NIC Cultural & Linguistic Competency 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Deaf culture, sustained direct eye contact during a signed conversation generally signals:
- Aggression or confrontation
- Active listening and engagement (Correct answer)
- Disrespect toward the signer
- Request for the conversation to end
Correct answer: Active listening and engagement
In Deaf culture, maintaining eye contact is a sign of active listening and engagement, unlike in some hearing cultures where prolonged eye contact may feel intense.
Question 2: An interpreter encounters a culturally specific concept in the source language that has no direct equivalent in ASL. The best approach is to:
- Skip the concept to keep communication moving
- Fingerspell the source-language word and move on
- Find the closest culturally equivalent concept in ASL and, if needed, briefly clarify (Correct answer)
- Ask the Deaf consumer if they would like an explanation later
Correct answer: Find the closest culturally equivalent concept in ASL and, if needed, briefly clarify
When a direct equivalent does not exist, skilled interpreters use the closest functional equivalent and may add a brief cultural clarification when essential.
Question 3: What is 'Deaf gain' as a cultural concept relevant to interpreters?
- The financial benefit of working with Deaf clients
- The perspective that Deaf people contribute unique cognitive and cultural strengths to society (Correct answer)
- The advantage interpreters gain from learning ASL
- A term for hearing loss in elderly populations
Correct answer: The perspective that Deaf people contribute unique cognitive and cultural strengths to society
Deaf gain, coined by H-Dirksen Bauman, reframes Deafness as a form of human diversity that brings unique contributions rather than as a deficit.
Question 4: Which of the following behaviors demonstrates audism?
- Hiring a certified ASL interpreter for a Deaf employee
- Assuming that a Deaf person cannot lead a meeting without an interpreter's help (Correct answer)
- Providing CART services alongside interpretation
- Asking a Deaf client about their communication preferences
Correct answer: Assuming that a Deaf person cannot lead a meeting without an interpreter's help
Audism is the belief that hearing ability is superior and that Deaf people are less capable, exemplified by unwarranted paternalistic assumptions.
Question 5: A hearing parent of a Deaf child asks the interpreter to explain 'what Deaf people are like.' The interpreter should:
- Provide a detailed cultural overview during the appointment
- Refer the parent to Deaf culture resources and community contacts outside the interpreting session (Correct answer)
- Decline to address the question and continue interpreting
- Speak on behalf of the Deaf community based on personal experience
Correct answer: Refer the parent to Deaf culture resources and community contacts outside the interpreting session
Interpreters should not act as cultural ambassadors during sessions but can appropriately refer consumers to community resources for further education.
Question 6: When interpreting for a Deaf immigrant who uses a foreign sign language, the NIC interpreter should first:
- Proceed using ASL and assume the consumer will adapt over time
- Assess the consumer's language needs and communicate any limitations to the parties (Correct answer)
- Request a written summary be provided instead
- Use International Sign throughout the appointment
Correct answer: Assess the consumer's language needs and communicate any limitations to the parties
Assessing language compatibility and disclosing limitations to the parties upholds consumer welfare and professional transparency.
Question 7: The term 'oral Deaf' refers to individuals who:
- Use sign language as their primary mode of communication
- Were Deaf at birth and never received any services
- Primarily use spoken language and may use speechreading rather than sign language (Correct answer)
- Have Deaf parents and hearing siblings
Correct answer: Primarily use spoken language and may use speechreading rather than sign language
Oral Deaf individuals rely on spoken language and speechreading, and may not use or prefer sign language interpretation.
NIC Cultural & Linguistic Competency 3
In Deaf culture, sustained direct eye contact during a signed conversation generally signals: