Educational Interpreters’ Code of Ethics: 📚 Tenet 2: Provide Language Access

Hello and welcome to LAF SLS, where we provide virtual and in-person sign language interpreting services to support deaf and hard-of-hearing students, along with practical tips, resources, and content for the educators, administrators, and families who support them.

Today, let's discuss tenet number two of the Educational Interpreter's Code of Ethics, which was designed by the National Association of Interpreters in Education, or NAIE. Tenet number two is ensuring that students have communication access in the classroom.

Communication is the building block of learning, so how can both interpreters and educators ensure that their students have access to everything that happens in the classroom, both socially and academically? One important way is by understanding the interpreter's role in the classroom.

Their role is to provide communication access at all times, whether in the classroom, outside the classroom in social environments, or even after school in extracurricular activities. While the interpreter is assigned to work with the student, they shouldn't be asked to perform other duties or to provide assistance in other areas because their main focus is ensuring that the student has access to everything happening in their environment.

Interpreters also play a very important role in ensuring that students are progressively building their language skills. If they work with a very young student, they need to have knowledge of how language develops and what language acquisition is like for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, and along with their educational team, help that student stay on track in their progress.

They may also have to advocate for the student to have access to a certified deaf interpreter or a deaf language model to be able to build important language skills as they continue to progress in their abilities and learning journey.

By educators understanding the role of the interpreter and not expecting them to handle duties outside of that role, and by educational interpreters understanding their role in providing full communication access and advocating for their student to have language access at all times, you can create an inclusive environment where the student will feel involved in every school experience.

Get access to more resources and updates by subscribing now at lafsls.com, and don't forget to follow us on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram for more content.