My Work
Below, you will find samples demonstrating language, culture, literature, and humanities competency. Each sample was carefully selected and reflects my historical, social, and cultural knowledge acquired during my American Sign Language and educational interpreting studies.
Linguistic Proficiency
ASL 4250 Project 1
To showcase proficiency in language, I have included two samples completed during my educational interpreting program. This sample offers an ASL interpretation of an 8th-grade skeletal system lesson filmed in Interpreting in Secondary Schools II.
To begin the class discussion, students were asked to recall the five purposes of the skeletal system. Once this was established, bone development, makeup, and structure were also described. Each concept's expansion depended on student call and response and metaphorical comparisons. Once completed, this interpretation was reviewed according to Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) competencies to identify skills of strength and weakness requiring additional focus.
ASL 3250 Project 5
Completed in Interpreting in Secondary Schools I, this sample is an interpretation of "Why Can't We All Be Purple,." The lecture discusses stark contrasts between vital historical figures and their contributions to the polarization of today's political ideologies. Student participation was not required during this lesson; however, previously established terms and concepts were applied to approaching political differences with acceptance rather than division. As the lecture concluded, viewers were left to contemplate the implications for the future of America and the practicality of this approach.
Once recorded, this project was compared to its initial interpretation months previous. EIPA competencies were applied to analyze for areas of strength and weakness. Additionally, areas of weakness identified in the original interpretation were evaluated for improvement in this project.
Cultural Competency
ASL 4050 Reflection Paper
Written in Adv. Deaf Culture, this reflection paper analyzes Claire Kramsch's Language and Culture and the intricacies interwoven between culture and language. Although ASL and Deaf Culture are not referenced directly, the complexity and social impact discussed establish concepts that may be applied to various communities.
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ASL 4100 History of Interpreting Paper
As a final term assignment in Adv. Deaf History, this paper was written with a peer to provide a historical overview of ASL interpreting in America. While I focused on ASL interpreter certification at the community and educational level, regulations, and the implications of state and federal statutes, my partner discussed the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf's (RID) Code of Professional Conduct and the interpreting experience in South Carolina, including the implementation of new legislation.
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Literature & Humanities Competency
ASL 3150 Research Paper 2
While enrolled in the Survey of Public School Interpreting, critical literature and research in the field of ASL interpreting, specifically educational interpreting, were analyzed. This paper examines interpreting code choices and sociolinguistic pressures due to the extensive contact between English and ASL in America. Various linguistic strategies, including lexical borrowing, mouth morphemes, and lexicalized fingerspelling, as well as the consequences of transliteration and artificial signed systems, are identified to emphasize the necessity of qualified educational interpreters.
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ASL 3150 Research Paper 1
In 2021, Dr. Deborah Cates and Julie Delkamiller published research identifying the direct relationship between student learning and Educational Interpreter skill level. This paper, written in the Survey of Public School Interpreting, summarizes Cates and Delkamiller's research and applies state Educational Interpreter certification requirements and federal legislation to promote student learning and development.