Concerns I Have With Interpreters in Mainstream Settings

So far, the main issues I have with mainstreaming a deaf or hard of hearing student surround sign language interpreters.

From what I have seen and experienced so far, I believe that some students who have interpreters are going to have a tougher time in a mainstream education setting than those who do not. Some students will unfortunately have unqualified interpreters, will never have been taught how to utilize interpreters, or will become too dependent on interpreters.

Based on my experiences with this and what I have heard, it seems that it would be more ideal for a child to attend a school where the teachers and their peers are fluent signers. It is not an ideal situation for a child to depend on sign language interpreters among dozens of other peers who do not sign or use sign language interpreters. But, sometimes this can be the best option for them, depending on the situation and where their schools are located.

There will be those few who have the ability to appropriately utilize an interpreter in education settings and to be assertive enough to talk about any concerns they may have with the interpreter or using an interpreter in the classroom. These children are most likely self confident and fluent in sign language and the language used by the majority (English if you live in America and other English speaking countries). But for the average child, the child who is not fluent in language, the child not comfortable with using sign language, or the child with weaknesses in certain areas such as language acquisition, it may not work out for them so well.

Overall, I am most concerned about interpreters who participate in creating a sense of 'learned helplessness' in students, whether they mean to or not.

What is learned helplessness?

According to http://www.terptopics.com/ModelsService.htm, learned helplessness can happen with an interpreter exhibiting mainly "Helper Model" tendencies:

To help is to change for the better, give relief to, or offer a remedy (to fix).  The implications of the Helper interpreting service model are unsettling; even oppressive and destructive.

 

Sure, everyone appreciates a helping hand now and again.  However, when someone is early on and consistently helped when help is not needed, learned helplessness can result.  

 

The effects of learned helplessness are insidious, far-ranging, and self-fulfilling (cyclic).  If I believe that I need help (when I do not), I will continue to expect, seek, and accept it -- and I will view myself as unable and dependent.  If you believe that I need help (when I do not), you will continue to offer it -- and you will view me as unable and dependent. read more.

 

Hands and Voices also has an article on their site that discusses this issue:

In order to achieve synchronization of thought within the educational team, we should first be able to recognize the symptoms of learned helplessness. It manifests itself in many forms, but is often apparent in detectible symptoms including low self-esteem, a lack of motivation and poor problem solving skills. A student may demonstrate a lack of initiative or persistence; thus, they may be afraid to try a new task, so they look to someone else to "do for them," or they give up on a task too quickly. Others refuse to try a new task independently until they have had adult prompts and examples. They also are reluctant to make choices without looking to an adult to tell them which choice is "right." Some students with learned helplessness even become depressed or withdrawn. The language of learned helplessness can include noticeable language patterns that the deaf student uses such as, "I can't because I am deaf," or "this is too hard for me." read more.

Some educational interpreters will lend a helping hand often to the point that they do everything for the student they interpret for. Learned helplessness is a serious issue. The point of education is to teach students the set of skills that they need to learn and then to have them practice and use the skill themselves until they understand what they mean and how to use them.

What good does it do to teach the child that he cannot learn to do things by himself and that there will always be someone there to hold his hand and do the work for him? What are we teaching the child when we let her look to her interpreter for help without first attempting to try to solve the problem herself?

I always tell the classroom teachers to please keep an eye out for too many prompts or help provided by the interpreter. I tell them that it is fine for them to step in and tell the interpreter, "Let's see what Johnny can do. I want to see what he can do by himself." 

Some interpreters do an excellent job of backing off when needed while doing their job interpreting conversations in the classroom and facilitating communication. Interpreting is a tough job, no doubt. Why add to it by also acting as the student's teacher and parent?

But, some interpreters seem to have trouble knowing when to back off and when to not help or "teach" the student. It can be very hard for some to understand their place in the classroom, especially with the younger students. I know it is very hard for some to sit back and watch the student fumble and make mistakes on their own. But, making mistakes is part of learning, and they will never learn if they always have someone there to correct them.

Is there anyone who had an educational interpreter while in school? How was the experience for you? Have any of you experienced something similar where the interpreter acts more as your helper?

I will end this post with a quote from Educational Interpreting: How it Can Succeed (2002), which is from the perspective of a student:

"Let me make my own decisions; do not make choices for me, coddle me, or discipline me." (Winston, 2002)

That about sums it up.

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Related Posts: 

• Issues I Have With Mainstreaming 

• Deaf & HOH Students: To Mainstream or Not

References and Citations:

Winston, Elizabeth, Editor (2002) Educational Interpreting: How it Can Succeed, Gallaudet University Press

Hands and Voices: Preventing Learned Helplessness

Terp Topics: Interpreting Service Models