Interactive Interpreting

The work of sign language interpreters has evolved from a mostly monologic style of interpreting to the current use of an interactive style of interpreting. Research has shown that most of an interpreter's work occurs in settings that involve face-to-face interaction with fewer than five participants, including the interpreter. Interactive interpreting may appear to be easy, but it is demanding work.

Interactive interpreting is present in the business world for job interviews or job reviews, in the medical field during examinations and procedures, in the educational setting when students meet with counselors or teachers, and in personal settings during social events. Despite all this work in interactive interpreting, the idea of examining what happens within the interpreting process has occurred relatively recently. The need is even greater as more deaf consumers start using video relay services (VRS). Even though VRS is a relatively new service, its rapid growth has created a great need for highly skilled interpreters who understand how to effectively interpret interactive discourse, especially because of the sensitive nature of many calls.