Cynthia Roy

The Academic Foundations of Interpreting Studies is the first introductory course book that explores the theoretical foundations used in sign language interpreting studies. Authors Roy, Brunson, and Stone examine the disciplines whose theoretical frameworks and methodologies have influenced the academic study of interpreting. With this text, explanations for how interpreted events occur, how interpreted products are created, and how the interpreting process is studied can be framed within a variety of theoretical perspectives, forming a foundation for the emerging transdiscipline of Interpreting Studies. As sign language interpreting has emerged and evolved in the last 20 years as an academic field of study, the scope of learning has broadened to include fields beyond the language and culture of deaf people. This text surveys six disciplines that have informed the study of sign language interpreting: history, translation, linguistics, sociology, social psychology, and cognitive psychology, along with their major ideas, principal scholars, and ways of viewing human interaction. Each chapter includes clear learning goals, definitions, discussion questions, and images to aid understanding. The Academic Foundations of Interpreting Studies is required reading for upper-level undergraduate or first-year graduate students in interpreting, Deaf studies, and sign language programs.

This collection contributes to an emerging body of research in sign language interpreter education, a field in which research on teaching practices has been rare. The Next Generation of Research in Interpreter Education investigates learning experiences and teaching practices that provide the evidence necessary to inform and advance instructional approaches. The five studies included in this volume examine role-play activities in the classroom, the experiences of Deaf students in interpreting programs, reducing anxiety in the interpreting process, mentoring, and self-assessment. The contributors are a nascent group of educators who represent a growing mastery of contemporary standards in interpreter education. Their chapters share a common theme: the experiences and learning environments of students as they progress toward entry into the interpreting profession.