By Hilda Tejada
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The landscape of conference interpreting is evolving, and one of the most significant developments in recent years has been the growing collaboration between sign language and spoken language interpreters. As our profession becomes more inclusive and the Deaf community gains greater visibility in international forums, understanding how to work effectively in mixed teams is no longer optional—it’s essential.
A Brief History of Integration
The International Association of Conference Interpreters (AIIC) has been at the forefront of this evolution. In 2009, recognizing the importance of collaboration, AIIC established the Sign Language Network to explore working partnerships with sign language interpreters. Three years later, at the 2012 Buenos Aires assembly, sign language interpreters were formally accepted as AIIC members. At that time, only three sign language interpreters held membership.
The watershed moment came in 2018 during the Valencia assembly, when AIIC adopted Resolution 402, which established that sign languages stand on equal footing with spoken languages for all matters concerning interpreting. Today, the Sign Language Network has grown to almost 60 members from all over the world—a remarkable expansion from those initial three members just over a decade ago.
Understanding Mixed Team Configurations
Mixed teams can take several forms, depending on the communication needs of the event. Here are the most common configurations:
Configuration 1: Sign Language as Additional Target Language. A Spanish speaker addresses an audience through an English interpreter who provides relay for French, Portuguese, and other spoken language interpreters. If members of the Deaf community are present, or if the event is being broadcast, sign language interpreters join the team, working from the English relay.
Configuration 2: Sign Language as Source Language. When the speaker uses sign language (such as American Sign Language), an interpreter renders the message into a spoken language like English. Other interpreters then take relay from English into their respective spoken languages, while sign language interpreters with spoken English in their combination can relay into other sign languages.
Configuration 3: International Sign as a Bridge. A speaker using American Sign Language works with two interpreters: one who interprets into English (for spoken language relay) and another who interprets into International Sign. International Sign, while not a language per se, serves as a communication code that enables relay to interpreters working in, for example, Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS), Mexican Sign Language (LSM), British Sign Language (BSL), and other sign languages.
Configuration 4: Spoken Language as Relay Bridge. In this scenario, a speaker using American Sign Language addresses an audience of sign language users who don’t share the same sign language. A hearing interpreter relays into English, and other sign language interpreters work from that English relay into, say, British Sign Language, Australian Sign Language, Mexican Sign Language, South African Sign Language, and other target sign languages.
Key Considerations for Effective Collaboration
Working in mixed teams requires awareness of several critical factors. Sign language interpreters function as intercultural interpreters, navigating both Deaf culture and the broader culture of their country. A Mexican Deaf person, for instance, is fully Mexican while also being part of the Deaf community—a dual cultural identity that shapes communication.
Spoken language interpreters working across multiple regional variants regularly navigate cultural references, and the same principles apply when providing relay to sign language colleagues. However, there are specific challenges that require particular attention.
The Challenge of Unfamiliar Signs and Cultural References
Sign language interpreters relaying into spoken language relay must contend with unfamiliar signs and cultural references that could be incomprehensible when interpreted into spoken language. Conversely, spoken language interpreters providing relay to sign language colleagues need to be especially careful with speed and proper nouns, figures, and cultural references that could be difficult to convey into sign language.
Unlike spoken language interpreters who can sometimes simply reproduce what they hear phonetically, sign language interpreters cannot replicate unfamiliar terms without potentially confusing their clients. This requires spoken language interpreters to adapt their relay accordingly.
Practical Strategies for Better Relay
Consider these examples from Mexican Spanish: If you’re interpreting into English and mention “Chapultepec” or “Xochimilco”—well-known locations in Mexico City—a spoken language interpreter might simply repeat these names as heard. However, a sign language interpreter receiving this relay would need to either fingerspell these complex terms or find a way to convey the concept clearly. The solution? Add context: “Chapultepec, a park in Mexico City.”
Similarly, colloquialisms and regional terminology require clarification. Terms like “chilango” (slang for people from Mexico City) or “regio” (for people from Monterrey) should be explained or replaced with more explicit descriptions when providing relay.
Government entities and institutions present another challenge. Acronyms or abbreviated names like “Hacienda” (Mexico’s Ministry of Finance) or “Conaculta” might be easily understood within one linguistic community but completely opaque to others. When a Mexican Sign Language interpreter working from a Deaf Mexican speaker renders “Hacienda” into Spanish, interpreters working in Argentine, Peruvian, or Panamanian Sign Language who take relay from that Spanish would struggle to understand the reference. The solution is to use the full, explicit term: “Ministry of Finance.”
Questions for Self-Assessment
As we continue learning to work effectively in mixed teams, interpreters should regularly ask themselves:
- Did I provide quality relay to my peers?
- Was I conscious of my sign language colleagues’ needs and explicit with my references?
- What can I learn about providing better relay and becoming more aware of sign language colleagues’ requirements?
- Am I adequately prepared to work in mixed teams?
- Do I understand the basics of sign language interpreting and why certain adaptations are necessary?
- Can I share what I’ve learned with other colleagues?
Resources and Guidelines
The Sign Language Network has developed comprehensive guidelines for working with sign language interpreters, covering quality standards, working conditions, interpreter positioning at conferences, protocols for mixed teams, and technical requirements for audio-visual engineers. These resources are available through AIIC and provide invaluable guidance for both spoken and sign language interpreters.
Looking Ahead
As signatories to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities implement their commitments, sign language interpreters will become increasingly present at conferences and international meetings. The Deaf community’s growing prominence in public discourse means that mixed teams will become the norm rather than the exception.
The fundamental truth remains simple: conference interpreting is conference interpreting, regardless of whether it involves spoken languages, sign languages, or both. We are all interpreters facing similar challenges, and we must work together smoothly and effectively to ensure proper communication for all participants.
By understanding the unique needs of mixed team configurations and adapting our relay techniques accordingly, we can build stronger professional bridges and provide the highest quality service to all members of our diverse linguistic communities—signed and spoken alike.
Click on the links for more information about the Sign Language Network FAQs, AIIC Resolution 402 and guidelines for working with sign language interpreters.
Hilda Tejada has worked as a translator and conference interpreter since 1989. Based in Mexico City, she is a graduate of the University of Geneva Masters of Advanced Studies in Interpreter Training. She is also a member of AIIC, where she actively participates in the Sign Language Network and the Training and Professional Development Group (ATPD). Since 2000, Hilda has been a university lecturer, trainer, and course designer in Mexico and abroad, for both spoken and sign language interpreter training. She is currently an adjunct professor of interpreting for the UMass Amherst Online Program in Professional Translation & Interpreting and a lecturer of Interpreting Studies at Mexico’s UNAM, where she teaches interpreting techniques and practice in a mixed classroom of sign and spoken language interpreters.
Image by Florian Pircher from Pixabay.
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