Author Archive: Dennis Cokely
Dennis Cokely is a nationally certified interpreter and has been interpreting for over four decades. He also served two terms as president of RID. After teaching at Gallaudet for 15 years, he worked full-time at the company he co-founded — Sign Media, Inc. Dennis has published widely on various aspects of interpreting and has directed the IEP at Northeastern since 1996. He almost always thanks Patrick Graybill who was his first guide into the DEAF-WORLD, but there are those days.
DENNIS COKELY
Sign Language Interpreters: The Importance of the Day Before Dennis suggests that the secret to successful interpretations often rests on “One thing. Just one thing” – remembering “the day before”. Our failure to remember “the Day Before” means that we act on assumptions that generally result in lack of meaning equivalence in our interpretations. Pre-event [...]
Sign Language Interpreters Seek Clarity to Defend RID NIC Certification
I want to thank StreetLeverage for creating a forum where issues affecting sign language interpreters and the field of sign language interpreting can be raised and discussed thoughtfully and respectfully. This forum has allowed me the opportunity to share my communications with the RID Board on questions I believe need to be answered regarding the [...]
Defenders of Certification: Sign Language Interpreters Question “Enhanced” RID NIC Test
At this point in our history, the NIC assessment is the foundation for determining who is “one of us” and, as such, certified members of RID should be the defenders of the certification process. However, the fact that certified RID members are unsure of the validity of the current NIC assessment is unacceptable. I believe [...]
Vanquished Native Voices — A Sign Language Interpreting Crisis?
As sign language interpreters we have the difficult and challenging task of straddling two languages/cultures (Michal Agar coined the term “languaculture” to highlight the fact that language and culture cannot really be separated.) But I suggest, as others have (see Bill Moody’s 12/11/11 comment), that the vast majority of us approach this daunting task only [...]
Sign Language Interpreters – Complicit in a Devil’s Bargain?
Five decades ago those of us who functioned as sign language interpreters were allies of Deaf people, united with them in fighting for communicative access to the various services and opportunities offered to society at large. Working to overcome the daily attitudinal and communicative oppression that confronted Deaf people was a force that served to [...]
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