Abstract
Interpretations of employment interviews delivered by signed language interpreters may be considered high stakes by the deaf applicant who aims to gain employment. The information shared in a job interview and the language used to express the information have a direct influence on the impression the applicant makes to the hiring manager/committee. Job applicants aim to portray qualification for the position, experience in the field of interest, motivation to become a member of the team, and confidence in their ability to contribute their knowledge and skills to the position. Historically, attaining employment may be challenging for deaf applicants for a variety of reasons. It may be that hiring managers/committees have chosen not to offer opportunities to job applicants from diverse backgrounds with which they are unfamiliar. This pertains to race, ethnicity, gender identity, disability, and many other factors that are a part of a person’s identity. Additionally, employment interviews have shown to favor the communication style of mainstream populations. Deaf job seekers may be unsuccessful in gaining employment for a variety of reasons (e.g., experience, knowledge, skill); however, it is important to recognize the influence that an interpreter may have on their success in gaining employment. The interpretation of a deaf applicant’s response to interview questions, as well as any questions they offer to the hiring committee when offered the opportunity, may include disfluencies that lead an employer to doubt a candidate’s ability to successfully perform the work.
This study analyzes the interpretations offered by 47 ASL-English interpreters when presented with a recorded employment interview for an accounting position. The employment interview was specifically conducted in a manner similar to that which would be experienced in a Video Relay Service (VRS) setting (e.g., lack of extensive prep material, interpretations conducted from a distance via video, no visual connection to the hearing participant). The ASL to English interpretations produced in this study often include qualifiers (e.g., sometimes, somewhat, I guess, I think) and hesitations (e.g., uh, um, well) that may contribute to negative impressions in an employment interview. Novice interpreters would benefit from increased knowledge of disfluencies in order to better identify patterns surrounding when they occur in their own work. By preparing students to recognize disfluencies and identify where and why they occur as well as strategies for addressing this challenge, they can strengthen ASL to English interpretations of employment interviews.
Recommended Citation
Alley, Erica and Otto, Elizabeth
(2024)
"ASL to English Interpretations of Employment Interviews with Deaf Job Applicants: The Influence of Verbal Disfluency on Impression,"
International Journal of Interpreter Education: Vol. 15:
Iss.
1, Article 10.
Available at:
https://open.clemson.edu/ijie/vol15/iss1/10
