Florida Community College At Jacksonville

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Florida Community College At Jacksonville

• Sign Language Interpretation Program (SLIP-221A)

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WHAT is a Sign Language Interpreter and what do
they DO?
convey
relays concepts ideas
Spoken English
American Sign Language
Spoken English
Sign Language
English
convey

• A Sign Language Interpreter is someone who
• is fluent in English and in American Sign
  Language
• thoroughly understands the subject matter to
  ensure accuracy of message transferal
• remains sensitive to the cultures associated with
  English and ASL
• enables cross-cultural communication between
  hearing and deaf consumers

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WHERE do Sign Language Interpreters work?

• Any setting where there is communication between
  two or more individuals such as
• Schools K 12
• Post-secondary settings colleges, vocational
  schools, universities
• Vocational Rehabilitation settings
• Employment settings
• Medical settings
• Religious settings
• Social Service settings
• Mental Health settings
• Conference settings
• Job training settings
• Performing Arts settings
• Video Relay settings

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In what SITUATIONS do Sign Language Interpreters
Work?

• Within these settings, Sign Language Interpreters
  may work in
• One-on-one situations i.e. doctors appt.,
  counseling appt., parent-teacher meeting,
  interview with a social worker, etc.
• Small group situations i.e. office meeting,
  educational planning meeting, family counseling,
  12-step meeting, etc.
• Large group situations sermon to a
  congregation, theatrical performance, graduation
  ceremony, etc.

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What SKILLS are involved in becoming a Sign
Language Interpreter?

• Interpreting involves much more than being
  fluent in ASL and being able to easily carry on a
  conversation.

• Interpreting involves being able to
• hear/see and understand the message either in
  ASL or English
• mentally store and retrieve information quickly
• process the message by determining meaning, the
  intent of the speaker/signer, structural
  properties, relationships between participants,
  and any cultural overlays that may be present
• find appropriate lexicon (i.e. signs or
  words/phrases) that are equivalent to the
  speaker/signers meaning
• convey the message in the other language (ASL or
  English) in such a way that there is dynamic
  equivalence in meaning (i.e. the effect of the
  message is the same for the deaf consumer and the
  hearing consumer)

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PRE-REQUISITES for becoming a Sign Language
Interpreter

• To become a Sign Language Interpreter, one must
• Be physically, mentally and emotionally able to
  do the task
• Possess professional and personal integrity
• Be linguistically capable to do the task
• Possess cultural and interpersonal knowledge and
  skills related to interpreting
• Possess general cultural and interpersonal
  knowledge and skills

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JOB OUTLOOK for Sign Language Interpreters

• Employment of interpretersis projected to grow
  faster than the average for all the occupations
  over the 2002-12 period, reflecting growth in the
  industries employing interpreters (Occupational
  Outlook Handbook, 2004-2005)
• Rapid growth is partially the result of the
  Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other
  laws, such as the Rehabilitation Act, which
  mandate that, in certain situations, a qualified
  interpreter must be present for people who are
  deaf or hard of hearing. Given the lack of
  qualified candidates meeting these requirements
  (of a sign language interpreter), interpreters
  for the deaf will continue to have favorable
  employment prospects

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What TRAINING is necessary to become a Sign
Language Interpreter?

• To become a Sign Language Interpreter
• It is important to have a high school diploma
• Have specialized training at the 2 4 year level
• For national certification an AA must be earned
  by June 30, 2009 a BA/BS by June 30, 2012
• FCCJs Sign Language Interpretation Program
• Associate of Science
• provides the specialized training in Interpreting
• has an articulation agreement with the University
  of North Florida (UNF) on a 22 program

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What is REQUIRED to work as a Sign Language
Interpreter?

• Currently - to work in the State of Florida
• either of the below is highly recommended (or
  required)
• Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
  (FRID) Quality Assurance (QA) Screening Level 1,
  2, or 3
• National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
  (RID) certification (CI/CT)
• National Association of the Deaf Registry of
  Interpreters for the Deaf (NAD-RID) National
  Interpreter Certification (NIC)
• Future - Licensure of Sign Language Interpreters
  in Florida
• when the licensure passes, interpreters will be
  REQUIRED by law to have
• FRID QA Level 1, 2, or 3
• RID CI/CT
• NAD-RID NIC

NATIONAL
CI/CT or NIC
STATE
QA - 3
QA - 2
QA -1
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What is the QA and how is that important in
regards to the Sign Language Interpretation
Program?

• The QA is a diagnostic assessment that is
  considered a stepping stone to national
  certification.
• There are two parts to this screening
• Written assessment
• Performance assessment (interpreting/transliterati
  on)
• It generally requires anywhere from 2 to 4 years
  working in the field to achieve the skills to sit
  for the national exam.
• FCCJs Sign Language Interpretation Program
  prepares the student so they are able to enter
  the workforce as an apprentice interpreter
• pass the QA written assessment (next to last
  semester) and
• pass the performance assessment (immediately
  after the last semester)
• Completion of the Associate or Associate of
  Applied Science degree indicates a knowledge of
  interpreting.
• A QA level demonstrates a manual proficiency
  level enabling hiring agencies to place
  apprentice interpreters in settings appropriate
  to their skill level.

QA - 3
QA - 2
QA -1
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What are the EARNINGS for Sign Language
Interpreters?

• The earnings of Sign Language Interpreters is
  dependent on their level of credentialing. In
  the Jacksonville metro area salaries range as
  follows
• Hourly rates
• QA 1 - 9 14/hour (with a 2-hour minimum)
• QA 2 - 15 17/hour (with a 2-hour minimum)
• QA 3 - 18 20/hour (with a 2-hour minimum)
• National Certification - 21 30/hour (with
  2-hour minimum)
• Per hour salaries may be increased dependent on
  setting or time, i.e. medical appointments. -
  2/hour to base salary, after hours interpreting
  - 3/hour to base salary
• Salaries in the school system or with another
  agency that offers a full-time staff position
  will generally have a lower base per hour rate
  but will include benefits i.e. insurance, paid
  leave and holidays, 401 K plans, etc.

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How are Sign Language Interpreters CREDINTIALS
determined?

• Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf
  (FRID) Quality Assurance (QA) Screening System
  awards levels according to the proficiency of the
  applicant in interpreting (using ASL) and
  transliterating (using English word order with
  ASL features for clarity)
• There are four levels that can be achieved
• No level achieved unable to interpret/transliter
  ate expressively and receptively at a 60 level
• Level 1 able to interpret/transliterate
  expressively and receptively at the 60 74
  level
• Level 2 able to interpret/transliterate
  expressively and receptively at the 75 89
  level
• Level 3 able to interpret/transliterate
  expressively and receptively at the 90 level and
  above
• Upon achieving a Level 3, it is generally
  recommended that the applicant start working on
  taking the national certification test

QA - 3
QA - 2
QA -1
None
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FCCJs Sign Language Interpretation Program -
Highlights

• Associate of Science degree
• Selective Access Program Entrance Exam required
  (PACE)
• Once entering the program, it is 5 semesters
  full-time
• TWO Beaches Sertoma Sign Language Interpretation
  Scholarships per semester other college
  financial aid also available
• Flexible class times offered during the day and
  evening
• 20 student carrel Sign Lab
• Some online classes are available

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Highlights continued

• Internships with
• Duval County Schools
• The Florida School for the Deaf in St. Augustine
• One of the four interpreter referral agencies in
  the Jacksonville area
• FCCJ Staff interpreters
• University of North Florida Office of Disability
  Services
• Highly qualified instructors in the American Sign
  Language and Interpreting courses
• Several instructors have national RID
  certification, QA 3 credentialing and/or American
  Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA)
  certification

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FCCJ Sign Language Interpretation Program
INSTRUCTORS

• Full-time Professors
• Randy McDavid CSC, MRC, ASLTA Qualified Lead
  Instructor and Program Coordinator (on sabbatical
  will return August 2009)
• Lucretia Childers MA, IC/TC, ASLTA Qualified
• Lori Cimino MEd, QA III
• Adjunct Professors
• Isaac Abenchuchan MS (deaf)
• Jon Antal MS (deaf)
• Maryann Antal MS (deaf)
• Deborah Barrigar-Tucker CI/CT
• Theresa Bugler - MA, CI/CT
• Nicole Clayton MEd
• Cindy DAngelo MA in progress (deaf)
• Lisa Layton MEd, QA III
• Nina Lazzari MSW, ASLTA Qualified (deaf)
• Laura Nordby MA, CT
• Bethany Peterson MEd (deaf)
• James Pope MEd, MA, CI/CT
• Shannon C. Simon MS, CSC, CI/CT, OICC
• Ronnie Mae Tyson MS, ASLTA Qualified (deaf)

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For MORE INFORMATION

• FCCJ Sign Language Interpreting Program
  (SLIP-221A)
• Contact Lori Cimino Professor of ASL
• lcimino_at_fccj.edu
• 904-646-2392
• You can also check us out on the web at
• http//www.fccj.edu/prospective/programs/sign_lang
  uage/index.html
• http//principledesign.com/FCCJ/prospective/progra
  ms/sign_lang/ (available soon)

• Sign Language Interpreting General Information
• http//www.rid.org/
• http//www.fridcentral.com/