Eileen Forestal is in her 30th year as Coordinator of ASL-English Interpreting Programs at Union County College, New Jersey. She is a doctoral candidate, specializing in Postsecondary Education and Adult Learning at Capella University, and is now doing her dissertation related to Deaf interpreting. A RID-certified Deaf interpreter with RSC, Eileen teaches and consults on ASL, Deaf Culture, Deaf Interpreting, Deaf/Hearing teaming/partnering, mentoring and interpreting-related topics. Eileen wrote "Emerging Professionals: Deaf Interpreters and Their Views and Experiences on Training" in Interpreting and Interpreter Education: Directions for Research and Practice (2005), co-authored "Teaching and Learning Using the Demand Control Schema" (Proceedings of RID pre-conference meeting, 2008), and co-authored and co-directed Deaf Interpreting: Team Strategies [DVD] (Gallaudet University, 2006).

"Take One/Take Two" Team Dynamics for Deaf and Hearing Interpreters

This workshop is designed for Deaf and hearing interpreters who work in legal interpreting realm. A lecture will be presented on the dynamics and the perspectives of Deaf and Hearing Interpreters and on issues of language, ethics, role, power, and interpersonal dynamics. Participants will have opportunities to work through scenarios based on their own experiences in legal interpreting situations to demonstrate areas of "collision" and possible solutions. Trust among members of the team is an essential element in building successful team relationships. How can hearing and Deaf interpreters cultivate trust so logistical and ethical issues that might arise can be handled? Strengths in the work and in the relationship - what they bring to situations and what they have to offer colleagues - are identified. Partnerships between Deaf and hearing interpreters can then evolve for effective work in legal settings.

Deaf-Hearing Interpreting Teams: On the Leading Edge

The field of interpreting is undergoing a transformation - a paradigm shift - in how both Deaf Interpreters (DI) and Hearing Interpreters (HI) approach the work. The keynote will explore this transformation, presenting current perspectives of Deaf and Hearing interpreters working together within the legal realm. It will provide insights on the historical and current trends in Deaf interpreting and will also address how DI/HI teams offer a collaborative approach to the interpreting process and leadership within the team.