Sign Language Interpreting: Profession, Vocation, and Way of Life
The above definition was quoted from Ms. Lucy Lim-Yip, Sign Language Interpreter and Trainer from Malaysia, during the recently concluded Interpreter Education Training and Workshop held at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde last February 10-12 made possible through the support of PEN-International.
In this workshop organized by the SDEAS’ Center for Academics, the focus was on the veteran interpreter attendees and their unique experiences. Ms. Lim-Yip discussed the various images of how interpreters and their profession are generally perceived.
Interpreters may serve as windows, the portals through which we can view the Deaf culture more clearly. How about a bridge or a telephone line? For they fill the gap, and address the communication barrier by connecting the hearing and Deaf worlds by their expertise.
But for Ma. Teresa Buenaventura and Febe Sevilla, both veteran and respected Interpreters in and out of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s SDEAS, interpreting has been a way of life.
Ma. Teresa Buenaventura, or Ms. Tess as everyone calls her, started informal interpreting in 1989 as a classroom teacher at Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf (now under Miriam College). She interpreted in faculty meetings, school programs, and in "Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko," a local public service program, wherein even as a fledgling interpreter, she was given a television stint. Ms. Febe Sevilla’s interpreting experience, on the other hand, began in 1993 when she started teaching at the Philippine School for the Deaf. Initially, she thought that it was a must for a Special Education teacher for the Deaf to interpret when the situation calls for it.
Ms. Tess agrees that "an interpreter is always the bridge between the deaf and the hearing world" but she believes that her role is not limited to this "at most, the interpreter is the advocate for his/her deaf clients since deaf advocacy is very young in our country." She was also able to experience various interpreting stints while she was teaching in college at different schools such as interpreting in masses, courts, advocacy meetings, weddings, retreats, embassies and in various local and international seminars here and abroad.
For Ms. Febe, interpreting is more than just mere translation; it is to “facilitate the communication between hearing and deaf. And you have to relay not just the word but also the intention, emotion, and infl ection of the message of the parties involved.”
Though both seem to have found their niche in the Interpreting field, they are both not quick to dismiss the difficulties that come with their profession, which include interpreting for foreign clients with unfamiliar accents and technical terms that involve a lot of fingerspelling. It has been said that interpreting is a “thankless job” and sometimes, an interpreter will only come across as a ‘mouthpiece’ or an ‘instrument’ of the deaf client.
“I don’t want to say it’s difficult, because it sounds negative,” Febe relates, “perhaps I’d call it challenging. When I interpreted for a rape case of a deaf girl with cerebral palsy, it was heartbreaking just hearing the story.”
“In interpreting for cases in court, especially the emotional laden cases of sexually abused deaf women and children” Tess adds when asked to talk about complicated interpreting assignments, “we sometimes become the object of hatred of the accused deaf and hearing offenders’ families.”
With interpreting experiences spanning at least two decades, the interpreting profession has also brought both much joy and fulfillment. “I had the honor of receiving awards due to excellence in interpreting in varied settings,” Tess shares, “these were given by the Philippine Association of Interpreters for Deaf Empowerment and also from the Philippine Registry of Interpreters.”
Meanwhile, Febe’s most memorable experience happened at a closing ceremony of Panibagong Paraan, a World Bank organized event “It was an impromptu thing,” Febe explains, “I knew the Kapampangan dialect because my mom is from Pampanga. Unknowingly, I stole the stage from singer Mon David since everybody was smiling at me and looking at my signing. The audience applauded after the song and the female host said she enjoyed watching me sign.
A foreign dignitary also congratulated me for doing a good job.” Sign Language Interpreters, as emphasized by Ms. Lucy LimYip coming from 24 years’ worth of working experience with the Deaf Community in Malaysia, must have superior language abilities in at least two languages, intercultural awareness, sensitivity, sufficient subject-specific knowledge, and the ability to abstract and paraphrase among others. What was not mentioned was that apart from being talented Filipino professionals who have all these characteristics and more, both Ms. Tess and Ms. Febe are dedicated individuals who will always hold special places in the hearts of the Deaf community
