Working with an Interpreter

A sign language interpreter facilitates communication between Deaf and hearing people by interpreting between New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and spoken language. The interpreter’s role is to convey meaning between spoken and signed language, not necessarily a word for word translation. The interpreter will not offer advice or opinions on the situation, other than to assist participants to work effectively with the interpreter when necessary. The interpreter will keep the interpreted interaction confidential. Interpreters abide by a Code of Ethics and a Code of Conduct.

Speak and look directly to the person you need to talk to, not the interpreter. There is no need to say “tell him…” or “ask her…” The Deaf individual will be looking to the interpreter to receive the message. This means the conversation can run smoothly and is more empowering for everyone involved.

Speak or sign at your natural pace. The interpreter will ask you to slow down if it is too fast. You are not required to pause mid-sentence to wait for the interpreter. There may be small delay before the interpretation starts. This is because interpreters need to interpret the whole concept or sentence, not word for word.

The interpreter may ask the speaker to clarify a concept/word or to repeat a sentence, they will usually say something like “the interpreter would like to clarify, did you mean….?”. This is in order to be clear that it is the interpreter asking for clarification and not the Deaf/hearing participant. When either participant is talking the interpreter will use “I….” and “we…”, facilitating a more natural interaction and rapport between participants.

Interpreters are required to interpret everything they hear/see in a setting, this includes environmental sounds such as telephones, conversations etc. Private conversations you don’t wish to be interpreted should be conducted outside of the setting. The interpreter is present only to facilitate communication between Deaf and hearing participants. Please do not ask the interpreter questions or ask the interpreter to be involved in any way other than interpreting. They have a job to do and it can be very distracting when they are encouraged to converse with participants.

Seating needs to be arranged so the Deaf person has a clear view of the interpreter and of the person or people speaking. Ideally the interpreter will be well lit and in front of a plain background. Avoid placing the interpreter in front of a bright window or busy backdrop; these settings make it harder for the Deaf person to see the interpreted message clearly. Please note, if the room will be dimmed, or lights turned off, the interpreter still needs to be visible otherwise the Deaf individual will no longer be able to access the information being interpreted.

NZSL has the same official status as English and Te Reo Māori. The NZSL Act 2006 specifies principles to guide government agencies in relation to Deaf people and NZSL. Deaf users of NZSL are legally entitled to be provided with an interpreter in certain settings. This is similar to people who speak a language other than English.

Government agencies need to ensure services and information provided to the public are accessible to Deaf people, on an equal basis with others. This responsibility is stated in the NZSL Act 2006, which has principles to guide government agencies in their interaction with Deaf people (Section 9). It is also stated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Article 21).