Sign Language Interpretation
If you need to overcome the language barrier, you are in the right place. At HumanTranslation, we know that language lies beyond simply writing and talking as it means connection, creation, and information. It is vital to get what you need in life. And language is the key to the communication you need, connection with society, and having the life experience you want to have. We are the translation agency that will assist in your connection with others.
Sign language is yet another opportunity to connect. The situations where you will need sign interpretation differ very much: for instance, if you need one-sided communication, virtually any specialist will do. But if you need people with hearing disabilities to communicate with a person who is capable of talking and hearing but does not know sign language, it will require a different specialist who knows the required language of signs and can hear and is proficient in the speaker’s dialect. We will usually need to know the details of the event to find a suitable expert for you.
American Sign Language (ASL): What Is It?
This is a form of visual communication that allows the brain to perceive the message being communicated using eyesight. Instead of words, intonation, and voice modulations, the subtleties of the message are communicated with the help of the position of hands, face mimics, and body that moves as the interpreter does his or her work.
You might think that there exists one universal sign language, but it is far from the truth. There is a local sign language in each country, and it is developing and breaking down into regional varieties – in the same way as any other living language on the planet. There exist over four hundred sign languages on Earth, and they are in use by seventy million speakers.
ASL is primarily used in the United States and Canada.
How Many Interpreters Will Be Needed?
Well, you will need at least two of them, and this is an industry standard.
The matter is that simultaneous translation is not a natural activity for the human brain: we are born to listen OR talk, one activity at a time, not both. Both activities done at the same time put great pressure on the brain, and the number of mistakes is statistically proven to increase within 15 to 30 minutes. What is more, brain overload may cause specific stress.
To prevent all these consequences, interpreters usually work in pairs and take turns replacing each other every 30 minutes.
However, if you have a short meeting that will not last for more than an hour and there are no special requirements, one interpreter will typically manage the task.
Services We Provide
On-site interpreting.
Be sure to contact us in advance as this kind of translation requires preliminary arrangements. We at HumanTranslation will cover any of your subject matter needs, including educational, business, medical, legal, or technical spheres.
Remote Interpreting
No matter what event you are going to hold – a workshop or a presentation, we’ve got you covered. Contact our manager to order professional sign language interpretation services.
Pre-recorded Interpretation
If you have a video from any event that needs to be interpreted using sign language, we are here to help. Just send your pre-recorded message to our manager to get a quote for accurate ASL rendering.
Signing Aides
Do you need support for customers with special hearing needs? We will assist you in making signing aides for the category of people that need them.
Captions
If you have a record that you need to be available to deaf people and similar categories of people, we can provide captions for it to solve the problem.
End Users of Our Services
The process varies depending on your specific needs: we can provide individual services and interpretation for the general audience. Our interpreters can be in different roles required for students, patients, guests, and so on.
The scope of your event will determine whether you need individual or general public services and enable us to properly coordinate the efforts of a team of interpreters that you may need.
We can get both deaf and hearing interpreters for you. All of them have relevant credentials, qualifications, and skills to meet the toughest demands.
Why Provide Sign Language Interpreting?
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires organizations to provide language access and auxiliary aids to deaf individuals. This may help fulfill the mission of your organization and get access to a broad and diverse community, which inevitably means more opportunities for you and your customers.
How Do I Request Interpreting Services?
- If you have a video, decide on the preferred method of interpretation, ASL or captioning. Different situations may entail different needs.
- Provide all the important details, such as the date, time, site, event duration, subject matter, and so on.
- Contact our manager to get the specialist you need.
What makes a good translation? First of all, a high-quality source text. If this is a marketing piece of translation, for instance, and the original seems to convey some vague message that is hard to understand for the translator, it will be just as vague for the reader. Therefore, the customer should be prepared to work on the text to get a really good translation, and the translator should be ready to ask the customer to do so. This will make cooperation really beneficial – contrary to the “I-need-the-translation-quickly” approach that may not bear the fruit you want.
Ask the client about the country for which the translation is intended. The Arabic dialect required for Saudi Arabia will differ from the one appropriate for Egypt or Lebanon.
Most Arabic translations will require transcreation due to major cultural differences between English and Arab countries.
The target audience will determine the level of formality required in Arabic texts, so be sure to find out all the required information from the client.
The more important the translation, the higher quality should be agreed upon with the customer. High quality is achieved by editing, sometimes by several editors; it may add up to the cost, but it will finally pay off.
