Pronouns in ASL-English Simultaneous Interpretation

Authors

David Quinto-Pozos, University of Texas at AustinFollow
Kierstin Muroski, Mount Aloysius CollegeFollow
Emily Saunders, University of Texas at AustinFollow

Abstract

Pronominal systems across languages mark grammatical categories in different ways, and this can pose challenges for simultaneous interpretation. Pronouns can also be ambiguous, for example, by collapsing distinctions in some forms or by resembling demonstratives. We examine pronouns produced by a Deaf signer of American Sign Language (ASL) within a TEDx talk and how they are interpreted (simultaneously) by an ASL-English interpreter. Pronouns from both languages were coded and scrutinized for semantic correspondence across the two languages. Robust correspondences were found with some personal pronouns, especially first-person forms. However, mismatches across languages, in particular third-person forms and demonstratives, provide evidence of pitfalls for interpretation. In particular, we suggest that the ambiguous nature of some forms (e.g., third-person pronouns and singular demonstratives) can cause challenges for simultaneous interpretation across modalities.

Suggested Citation

Quinto-Pozos, David; Muroski, Kierstin; and Saunders, Emily (2019) "Pronouns in ASL-English Simultaneous Interpretation," Journal of Interpretation: Vol. 27: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/joi/vol27/iss1/3