Authoring a Profession: A Historiography of Book Publishing and Educational Usage of Books in ASL-English Interpretation

Abstract

The books written for the profession of American Sign Language-English interpreting can serve as resources for interpreter educators and can be used in classrooms to introduce or bolster information presented within a course. Published books provide organized information, offering structured knowledge for interpreters and interpreter educators. A detailed examination of the books written about and for the profession of ASL-English interpreting had not been written. This research study reviewed the books written for the ASL-English interpreting profession as a means to offer insights regarding the published resources available to students, educators, mentors, and practitioners in the field.

This study identified and gathered published books concentrating on American Sign Language-English interpreting. Details of the books were recorded to develop an historical reflection, a historiography, of the field of ASL-English interpreting. Book content was also critically reviewed and juxtaposed to the national standards of knowledge and skill competencies for interpreter education set by the Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE). Book content and CCIE standards were compared; frequencies and gaps of alignment were noted. Finally, this study collected survey data from faculty who teach undergraduate American Sign Language-English interpreting courses. The survey explored faculty familiarity, usage, and preferences of books published for the profession of American Sign Language-English interpreting.

The historical development of books written for the profession of American Sign Language-English interpreting offers perspective on the profession, as a whole, and highlights the progress made toward sharing knowledge within a professional platform. Comparison of book content with national knowledge and skill competency standards offers information that may assist interpreter educators with more appropriate book choices for particular courses. Survey data collected for this study has revealed current trends in usage of books published for the ASL-English interpreting field. The data collected within this study can be used to improve interpreter education, which in turn can improve the interpreted experiences of the deaf and hearing people who rely on American Sign Language-English interpretations.