INTERPRETING
The role of an Auslan interpreter is a very important one. It is their job to interpret and translate the signs of Auslan into spoken English, and spoken English into Auslan, in order to facilitate communication (Tips for Using Auslan Interpreters in Educational Settings, 2015). It is very important that they remain impartial making sure to say exactly what is being said with no input of their own ideas, opinions etc. and that everything is trans lated. For example muttering and utterances aren’t necessarily said or signed for others to pay attention to, however if both parties spoke the same language they would understand, therefore it too needs to be translated. The task of interpreting Auslan is a very mentally taxing task. It requires an extreme amount of concentration because of the intricacies of the language. While there are numerous amounts of lexical signs that each individual will do generally in the same way, there are also many differences in how an individual will visually communicate a story, scenario etc. Along with the varying visual differences the way that Auslan utilises all different aspects of auslan simultaneously is something interpreters have to be very skilled at. Many parts of a 'story' may be shown all in one go. For example size, mood, number could all be depicted at once through body language, facial expressions and gesture. The interpreter therefore must always be observing every aspect of the signer.
(SunriseOn7, 2015)