Department of Linguistics
Auslan interpreter mentoring project
Auslan Interpreter Mentoring Project
Project team: Sandra Leane, VicDeaf/ ASLIA (Victoria); Marc Curtis, VicDeaf; Cathy Clark, NMIT; Dr Jemina Napier, Macquarie University
Research Assistants: Tamara Pearce & Pip Cody
Funding: ASLIA (Victoria), VicDeaf, DHS and Deafness Foundation.
The project involves an action research based pilot mentorship program for graduate Auslan Interpreters, who have qualified as Paraprofessional Interpreters in Victoria. Fifteen graduate Interpreters have been matched up with fifteen senior Interpreters who have been trained in mentorship. They are meeting for 15 sessions spread over one year. All participants are keeping journals of their mentoring experience, and further data is being collected through interviews and surveys. The evaluation of the project will investigate if the mentorship program has been worthwhile, and if so, in which ways, and also suggest improvement.
Publications related to the Auslan Interpreter Mentoring project:
Napier, J. (2006). The new kid on the block: Mentoring sign language interpreters in Australia. Journal of Interpretation, 25-46.