Reading Between the Signs: Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters

In Reading Between the Signs: Intercultural Communication for Sign Language Interpreters, Anna Mindess provides a new perspective on a unique culture that is not widely understood-American Deaf culture. With the collaboration of three distinguished deaf consultants, Mindess explores the implications of cultural differences at the intersection of the deaf and hearing worlds. The book takes a practical approach with many useful suggestions for the sign language interpreter. Mindess provides several helpful dialogues between hearing and deaf Americans in a variety of situations to illustrate the problems that can arise as a result of cultural differences.The compounded difficulty of communicating with a deaf person from another country is addressed as well, with suggestions for ameliorating possible areas of misunderstanding. It also provides helpful information about advances in technology and the multicultural communities within the Deaf world. Reading Between the Signs is an invaluable tool for those interested in training as a sign language interpreter, but further, for anyone wishing to understand American Deaf culture..A dazzling application of the tools of intercultural communication to illuminating Deaf and hearing cultures and their differences.. This is a book for everyone interested in Deaf culture. -Harlan Lane, author of When the Mind Hears and The Mask of BenevolenceAdds a necessary dimension to understanding what sign language interpretation really entails-not the exchange of words for signs and vice versa but the translation of one view of life and all its meanings into another equally valid yet different view -William C. Stokoe, Former Professor Emeritus, Gallaudet UniversityBRAVO The book is outstanding - well written, informative, and desperately needed in our field .-Jan Humphrey, Ed. D. Certified Interpreter, Interpreter Educator and Author of So You Want to Be an Interpreter?A must-read An enlightening book.a defining document in the literature of Deaf culture. -Eileen Forestal, Professor, ASL Studies and Interpreting Training, Union County CollegeContentsForeword by Sharon Neumann SolowPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart One: Background1 Introduction2 The Study of Culture3 Selected Topics in Intercultural Communication4 Do Americans Really Have a Culture?5 American Deaf Culture6 Multicultural Deaf Culture7 Culture, Change, and TechnologyPart Two: Practical Applications8 The Impact of Cultural Differences on Interpreting Situations9 Multicultural Interpreting Challenges10 The Interpreter's Role and Responsibilities11 Techniques for Cultural Adjustments12 Interpreting in a Virtual World13 Cultural Sensitivity Shouldn't End at Five O'ClockAfterword by Dr. Thomas K. HolcombBibliographyAbout the Author and ContributorsIndex

This volume focuses on cultural differences between the Deaf and hearing worlds, for American Sign Language interpreters and student interpreters. The author examines common situations that arise in medical, business, and educational settings (omitting legal situations), and the significance of intercultural communication and cultural influence. The second section focuses on specific scenarios and how cultural factors get played out, what the role of interpreters should be, techniques for making cultural adjustments, and video interpreting. This edition contains new chapters on changes in technology, especially video relay services, and has new and expanded sections on multicultural communities within the Deaf world. It also includes discussions of politeness and non-manual markers, indirect vs. direct communication, and the linguistic necessity of back-channel feedback. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This new edition of Reading between the Signs, the classic and influential work on Deaf culture for sign language interpreters and others who work with the Deaf community, is vastly revised and enlarged. It is the first book to cover the timely issues of VRS technology and includes a succinct treatment of multicultural Deaf culture.