1/7/08 Note:
Discussion item:
During an (email based) conversation between an advanced student of
"ASL Interpreting" and an administrator (Hearing) in a
position that involves working with the Deaf, the following phrase
was typed by the student:
"...spoken language conference interpreters are more of a conduit
than sign language interpreters..."
The phrase above contains the word "conduit."
In the lexicon of professional ASL interpreters, "conduit" is a word that
has meaning beyond what you might find in a dictionary of English
language. It can refer to a model of interpreting, a time period, or
even a philosophical approach.
This "extra" meaning is often lost on people who haven't received
formal interpreter training.
Which is to say that the word "conduit" means something to a
professional interpreter and it "can" mean something very different
to someone (such as an administrator, a typical deaf person, a coda,
or a casual interpreter) who is not familiar with the lexicon of
interpreter training.
--Bill Vicars