'It's soul work': Sign language interpreters have difficult job during time of crisis

A global pandemic is giving people around the world, including in this province, a clear view of a professionoften overlookedby most of the public.

American Sign Languageinterpreters have been over the shoulders of governmentleaders and health officials, bringing the news to the deaf population in real time.

Newfoundland and Labrador was ahead of the curve, having interpreters in place for the daily briefings a week before the federal government did the same.

"They wear their Sundaybest and they get down there on the front line and make sure the deaf community knows what is being said," said Denika Pike, an interpreter and manager for the Newfoundland and Labrador Association for the Deaf.

Pike did the first two daily briefings in St. John's, before handing it over to the interpreters she manages.

Since then, Heather Crane and Sheila Keats have become household faces in the province, trading off duties during news conferences every day. They would normally be accompanying clients to appointments at places like banks or doctor's offices.

People see the physical demand the constant movement of their bodies and faces but Pike said they don't see the emotional side of the job.

Everything that a speaker says, the interpreter becomes. It's almost like being an actor.- Denika Pike

Keats was the one who delivered the news that the province had seen its first death due to COVID-19.

"It's soul work," Pike said."She was the one who had to stand there and let us know, let the deaf community know, that we had a death related to COVID. And that was difficult. It does get really emotional. We do take our hats off to those interpreters."

The job is fast-paced and, much like the politicians and health officials, they have to watch their colleagues across the country for changes. New signs pop up such as COVID-19 and it's crucial for all interpreters to be on the same page.

How it works

ASL is far different than the English language, not just in the delivery of words, but in the structure of sentences.

While the English language tends to be structured subject-verb-object, Pike said ASL tends to be flipped around.

They'll put the concept of the sentence first, and then translate the details after. For example, if a person said, "Later today, I am going to the store," Pike would put the store first andthe verb after.

Facial expressions are also a big part of the job, as the interpreters do everything they can to relay not just the words, but the tone.

"Everything that a speaker says, the interpreter becomes. It's almost like being an actor," Pike said."All of the emotion, all of the fears, and all of the frustration that the speaker is feeling comes out through the interpreter. It has to. Otherwise, you just wouldn't get the full message."

A word-for-word translation from English to ASL wouldn't make sense to people who speak ASL.

That means the interpretershave to listen to an entire sentence before they can sign it, while simultaneously listening to the next sentence being spoken.

"You have to rely on your memory," Pike said."You have to be focused, like so focused. The interpreters are under a lot of stress because they can't miss one thing."

With the daily briefings garnering views from thousands of people in the province, Pike said the two main interpreters are being noticed everywhere they go.

"It's a little daunting but you know what, they are 100 per cent professional interpreters. As long as the deaf community is getting access, they do whatever it takes."

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