CASLI Interpreting Skills & Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'consecutive interpreting' specifically refer to in sign language interpreting practice?
- Interpreting while the source speaker is still talking
- Interpreting after the source speaker has completed a segment or full statement (Correct answer)
- Interpreting in two-person teams alternating every 20 minutes
- Providing a written transcript after the event
Correct answer: Interpreting after the source speaker has completed a segment or full statement
Consecutive interpreting involves waiting for the speaker to complete a segment before rendering the interpretation.
Question 2: In ASL-to-English interpretation, which skill is most essential for producing fluent spoken English output?
- Mastery of English grammar rules only
- Ability to voice ASL classifiers and spatial grammar in grammatically correct spoken English (Correct answer)
- Memorizing a large bank of English synonyms
- Avoiding any pauses to maintain speech fluency
Correct answer: Ability to voice ASL classifiers and spatial grammar in grammatically correct spoken English
Voicing ASL requires the interpreter to interpret spatial and visual linguistic features into equivalent, coherent English speech.
Question 3: Under the CASLI evaluation framework, which domain assesses the interpreter's ability to manage the dynamics of an interpreted interaction?
- Linguistic competence
- Interactive management and interpersonal skills (Correct answer)
- Transliteration accuracy
- Vocabulary breadth
Correct answer: Interactive management and interpersonal skills
Interactive management encompasses turn-taking, clarification requests, and managing communication flow between parties.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes 'register' in the context of sign language interpreting?
- The volume at which a hearing speaker talks
- The level of formality and style appropriate to a given communicative context (Correct answer)
- The physical position of the interpreter in the room
- The number of interpreters assigned to an event
Correct answer: The level of formality and style appropriate to a given communicative context
Register refers to the variation in language style—formal, informal, technical—matched to the communicative setting and relationship.
Question 5: A Deaf consumer requests that an interpreter not disclose their Deaf identity to other participants before the meeting. The interpreter should:
- Refuse because interpreters must always identify all parties
- Honor the request, as consumer confidentiality and autonomy are paramount (Correct answer)
- Announce the consumer's Deaf identity anyway for logistical reasons
- Contact the NAD-RID ethics board before proceeding
Correct answer: Honor the request, as consumer confidentiality and autonomy are paramount
Interpreters must respect consumer confidentiality and autonomy unless disclosure is legally required.
Question 6: During a legal deposition, the attorney asks a complex, multi-part question. The Deaf witness appears confused. The interpreter should:
- Paraphrase the question in simpler terms without disclosing the change
- Continue and hope the witness asks for clarification independently
- Alert the attorney that clarification may be needed without coaching the witness (Correct answer)
- Provide the witness with an answer strategy
Correct answer: Alert the attorney that clarification may be needed without coaching the witness
The interpreter's role is to facilitate communication, which may include noting that a question requires clarification, without altering the proceedings or coaching.
Question 7: Transliteration differs from interpretation primarily because transliteration:
- Requires the interpreter to add cultural mediation
- Maintains the grammatical structure of the source language more closely while using signed or spoken representation (Correct answer)
- Is always faster than interpretation
- Is only used in educational settings
Correct answer: Maintains the grammatical structure of the source language more closely while using signed or spoken representation
Transliteration retains more of the source-language structure, such as English word order, while using a signed modality like Signed Exact English.
CASLI Interpreting Skills & Techniques 3
What does the term 'consecutive interpreting' specifically refer to in sign language interpreting practice?