Cultivating Excellence in Interpreting

My Interpreting Service provides professional ASL–English interpreting services in Alaska, with services based in the Mat-Su Valley and available in other locations depending on assignment needs.

Professional interpreting requires far more than fluency in two languages. It requires the ability to analyze language and meaning, understand people and context, make complex decisions in real time, manage the demands of an interaction, and continually evaluate whether communication is working.

Our interpreting practice is grounded in decades of experience and strengthened through the integration of ASL and English linguistics, interpreting theory, discourse analysis, language acquisition, Deaf Studies, ethics, research, professional reasoning, assessment, and reflective practice.

These foundations often remain unseen during an interpreted interaction, but they shape the preparation, decisions, language choices, and professional judgment that support accurate and meaningful communication.

Interpreting is not simply the production of signs or words. It is the professional practice of understanding and conveying meaning across languages, cultures, people, and contexts.

 My Interpreting Service provides professional ASL–English interpreting services in Alaska, with services based in the Mat-Su Valley and available in other locations depending on assignment needs.

Professional interpreting requires far more than fluency in two languages. It requires the ability to analyze language and meaning, understand people and context, make complex decisions in real time, manage the demands of an interaction, and continually evaluate whether communication is working.

Our interpreting practice is grounded in decades of experience and strengthened through the integration of ASL and English linguistics, interpreting theory, discourse analysis, language acquisition, Deaf Studies, ethics, research, professional reasoning, assessment, and reflective practice.

These foundations often remain unseen during an interpreted interaction, but they shape the preparation, decisions, language choices, and professional judgment that support accurate and meaningful communication.

Interpreting is not simply the production of signs or words. It is the professional practice of understanding and conveying meaning across languages, cultures, people, and contexts.

 Professional interpreting draws upon multiple areas of knowledge simultaneously. Linguistic competence alone is not enough. Effective practice requires the integration of language, culture, cognition, interpreting theory, ethics, communication access assessment, professional reasoning, preparation, and continual reflection.

These foundations inform the decisions that occur before, during, and after an interpreted interaction and support effective communication across a wide range of settings and situations.

Professional interpreting requires advanced competence in both ASL and English. This includes grammar, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, sociolinguistics, register, language variation, and the ways meaning is structured differently across the two languages.

Linguistic competence provides the foundation for analyzing source language, constructing meaning, and producing an interpretation that is linguistically and culturally appropriate rather than simply reproducing surface forms.

Meaning exists beyond individual words and signs. Interpreters must understand how ideas connect across an interaction, how speakers and signers organize information, what information is emphasized or implied, and how context influences interpretation.

Discourse analysis supports the interpreter in identifying meaning, intent, relationships between ideas, register, interactional dynamics, and the larger message being constructed.

Effective interpreting requires knowledge of Deaf communities, cultural norms, communication practices, historical experiences, and the diverse lived experiences of Deaf individuals.

Cultural competence helps interpreters recognize assumptions, understand different ways of constructing and sharing information, and make linguistic and professional decisions that are responsive to the individuals involved.

Language development and access to language influence communication throughout the lifespan. Our practice is informed by knowledge of first- and second-language acquisition, bilingual development, language variation, delayed language acquisition, language dysfluency, and language deprivation.

Understanding these factors helps distinguish linguistic difference from communication difficulty and supports interpreting decisions that respond to the individual's actual language use.

Assessment is an ongoing part of professional interpreting.

We consider language use, communication preferences, participant needs, interactional goals, environmental demands, available resources, and other factors that may influence communication. We continue monitoring the interaction to determine whether the interpreting approach remains effective and adjust when appropriate.

Interpreting is supported by an established body of theory and professional knowledge. Interpreting models provide frameworks for understanding cognitive processing, meaning construction, linguistic transfer, communication demands, professional roles, and decision-making.

Theory gives interpreters a way to analyze what is happening—not simply react to it.

Interpreting requires continuous decisions, often under significant cognitive and time demands.

Professional reasoning integrates linguistic analysis, ethical principles, communication goals, contextual information, participant needs, available resources, potential consequences, and professional knowledge. Decisions are intentional and responsive rather than based solely on habit or predetermined rules.

Ethical practice extends beyond compliance with a code of professional conduct. Professional standards provide an important foundation, but ethical practice also requires judgment, reflection, accountability, respect for autonomy, confidentiality, professional boundaries, and consideration of the potential consequences of decisions.

Our practice is informed by research and professional knowledge from interpreting studies, linguistics, discourse analysis, language acquisition, Deaf Studies, cognitive science, communication, ethics, education, and related disciplines.

Research provides another source of evidence for examining practice, challenging assumptions, strengthening professional reasoning, and supporting continued development.

High-quality interpreting begins before the interaction itself.

Preparation may include understanding the purpose and context of the assignment, reviewing relevant terminology and materials, anticipating linguistic and environmental demands, coordinating with participants or interpreting teams, and identifying resources that may support effective communication.

Professional practice also includes reliability, communication, documentation, collaboration, appropriate teaming, professional boundaries, and accountability.

Professional competence is never finished.

Reflection, self-assessment, mentoring, competency-based assessment, feedback, research, professional dialogue, and continuing education allow interpreters to examine their work, recognize patterns, strengthen areas of competence, identify areas for development, and continually refine professional judgment.

Excellence in interpreting is not a fixed achievement. It is the ongoing integration of knowledge, experience, assessment, reflection, and deliberate professional growth.

 Our interpreting approach is individualized, meaning-based, and responsive to the people and context of each interaction.

Every Deaf individual brings unique language experiences, cultural knowledge, educational experiences, communication preferences, and life experiences. Language acquisition, linguistic fluency, fund of information, familiarity with the subject matter, and environmental factors may all influence how information is understood and expressed.

Before and throughout an assignment, we continually assess the communication environment and communication access needs: Who are the participants? What is the purpose of the interaction? What languages and registers are being used? What knowledge is being assumed? What linguistic, cultural, environmental, or interactional factors may influence meaning?

Interpreting then requires continuous analysis and decision-making. We attend to meaning and intent, discourse structure, linguistic choices, cultural context, participant responses, and the effectiveness of the interpreted interaction—making adjustments when needed rather than assuming that providing an interpreter automatically creates effective communication access.

We also recognize that Deaf individuals have not all experienced equitable access to language. Language variation, delayed language acquisition, language dysfluency, and language deprivation may significantly influence communication. Recognizing these factors allows us to respond to the individual's language and communication needs rather than expecting the individual to conform to a predetermined interpreting approach.

Effective interpreting is a dynamic process of assessment, analysis, decision-making, language production, monitoring, and adjustment—all in service of meaning, communication access, and meaningful participation.

 We believe effective ASL–English interpreting begins with understanding the people, languages, and purpose of the interaction.

Meaningful communication access is not created simply by placing an interpreter in the room. Qualified, professional interpreting requires linguistic competence, cultural knowledge, preparation, professional judgment, and the ability to recognize how language, experience, environment, and context influence understanding.

Whether interpreting occurs in educational, vocational, professional, community, or other settings, the interpreter's work is not limited to replacing words in one language with signs or signs with words. It requires understanding meaning and intent, analyzing how that meaning is being constructed, and making informed linguistic and professional decisions about how it can be represented effectively in another language and culture.

The measure of effective interpreting is not simply whether an interpreter was provided—it is whether meaning was successfully conveyed and the individuals involved were able to participate meaningfully.

We are committed to interpreting practice that is linguistically competent, ethically grounded, research-informed, reflective, and responsive to the people and circumstances of each interaction.

Communication access is not measured simply by the presence of an interpreter. It is reflected in whether meaning is conveyed accurately and effectively, individuals have access to the information being exchanged, and participants are able to engage meaningfully in the interaction.

We bring preparation, linguistic and cultural knowledge, professional reasoning, assessment, collaboration, and continual self-evaluation to every assignment.

Our commitment is not simply to provide interpreting services, but to practice interpreting with the knowledge, judgment, accountability, and continual growth that professional excellence requires.