The experiences of a sign-language translator for the deaf, translated…
An Accidental Opportunity that Came
I’d never thought, I would, “enroll” into the elementary years again, it’s just that this time around I have, a different role, not as a student, nor a teacher, but, a “sign language translator”.
not my photo…
This chance came like an accident, back then, I’d left a job that I’d done quite well in, but lost my passions for, at the same time, I was, just finished with a romance, I was, at a low in my life, not knowing, where I’m supposed to go next. I thought, that I’d been, good in mathematics, but I couldn’t manage, to solve the equation of dreams and reality, the quadratic formula, and so, I’d found an excuse, to take the higher normal examinations, and continued to, work for the sign language translator agency I was already involved with previously; on the evenings, I’d taken the cram sessions, and during the days, I’d taken on the sign language translation cases.
One day, I’d received a call from the handicap unit of the Hsinchu Social Services Department, a woman who cared about the hearing impaired population told me, that there was a child who understood sign language, who was, about to enroll into a normal hearing elementary school, and that the child is in need of a translator, she’d asked me if I’m interested to give this job a try? And there was another hearing impaired child studying at another elementary school, and hadn’t learned any languages yet, hoped, that I could help teach him how to sign.
With the sign language translators’ help, these children can start going to school at the normal elementary schools, what an amazing thing that would be! Back then, I’d not thought about it too much, and had, put my worries of inexperience aside, or considered if this job needed the special education trainings, and I’d, started at the age of thirty-two, as an “older brother”, and started riding the transportation five days a week, from Taipei to Hsinchu, then, rode between the two elementary schools, to translate the lessons being taught.
not my photo still…
The Character Whose Existence Is Near Transparent
The very first time, I’d had such young clients, it’d impressed me, how these two young clients’ temperaments can be so far apart.
A teacher, with the professional trainings in sign language, the trust and patients of the parents, helping the children learn and practice, and wearing those not-yet-completely working electrical cochlear, the children’s language abilities were equivalent to that of deaf adults. I’d often quizzed him during break, asked him to answer the questions posed by the teachers, to make sure he really did understand the materials; and, the result he’d shown, whether it be his own learning capabilities, or how mature he was internally, he’d not paled by comparison to his hearing classmates. Even, as the funding was cut, and the translators were about to get laid off, I’d prodded him on the necessities of the services I was providing to him, he could analyze his own limits in learning, and how having a translator had, helped him to learn better, it’d, surprised me.
As for another, before we got started, his mother told him of her expectations, “I just wanted to know what my child is thinking about.” I’d never taught a child who’s deaf at such a young age, so, I was, a bit panicky. In my past teaching experiences, I’d heard the adults speak, and signed, “telling” the hearing how the signs came, how to remember the signs; but this time, my student was, a child who couldn’t learn by hearing, how, can I teach him? Can I, ruin his life? The child was like a blank page, I couldn’t communicate via spoken words, and he couldn’t comprehend the written language, my past experiences didn’t help me one bit, I’d needed to, restart from ground zero.
And, just like that, the child, the child’s mother, and I, the teacher from the help class, we’d used playing games in a group, to slowly, teach the lessons, to slowly, close the distance between me and him. Being optimistic and outgoing, with that curiosity toward the world, language was no limit for him, he’d often used the signs he’d learned, to tell me what he’d watched or learned from his mother and the television. Later on, he’d, gone online to find the news stories, or searched the goings on of the world, and discussed the issues with me, looking so serious, I’d, mistaken him as, a professional reporter. His use of language started maturing, and, can slowly learn with a translator by his side in the regular classroom sessions.
In the process, I’d noticed that these two different kids from two different schools, different family background, with different personalities, who they’d longed, to be involved with the rest of the world, their desires, in making friends. All of a sudden, it’d, dawned on me, that although the role of the sign language translators existed, but, we’re, next to transparent; we’re like teachers, friend, but not too meddling, letting the students completely, rely on us, and become an obstacle in their learning. This job needed the passions, but, more so, the calm and collectedness.
Later on, I’d learned that the service I was offering, was the very first of its kind in Taiwan, and, I was one of two cases, where an accompanying translator goes to school in the mandatory education years.
not my photo…
In a blink of an eye, these two kids are, taller than I am now, about, to graduate from middle school. Thinking back to this process, although I’d thought that I wasn’t paid enough, worried that the resources weren’t enough, I’d still seen, the children’s, the parents’, the R.O.C. Deaf Association as well as the city of Hsinchu’s hard work.
I don’t know that as this article gets published, which schools these two young men would be attending; but I know, that everything will, begin, at ground zero again; but I know, that I needed to, set everything up again, to communicate with the schools, to tell the school about the special needs of these children, and the existence of the translators’ necessities, and the support systems that would need to get set up.
What’s worth mentioning was, the government of the city of Hsinchu is already setting up the parent-child sign language sessions, stressed the combination of the spoken and signed language, and expected, that this model can be successfully, duplicated, elsewhere, for the kids who need.
So, this started, as a one-man gig, and yet, this individual was able to make the public realize, the important of the services s/he provided, and, make it into a trend, and this would benefit the hearing impaired students a lot, because with a translator, they’re able to, learn better and get that equal opportunity to be educated like you and I had.
Life, the Obstacle Course 