Roles and Responsibilities of the Interpreter in Interactions with Speech-Language Pathologists, Parents, and Students

ABSTRACT

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA `97) specify that students must be assessed in their primary language. With the ever-increasing number of diverse languages spoken by students, it is very unlikely that even an English-bilingual speech-language pathologist's other language will match that of a student who is referred for a speech-language assessment. Knowing how to work effectively with an interpreter is, therefore, essential for all speech-language pathologists. This article reviews the process of interpretation during parent conferences and student assessments. It describes the specific roles and responsibilities of the speech-language pathologist-interpreter team, with a focus on the linguistic, cultural, and professional skills that the interpreter should have to ensure a successful outcome. Data obtained from bilingual Spanish/English-speaking speech-language pathologists are provided to confirm and describe some important features desired in an interpreter who collaborates with a speech-language pathologist. Suggestions for training and certifying future interpreters are outlined. Finally, models are presented for successful interactions with interpreters.

KEYWORDS

Interpreters - bilingualism - collaboration

REFERENCES

• 1 National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. State K-12 LEP Enrollment and Top languages. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse of Bilingual Education; 2000. http://www/ncbe.gwu.edu/ projects/state-data/indez.htm
• 2 Bracken B A, McCallum S R. Assessing intelligence in a population that speaks more than two hundred languages: a nonverbal solution. In: Suzuki LA, Ponterotto JG, Miller EJ, eds. Handbook of Multicultural Assessment: Clinical, Psychological, and Education Applications, 2nd ed San Francisco: Jossey-Bass 2001: 405-431
• 3 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments, 20 U.S.C.§ 1400 et Seq.; 1997 . 
• 4 Langdon H W, Cheng L L. Collaborating with Interpreters and Translators: A Guide for Communication Disorders Professionals. Eau Claire, WI: Thinking Publications 2002
• 5 Langdon H W. Interpreters and Translators in Communication Disorders: A Handbook for Practitioners. Eau Claire, WI: Thinking Publications 2002
• 6 Langdon H W. Communicating effectively with a client during a speech-language pathologist/interpreter conference: results of a survey.  Contemp Issues Communn Sci Disord . 2002;  29 17-34
• 7 Langdon H W. Speech and Language Pathologists Working Successfully with Interpreters and Translators (Video). Rockville, MD: American Speech-Language Hearing Association; 2003
• 8 Phelan M. The Interpreter's Resource. Clevendon: Multilingual Matters 2001
• 9 Baker C, Jones S P. Encyclopedia of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education.  Clevendon: Multilingual Matters; 1998
• 10 Manuel-Dupont S, Yoakum S. Training interpreter paraprofessional to assist in the language assessment of English language learners in Utah.  J Child Commun Dev . 1997;  18 91-102
• 11 Alexieva B. A typology of interpreter-mediated events. In: Pochhacker F, Shlesinger M, eds. The Interpreting Studies Reader London: Routledge 2002: 218-233
• 12 Kurz I. Conference interpretation: expectations of different user groups. In: Pochhacker F, Shlesinger M, eds. The Interpreting Studies Reader London: Routledge 2002: 312-324

[Appendix]