Daniel Greene

Tag: ethics

  • Why shouldn’t I let my consumers do my work for me sometimes?

    Some interpreters just hate it when they’re trying to interpret from ASL to English and someone in the audience who knows sign language blurts out a word the interpreter missed or is trying to think of. I had such an interpreting experience recently, and it made me think about my willingness to let my consumers help me with my interpretation. Looking at it now, I think it is a question of humility, not laziness, but that is the wisdom of hindsight talking. Let me bring you back to the not-so-wise moment when I had a conflict with my audience.

    The deaf speaker, presenting to an audience of people who knew ASL pretty well but not fluently, fingerspelled a number I wasn’t entirely sure of. I thought I got it, but wasn’t 100% confident in my perception. I didn’t have a team interpreter to support me in voicing. Someone in the audience said the thing I wasn’t sure of, and it turned out I was right. Yet, after they did that bit of work for me, I asked the presenter to reiterate the lexical item. I was doing consecutive interpreting, and while I was watching the deaf signer, yet another audience member said the thing I wasn’t sure of. I said, “Just a moment. I’m getting this.” And then I said the thing we all thought the deaf person said, only this time I was sure of my interpretation. The dialogue between me and the audience members was quiet, and it didn’t seem to be a big deal for anyone, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it after the assignment.

    Why did I do what I did? Was it the most appropriate and effective behavior? What could I have done differently? Why didn’t I just let it go when the audience member guessed rightly? And, even if they had guessed wrongly, would it have mattered? These are the questions that nagged me this morning.

    I think I did what I did for several reasons I’m not necessarily proud of: (more…)

  • My sexting blog post published in the book Sexting by Cengage Learning!

    My sexting blog post published in the book Sexting by Cengage Learning!

    The UPS truck delivered something today that brought tears to my eyes: my own hardcover copy of the book Sexting including a chapter by lil’ ol’ me. Gale Cengage Learning approached me a year ago about including a blog post of mine, Sexting highlights society’s issues with privacy and shame, in one of their textbooks. I agreed to publication with a writer’s fee and copy of the book. They complied with a check and a copy of the book as promised. My article appears as chapter two titled “The threat of sexting has been exaggerated” on page 15 of the hardcover edition. The book is part of the At Issue: Social Issues series.

    Here is the Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

    Sexting / Stefan Kiesbye, book editor.
    p. cm. — (At issue)
    Includes bibliographical references and index.
    ISBN 978-0-7377-5161-1 (hardcover) — ISBN 978-0-7377-5162-8 (pbk.)
    1. Internet and teenagers. 2. Internet–Safety measures. 3. Teenagers–Sexual relations. 4. Electronic mail systems. I. Kiesbye, Stephan. II. Title. III. Series.
    HQ799.2.I5.S49 2011
    004.67’80835—dc22

    Purchase At Issue: Sexting on Amazon.com.

    I am excited to be a part of this compilation and I look forward to reading the other chapters!

  • Response to RID Invalid NIC Scores Announcement

    The gist of my comments, for those who don’t know American Sign Language, is that we should trust the validity of the NIC (National Interpreter Certification) and the RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf). This unfortunate incident of one individual’s corrupt behavior does not invalidate test scores any but 3% of test takers during the time in question; those candidates have already been notified and will have to retest. RID conducted the examination into this matter professionally in every way, and though I was frustrated myself while waiting for my test results for a long time, I now applaud RID for following a stringent protocol and maintaining secrecy about the situation until the investigation was complete. Please, consumers of interpreting services, continue to trust RID. It is a trustworthy organization. And please, fellow interpreters, do not doubt your scores. If you passed at the level you wanted, there is no need to retest. If you failed, you failed. Many of us fail tests the first time. Believe the results, learn what you need to learn to pass the test, and retake it. That’s what I did, and it worked. Again, this is a sad situation, but it has been handled. Let’s not let this get us down. We are good and RID is good. I am proud of us.

    P.S. I forgot to include a link to the source announcement. I don’t want to post a link to the RID media page, because that link is constantly changing, so I will refer you to RID Addresses Invalid Rater Scores on National Interpreter Certification Exam — FAQs.

  • What proactive experienced interpreters do

    Caitlin wrote:

    Daniel,
    As a working interpreter have you noticed anything that proactive experienced interpreters tend to do??

    Many things, Catlin. When I am offered an assignment, I find out the exact location down to the room or suite number, who the deaf and hearing clients are, what the deaf client(s)’ language preference is/are, what the event and/or topic(s) is/are, the contact person’s name and phone number and/or email address, where I need to check in or register, how long the assignment will last, who my team is, if applicable, where the parking is, and any other information that will help to orient me. I make sure to get the zip code so I can look it up in Google Maps and have my Android phone navigate me in the car with GPS.

    If it is a conference for a certain company or organization, I look at their website to learn about the entity and their personnel, and if they have a section devoted to the conference, I review the speakers, plenary and workshop topics, and–very handy to have–the conference center map.

    If the assignment is from an agency I have never worked with before, or if someone is contracting with me directly, I make sure that we sign a contract before the job starts. I have neglected to do this in the past and regretted it. I find out how many forms they will require me to complete as well as any background checks that may need to be done. I have also been shocked in the past by how many hoops I had to jump through to get paid, and I regretted how little I had charged for the job considering how many extra hours it took me just to push paper. A few minutes (or even an hour or two) of business dealing can save you hours later on, and can help you determine how much to charge so you have no regrets. You might even want to do a little “background check” on the paying client to see whether they have a reputation for paying on time and without too many hassles. Finally, I have started charging as much to contract with people individually as an agency would charge them. If they want to go with an agency instead of me, that is just fine by me. It makes less work for me, and if they want me they can save me time and effort by requesting me from an agency. The pay cut is worth it for the trouble it saves me. I cannot speak for other interpreters, but that is how I feel at this point.

    In short, proactive, experienced interpreters do many things and spend a considerable amount of time before assignments to prepare for success.

  • I earned the title NIC Master and learned a lot along the way!

    I am happy to announce that the results of the “practical” and “oral” exam I took in August came in today: I passed at the Master level! The certifying board is the RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf), and the exam is the National Interpreter Certification exam co–developed by NAD (National Association of the Deaf) and RID. Master is the highest of three levels: NIC, NIC Advanced, and NIC Master.

    I took this exam even though I was already RID-certified in 1998 and 1999, respectively, with the CI (Certificate of Interpretation) and CT (Certificate of Transliteration). The reason I took it was to stay current with my profession and show the interpreters I train and students I teach that I have mastered the test they hope to pass or advance in.

    Studying for the interview portion of this exam got me more familiar than ever with the NAD–RID Code of Professional Conduct (CPC). This helped me become a more ethically minded interpreter who can think through dilemmas, see the perspectives of all the stakeholders, enact solutions, and foresee the short– and long–term effects of my actions. If for nothing else, I am glad I took the exam the professional development aspect.

    I am grateful to Michelle Monahan, NIC Master, for her Mastering the Interview Portion of the NIC Exam workshop and to Windy Kellems, NIC Master, for being my study buddy as we practiced together to articulate answers to ethical dilemmas. You were both a great help, Michelle and Windy!

    —Daniel Greene, BA, CI and CT, NIC Master 🙂