The competencies of Sign Language Interpreters toward University translation on students with Hearing Impairment

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the competencies of sign language interpreters towards university translation in students with hearing impairment. To achieve the objectives of the study, a descriptive approach was used. The study sample included (41) sign language interpreters. By purposely methods for all Jordanian universities, their ages ranged between (20 - 50) years. Which were represented in the Content Validity (80%). And the Construct Validity for the values ​​of the correlation coefficients between the scale paragraphs and the total degree of the axis to which they belong was higher than (0.30). Reliability indications of the scale were obtained, which were represented by the Cronbach alpha method for the sub-axes, which ranged between (0.707 - 0.916) and the total score of the scale (0.938), and the reliability method using the Split-Half test. The Cronbach alpha coefficient for the first part reached (0.951), and the second part (0.843), and the Spearman-Brown coefficient (0.798). The results showed that the level of competencies of sign language interpreters (legal, professional, personal, linguistic, psychological), was at a high level, as the arithmetic averages ranged between (2.90 and 2.23), and on an overall average (2.70). And those psychological competencies were at the intermediate level. The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences due to the variable of gender, experience, and translation license. The study recommends listing the profession of sign language translation as a university specialization and conducting studies and research related to the comparison between university interpreters and interpreters in the public sectors.