Uploaded August 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Karen Brimm. (2021). "Interpreters Collaborating in K-12 Education." In ADVANCES IN EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETING, edited by Elizabeth A. Winston and Stephen B. Fitzmaurice, 266-284. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/A/Advances-in-Educational-Interpreting
This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter author.
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Hello, my name is Karen Brimm. This chapter is called “Interpreters Collaborating in K-12, Education. Educational interpreters do not work alone; they often work with other educational professionals, which will abbreviate as OEP’s, that group tends to include mainstream classroom teachers, special education teachers, teachers of the Deaf, and speech-language pathologists. This chapter reviews research from Caldwell-Langer from 2004, and her research collected feedback from interpreters working in educational environments who often struggled to collaborate with other people in that environment. My more recent research includes the perspective of OEP’s as well.
Relating to this chapter, collaboration will be defined specifically as a process that is continual and involves the shared goals of attempting to successfully provide access to education and socialization for deaf students. This chapter includes from the interpreter perspective on their role, and also the educational professional perspective as to what the interpreter role is; discusses communication break downs and examines how they happen and how to repair it. This research also looks at the control of bodies and spaces and how people share that environment in a professional way. This recent research attempts to identify patterns of practice for interpreters. In order to do that first, an online survey was distributed in the U.S. survey, which included interpreters and OEP’s. 79 interpreters and 41 OEPs participated and their responses were analyzed. And then that group was asked if any of them wanted to volunteer to sit down for interviews, which were conducted online and recorded through Zoom. Out of that volunteer group, one person from each job description was selected randomly. They answered various questions, and those answers were analyzed. It was recognized that yes, collaboration is in fact happening, but it may not be happening every day because people tend to forget that collaboration must include a shared and common goal. People must set aside specific time to be able to discuss issues and collaborate with each other, to support each other and share knowledge and expertise. Also, they must have a way to build relationships with each other and they must have mutual respect. Remember, educational interpreters do not work alone. They work with other people who are all trying to provide their knowledge and expertise; interpreters provide linguistic expertise and cultural mediation, and teachers provide expertise in academics and a background in instruction and curriculum. Together, that group of people can successfully provide access to education and socialization for the deaf student.
Karen Brimm. (2021). "Interpreters Collaborating in K-12 Education." In ADVANCES IN EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETING, edited by Elizabeth A. Winston and Stephen B. Fitzmaurice, 266-284. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/A/Advances-in-Educational-Interpreting
This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter author.
+++++++
Hello, my name is Karen Brimm. This chapter is called “Interpreters Collaborating in K-12, Education. Educational interpreters do not work alone; they often work with other educational professionals, which will abbreviate as OEP’s, that group tends to include mainstream classroom teachers, special education teachers, teachers of the Deaf, and speech-language pathologists. This chapter reviews research from Caldwell-Langer from 2004, and her research collected feedback from interpreters working in educational environments who often struggled to collaborate with other people in that environment. My more recent research includes the perspective of OEP’s as well.
Relating to this chapter, collaboration will be defined specifically as a process that is continual and involves the shared goals of attempting to successfully provide access to education and socialization for deaf students. This chapter includes from the interpreter perspective on their role, and also the educational professional perspective as to what the interpreter role is; discusses communication break downs and examines how they happen and how to repair it. This research also looks at the control of bodies and spaces and how people share that environment in a professional way. This recent research attempts to identify patterns of practice for interpreters. In order to do that first, an online survey was distributed in the U.S. survey, which included interpreters and OEP’s. 79 interpreters and 41 OEPs participated and their responses were analyzed. And then that group was asked if any of them wanted to volunteer to sit down for interviews, which were conducted online and recorded through Zoom. Out of that volunteer group, one person from each job description was selected randomly. They answered various questions, and those answers were analyzed. It was recognized that yes, collaboration is in fact happening, but it may not be happening every day because people tend to forget that collaboration must include a shared and common goal. People must set aside specific time to be able to discuss issues and collaborate with each other, to support each other and share knowledge and expertise. Also, they must have a way to build relationships with each other and they must have mutual respect. Remember, educational interpreters do not work alone. They work with other people who are all trying to provide their knowledge and expertise; interpreters provide linguistic expertise and cultural mediation, and teachers provide expertise in academics and a background in instruction and curriculum. Together, that group of people can successfully provide access to education and socialization for the deaf student.
