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The context of VRS: impacts on the interpreters and their job

Hello,

As graduating students of the certificate program in visual interpretation at UQAM, our final research project explores the context of interpretation in VRS, more precisely the requirements which are linked to the setting, and their impact on the interpreters and their job.
We chose this subject, because it is a growing sector in interpretation, one which creates a new reality that interpreters have to deal with on a daily basis.
The questionnaire you are about to answer is made up of 25 questions most of which are multiple choice. You may choose several answers for one question as well as add personal comments.
Please note that there is no right or wrong answer, and that the purpose of our research is to highlight the adaptations that the VRS is imposing on your professional practice !
This questionnaire is ANONYMOUS, and will require between 15 and 20 minutes of your time.

We thank you for your time. Please know that your cooperation is extremely precious to us. Our results will contribute to the progress of knowledge in interpretation, and will be beneficial to the current and future interpreters, as well as their clients.
Tammy Brousseau, Katheryne Couture, and Sophie Terroir

mandatory answer

Question 1

Which age group describes you ?

18 to 25

26 to 35

36 to 45

46 to 55

56 or over

uncheck

mandatory answer

Question 2

Which option describes you ?

Female

Male

Other

uncheck

mandatory answer

Question 3

How many years of experience do you have in community interpreting service ?

Less than 6 months

6 months to 2 years

2 to 5 years

6 to 10 years

Over 10 years

uncheck

mandatory answer

Question 4

To which level do you associate ?

Junior

Intermediate

Senior

uncheck

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Question 5

What year did you start working at VRS Canada ?

2018

2017

2016

Other

uncheck

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Question 6

Where is your place of practice ?

British Colombia

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Manitoba

Ontario

Nova Scotia

New Brunswick

Newfoundland and Labrador

Prince Edward Island

Other

uncheck

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Question 7

From which institution did you get your Bachelor's degree ?

mandatory answer

Question 8

Unforeseen events linked to the use of bad quality technology (Internet speed, camera and cell phone quality, etc) affect the situations of interpretation. For example, during a call, if you hear the hearing person very badly and it prevents you from fully understanding the message. What do you do ?

A)You concentrate only on the words that you perceive well.

B)You explain to both interlocutors the difficulties that you are experiencing and attempt to relay as much information as possible.

C)You try to reformluate the information by using what you hear and what you know from the context.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 9

You make a call to a company which uses an automatic call distribution center. The options of the prerecorded menu are fastly introduced which requires a short lag time given the very short delay that is allocated to answer. Before making the call, the client explained the purpose of it. What do you do ?

A)You tell the deaf person which option they must choose.

B)You interpret them one after the other and if the deaf person does not make a choice, you go back to the begining of the menu's options and the listing again, and so on.

C)You discreetly give an indication (insisting look, opened eyes, raised eyebrows, etc.) to the deaf person of the option that they need to choose without insisting more if they don't make the right choice.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 10

You have a feeling that there is confusion as to the nature of the call on behalf of the hearing person at the end of the introduction message of the video relay service, what do you do ?

A)You change/add some informations to the introduction message to make sure that they don’t hang up.

B)You begin interpreting immediately after the presentation since they didn't ask you to repeat.

C)You read your presentation word-by-word and if needed, you repeat without adding any modifications to avoid more confusion.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 11

Between two calls, you overhear the conversations of your colleagues who are on the line. Does this have an impact on you and your way of working (confidentiality, neutrality, etc.) ?

A)No.

B)Yes. Please explain in the comments section.

uncheck

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 12

During a call to VRS, the hearing person interrupts the deaf person, because she doesn't see her signing. Which strategy/strategies do you adopt in general ?

A)You interpret when the hearing person interrupts the deaf person.

B)You explain the concept of lag time to the hearing person.

C)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 13

A deaf person calls an establishment to know the time of their appointment. They ask a question to the secretary who puts them on hold. When the hearing person comes back, the deaf person is not on the screen anymore or has no more visual contact with you (watching the TV, fell asleep...), what do you do ?

A)You inform the secretary that you have no more visual contact, which is necessary for communication, and that you're trying to restore it.

B)You write down the time of the appointment and give it to the deaf client as soon as visual contact is restored.

C)You inform the secretary that the deaf person is no longer present.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 14

At the end of a call, if the deaf person hangs up while the hearing person starts to say "Thank you, have a nice day", what do you do ?

A)You answer "Goodbye".

B)You hang up as soon as the deaf person hangs up.

C)You say "Oh. They just hung up".

D)Other answer.

Comments

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Question 15

At the end of the call, the hearing person has already hung up but the deaf person asks you to confirm what they understood, what do you do ?

A)You tell them that you don’t know.

B)You offer to call back so as to be able to ask the question directly to the person concerned.

C)You give them the information, so as to avoid having to restart the process again.

D)Other answer.

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Question 16

The hearing person needs information from the deaf person. The deaf person misunderstood and you see that they are getting ready to give the wrong information (e.g. : takes the wrong i.d.). What do you do ?

A)You interpret what was signed without intervening.

B)You inform the deaf person that it's not the correct document and you make them chose the right one.

C)You double check with the hearing person by asking, for example " You need the student card, right ? " while signing to allow clarification with both clients.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 17

Do you feel like there is a type of call that causes you more difficulty than others (e.g. : governmental institution, private call, placing an order at a restaurant, etc.) ?

A)No.

B)Yes. Please tell us which one in the comments section.

uncheck

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 18

During a call, you suspect the deaf person is being scammed. The hearing person asks for their Social Insurance Number and bank account information. What do you do ?

A)You check with the deaf person to make sure they want to give out that information (e.g. : YOU SURE ? YOU KNOW INFORMATION CONFIDENTIAL ?)

B)You let the deaf person decide for themselves and interpret the informations.

C)You inform the deaf person of your impression (e.g. : FEEL WRONG or FEEL LIKE SCAM)

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 19

You receive a call from a deaf person who appears to be intoxicated and who wants to contact a professional (child's teacher, a boss, etc.). What do you do ?

A)Considering the state of the deaf person, you recommend they call back later.

B)You make the call without letting the hearing person know about the deaf person's state.

C)You make the call and make clear, by your intonation, of the deaf person's state.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 20

During a call to the Canada Revenue Agency, the hearing person informs the deaf person that they will be required to give their social insurance number in order to identify their file, then puts them on hold. While on hold, the deaf person gives you their social insurance number and asks you if this is what the hearing person had asked for. What do you do ?

A)You tell them that you don't know.

B)You inform the deaf person that it would be preferable to wait for the return of the hearing person so they can answer the question directly.

C)Seeing that the right information was given, you confirm with the deaf person, then proceed to wait for the return of the hearing person to continue the call.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 21

During a call, the deaf client makes a comment about the hearing person and asks you not to interpret it, what do you do ?

A)You interpret the comment. Both clients have the right to know everything that is said during the conversation.

B)You don't interpret the comment to avoid complicating the communication.

C)You inform the deaf person that if the hearing person does it again, you will interpret it.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 22

You receive the call of a client who signs with only one hand while walking, what do you do ?

A)Judging by the information and the nature of the call, if you feel like it shouldn't last too long, you interpret it.

B)You tell them to call back when they will be able to sign using both hands.

C)You try to take the call, no matter the length.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 23

You receive a call from a deaf client who is currently driving, what do you do ?

A)You ignore the fact that they are driving and procceed to take the call.

B)You ask the person to park their car or to call back later.

C)You inform the client that the conditions are not favorable for a good quality call.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 24

During a call, the picture of the video is blurry and unfocused, what do you do ?

A)You interpret all the information that you are able to pick up.

B)You inform both clients that the quality of the video could make you miss some information.

C)You validate with the deaf person before interpreting the message without specifying it to the hearing person.

D)You don't try to interpret, you ask the client to call back later, when the conditions are more favorable.

E)You ask the deaf person to use the "chat" without telling the hearing person.

F)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 25

During a contract that requires in-person interpretation, it's likely that you will be alone, whereas during your calls at VRS you have the opportunity to have access to other interpreters as a support if you want it. Does this have an impact on your work (e.g. : your level of stress, of performance, the quality of your job, etc.) ?

A)No.

B)Yes. Explain your answer in the comments section.

uncheck

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 26

While the deaf client is fingerspelling a word or giving you a series of numbers, their hand is in a position that makes it difficult for you to identify each letter/number. What do you do ?

A)You ask the client to change the position of their hand to improve your understanding.

B)You ask the client to use the "chat" immediately.

C)You ask the client to repeat and proceed to reproduce the letters/numbers you identify so they can validate.

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 27

You are making a call for a client. The call goes to voicemail and the deaf person must leave a message. The deaf person leaves their message without ever mentioning who they are, what do you do ?

A)You interpret the message without mentioning that they forgot to say who they were.

B)You inform the deaf person that they forgot to say who they were.

C)You introduce the deaf person at the beginning of the message in a natural way (e.g "Hello, it's_________") and continue.

D)You add the name of the deaf person at the end of the call in a spontaneous way (e.g "Oh ! By the way it's ____________").

E)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 28

At VRS you have the opportunity to have immediate feedback from your colleagues (interpreters, team leader, direction), which differs from an in-person interpreting contract. What do you get out of this ?

A)It allows you to share your feelings and various emotions immediately, and therefore to manage your stress better.

B)It allows you to help your colleagues and to get help from them which gives you a feeling of being a part of a team in your work environment.

C)You rarely do it, but it is appreciated when you need it.

D)You don't feel the need to get feedback from your colleagues.

E)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 29

During an in-person interpretation, you know the information about your contract beforehand and you can do a minimum of preparation, whereas at VRS you only know the reason for the call once it begins. What effect does this have on you ?

A)It causes you more stress.

B)The questions that you ask the deaf client withinin the context of the call are enough for you and you feel at ease.

C)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 30

You receive a call from a deaf person who is from a different region than you and you are faced with regional signs with which you are unfamiliar. What do you do ?

A)You ask the deaf person to fingerspell the signs you don’t know.

A)You ask for help from your colleagues.

C)You ask the deaf person to use the "chat".

D)Other answer.

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 31

If we compare three hours of an in-person interpretation contract to three hours of interpretation at VRS with several changes of clients and subjects, which of these situations is more demanding, both on a psychological and a physical level ?

A)In-person interpretation.

B)VRS interpretation.

C)Both are equally demanding.

uncheck

Comments

mandatory answer

Question 32

If you would like to add your contribution and enrich our research, you can share an experience, an opinion or a personal comment related to the practice of interpretation at VRS.

We remind you that this questionnaire is anonymous. However, if you would like to know the results of our research, please include your email address, and we will send them to you !
Thank you once again for your time and cooperation !
Tammy Brousseau, Katheryne Couture, Sophie Terroir
brousseau.tammy@courrier.uqam.ca
couture.katheryne@courrier.uqam.ca
terroir.sophie@courrier.uqam.ca

Question 33

Your email address :

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