This section describes the competencies that you should expect to find in a professional sign language interpreter, their skills and characteristics, and qualifications.

• A sign language interpreter should:
  • be fluent in sign language and have a high language ability in the spoken language they are translating from/to
  • appreciate the differences between deaf people and hearing people
  • understand the context of an interpreting assignment
  • have an appropriate level of training and qualification.
• A professional sign language interpreter will also be a member of the Sign Language Interpreters Association and/or the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters, and follow those organisations' Code of Ethics.

Skills and characteristics

A professional sign language interpreter should demonstrate the following skills and personal characteristics.

Fluent in New Zealand Sign Language

As with all languages, acquiring a high level of fluency in New Zealand Sign Language requires many years of training and contact with the deaf community. Most sign language interpreters are not native users of New Zealand Sign Language. This is a point of difference with most other language interpreters, who are usually native speakers and part of a language community (such as Māori, or Chinese).

Fluent in English and/or Māori

Interpreters, including sign language interpreters, need to adjust their language usage according to the context in which they work. This means they need a large (and at times specialist) vocabulary, and need to be able to use different language styles appropriate to the people involved in the meeting or event. They need to be competent in written language as well since sight translation may be needed.

Use a range of interpreting skills

There is often no word-for-word correspondence between languages. It takes training, practice and experience to instantaneously express the full meaning of a speaker's words in another language. Just being fluent in two or more languages does not mean that a person can interpret between these languages.

Understand both 'deaf' and 'hearing' cultures

Deaf people whose first or natural language is New Zealand Sign Language have a different cultural background and a different life experience to hearing people. They may also have different expectations of how communication will take place. Since government services are largely staffed by people who are not deaf, a competent interpreter needs to understand both cultures to ensure they can facilitate effective communication.

Understand the setting and have the knowledge to deal with a variety of subject matters and terminology

Sign language interpreters work in a great variety of settings: from education to courts to health; and from one-to-one meetings to large conferences. A competent sign language interpreter needs a good educational background to deal with this variety and be able to adapt to different settings.

It is advisable to check an interpreter's experience in a particular setting before booking them, so you can be sure they are sufficiently familiar with the systems and any specialist language. A booking agency can assist with selecting appropriate interpreters for a particular setting.

Behave in an ethical and professional manner and be committed to a code of ethics

Like other professionals, interpreters are party to private interactions and information and are ethically bound to protect the privacy of clients. They should also facilitate communication in a manner that is fair to both parties, without unduly intruding in the situation. The Code of Ethics of the Sign Language interpreters Association of New Zealand (SLIANZ) covers impartiality, confidentiality, competency, accuracy and professional development.

Competency

Use competent, qualified sign language interpreters to ensure that the interaction between you and your client is conveyed accurately and smoothly.

At present there is no system to assess or rank the competency levels of New Zealand Sign Language interpreters after graduation from the AUT Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting (currently the only qualification available), or to assess their continued ability to practise in New Zealand.

The booking agency or sign language interpreter will consider all requests before agreeing to provide the service. They need to make a decision on the level of competency required for a particular assignment. The more information about a meeting/event that you can provide in advance and at the time of making a booking, the better that decision making will be.

The SLIANZ Code of Ethics includes refusing to accept assignments beyond an interpreter's competency.

Use a qualified and competent interpreter

A qualified sign language interpreter will have undergone assessments in New Zealand Sign Language and English competency, interpreting skills and ethical behaviour by the end of the two year AUT diploma. Being qualified means that the sign language interpreter has attained a level of competency at which it is generally safe to practise.

Some policies exist that specify the level of experience required: for example, a 2005 Court Circular recommends that interpreters have at least two years postgraduate experience as a sign language interpreter in a wide range of contexts before they work in legal proceedings.

Risk of using an unqualified person

There are significant risks associated with using lay people or unqualified interpreters (such as family members or friends of the deaf person, hearing children of deaf adults, staff members with some experience in New Zealand Sign Language or sign language students who have not undertaken interpreter training).

First of all, their fluency in English and New Zealand Sign Language has not been assessed and interpretation may suffer as a result. Even if such individuals are fluent in both New Zealand Sign Language and English, there are risks such as bias, conflict of interest, and lack of confidentiality. Deaf people may not feel that they can be completely open about their information under these circumstances.

However, the level of competency required for interpreting is different from one setting to the next (and from one client to the next). In high consequence settings, it will be important to check the sign language interpreter's experience in that particular setting and the number of years they have been practising as an interpreter.

Qualifications

A qualified New Zealand Sign Language interpreter will have completed the two-year Diploma in Sign Language Interpreting (DipSLI), awarded by  the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).

The diploma course includes an introduction to specialist settings, such as medical and legal interpreting. However, it is advisable to check the individual interpreter's experience in such settings to ensure that they are sufficiently familiar with the systems and specialist language they may encounter.

Qualified sign language interpreters are generally registered members of the Sign Language Interpreters Association of New Zealand (SLIANZ) or the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters (NZSTI). Membership of these organisations is voluntary.

Both organisations have an interpreter's Code of Ethics, which members are required to sign and agree to follow.

Some overseas qualifications may also be accepted. While overseas interpreters may be judged to have completed equivalent training in sign language interpreting skills, there is currently no scheme to assess their competence in English or New Zealand Sign Language.

Before an overseas sign language interpreter works alone, SLIANZ recommends that they spend a minimum of six months immersing themselves in the New Zealand deaf community to build up their fluency in New Zealand Sign Language.