Professional Practices in Sign Language Interpreting

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/AiWyOaX6SliHwTqblCDwEQ

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• Duration: 3 hours
• Price (if applicable): Free
• Registration link/button

This workshop explores professionalism in sign language interpreting through the lens of Erving Goffman’s concept of facework, offering a practical framework for understanding how interpreters establish and maintain a professional presence across a variety of settings. Participants will examine how “face” is negotiated among interpreters, Deaf clients, hearing participants, and agency partners and how these dynamics shape perceptions of professionalism in the moment.

Focusing on interpreters working in diverse environments, including government services, workplace settings, community programs, and meetings, this session will highlight how professionalism is not static, but actively constructed through communication choices, role boundaries, preparation, and responsiveness to context. Grounded in widely accepted industry standards and professional norms, the workshop will unpack expectations from multiple stakeholders, including Deaf consumers, Deaf professionals, clients, and agencies. Participants will explore how these expectations intersect and, at times, compete—requiring interpreters to make real-time decisions that impact trust, clarity, and access.

Through guided discussion and applied examples, participants will analyze common interpreting scenarios using a facework framework to strengthen decision-making, accountability, and role clarity. Special attention will be given to how interpreters demonstrate professionalism when navigating ambiguity, managing relationships, and maintaining alignment with the needs of both Deaf and hearing participants.

• Participants will be able to explain Erving Goffman’s concept of faceworkand its relevance to professionalism in sign language interpreting in class discussion.
• Through class discussions, participants will be able to identify and describe how “face” is negotiated among interpreters, Deaf clients, hearing participants, and agency partners across a variety of interpreting settings.
• Participants will analyze interpreting scenarios using a facework framework to evaluate how communication choices impact trust, clarity, and perceived professionalism by comparing and contrasting differing stakeholder expectations (e.g., Deaf consumers, Deaf professionals, hearing clients, agencies) and how these expectations influence interpreter decision-making.

Activity Number
2419.0426.02

RID Statement
Joyful Signing is an Approved RID CMP Sponsor for continuing education activities. This Professional Studies program is offered for .3 CEUs at the little/none Content Knowledge Level.

Language Access & Accessibility Policy
Joyful Signing LLC is committed to providing equitable access to learning for all participants. All educational programming is designed to be linguistically accessible and inclusive.
Primary language of instruction and facilitation will be American Sign Language (ASL).

Participants who require other communication access services to participate fully may request reasonable accommodations during registration. Accommodation requests should be submitted to workshops@joyfulsigning.com at least 10 business days prior to the start of the program to ensure timely coordination.

Joyful Signing LLC will make reasonable efforts to meet all access requests and will confirm accommodations prior to the event. Requests received after the stated deadline will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and fulfilled when feasible.

Joyful Signing LLC does not discriminate on the basis of disability, language preference, or communication modality and is committed to providing a respectful, inclusive learning environment.

CEU Requirements:
Participants must attend the full workshop and complete all required attendance verification procedures to receive RID CEUs. Partial credit will not be awarded.

Cancellation/Refund Policy
Not eligible for refunds upon cancellation as this workshop is offered for free.