assist the speaker in adapting to the context, and evaluate the intercultural and social scope of the interpretation. These elements constitute the basis of the interpreter training programme.