Training of Tutors and Developing Teaching Materials for Sign Language Interpreters, Transliterators of Signed Language and Visualizers of Spoken Czech.

Country Report Czech Republic

Česká komora tlumocníků znakového jazyka (CKTZJ)
Radka Faltínová

Introduction

Czech Republic covers the area of 78,864 square kilometres. Population in Czech republic is 10,500,000 people, about 0,5 million are hearing-impaired, mostly old hard-of-hearing people. There are about 7,600 people with practical deafness or total deafness in Czech Republic. About 7,300 people use primary signed or sign language (1999).

The general situation in the Czech Republic concerning Deaf people has changed a lot as well. Till the October 2008 there was just the “Act on Sign Speech in Czech Republic” which was ratified on 11th 1998 and stated that people with hearing impairment or hearing loss have the right to be educated in signed language or sign language, Czech sign language is recognized as a primary communication of Deaf people, Czech sign language is valuable and natural language. Nevertheless, the organizations of the Deaf and the organizations of the Sign Language interpreters have put together their efforts in order to achieve some particular changes in the law. The main difficulties in the text of the old version of the law were connected with the terminology used there (sign speech etc.). The terminology and other problems concerning the law were discussed for the long time. The new version of the law fully reflects the fact that the Deaf and deaf and blind people have the right to choose their own way of communication. On the June 18th the Czech House of Parliament has adopted the new version of the law with 149 votes out of 165. On the October 6th 2008 the president of the Czech Rebublic has signed the new “Act on the Communication Systems of the Deaf and Deaf and Blind Persons”. This means that all the ways of communication can be used and demanded by the Deaf and the deaf and blind. The possible means of communication are in detail described in the law. For example Sign Language, Signed Czech, Lorm and even Speech-To-Text writing are mentioned there.

The situation of Sign Language interpreters in the Czech Republic

The exact number of Sign Language Interpreters is not known. In the Register of Sign Language Interpreters which was established by the Association of the Organizations of the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and their Friends (ASNEP) there are at the moment 55 Sign Language interpreters. The number of active interpreters is lower. Last year we mentioned the number of 90 SL interpreters in our report. This number has changed due to the testing of the interpreters registered in the Register of SLI. The ASNEP association started the testing last year. The interpreters who want to be signed in the Register have to pass the examination concerning their knowledge of the Deaf community, basic theoretical facts about the Sign Language, Sign Language skills and spoken Czech skills. Last but not least, the interpreters need to have some proof of their education, experience etc. Some of the interpreters did not sign for a test or have not succeeded in the testing and consequently have fallen out of the registry. That is why the number of the registered interpreters lowered. Currently there is two conditions for the SL interpreters, who want to be registered in the national Register and be paid by ASNEP organization – they have to prove the attendance of SL courses in extent at least 150 hours and they have to pass the tests. The tests are evaluated by both Deaf and hearing specialists.

The Czech Chamber of Sign Language Interpreters

The Czech Chamber of Sign Language Interpreters (found December 20th 2000) associates Czech sign language interpreters and people who are not interpreters but who agree with Chamber's views and aims. In 2007 the Chamber expanded once again with 27 new members joining up. We welcomed Matýsek Krajčík, the youngest member – at the time of signing up he was only 4 months old. And at the end of the year out 100th member joined the CKTZJ. At the end of 2007 the Chamber had 100 members, still mostly consisting of women – 77, and a smaller percentage of men - 23. As far as the age of our members is concerned, we know the age of only 82 members, and they can be divided in three groups: 30 and above contains the most members (37), followed by ages 26-30 (32 members), and ages under 25 (so far 13 members). The Chamber honorary membership in 2007 was given to a Czech lyricist and journalist Michal Horáček.
In the year 2007 and in the first half of the year 2008 the Chamber worked mainly on educational projects, but have done a lot of work also in the field of culture – mainly theatre interpreting. The Chamber managed to carry on with several key projects initiated in previous years. Let us briefly introduce the work of the Chamber.

Projects of the Czech Chamber of Sign Language Interpreters

EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS
Interpreter Through Deaf Child's Eyes 2007. This project has been carried on with for several years. It aims to systematically pass on the information about SL interpreters and interpreting process to the last year students of special elementary schools for deaf and hard of hearing. Students should get acquainted with and master the theory and practice of interpreting at special workshops. These are the skills which they are likely to be using during the rest of their lifes. We find it crucial to inform children on interpreting issues in day-to-day living when they are still young.
CEP - Certification Education Programme. This is a certification programme for Sign Language interpreters, Transliterators of signed Czech and Visualizers of spoken Czech.
SPD 3 - Training of Tutors and Developing Teaching Materials for Sign Language Interpreters, Transliterators of Signed Czech and Visualizers of Spoken Czech. This programme is aimed at helping Sign Language Interpreters, Transliterators of Signed Czech and Visualizers of Spoken Czech.

The Chamber´s training programme (Certification Education Programme – CEP) can be studied in three specializations: Sign Language Interpreter, Transliterator of Signed Czech and Visualizer of Spoken Czech. Each of them has a different length of training: Sign Language Interpreter programme takes 3,5 years, Transliterators of Signed Czech 2,5 years and Visualizers of Spoken Czech 2 years.

Participants of individual CEP seminars learn in detail about linguistic, psychological, psycho-linguistic, socio-linguistic and other aspects of the corresponding target groups. Besides addressing theoretical questions, systematic interpreting training also focuses on the immersion in practical language training. The seminars are headed by the best and most renowned hearing and deaf experts from the Czech Republic.
To complement the theoretical training a system of supervised practical interpretive training has been put in place for students, who have passed an admission interview in front of a commission. The commission that holds the interview prior to the CEP practical training consists of: a psychologist, a deaf user of interpreting services and a sign language interpreter. This expert panel ensures the quality of the interpreters who will start their practical training under CEP and will therefore, ideally, work directly with clients.

The primary aim of CEP is to enhance the quality and professional level of interpreting services provided to all the Deaf based on their legal right, and to ensure a sufficient number of desired highly qualified professionals in this field.
In connection with this goal the Chamber had decided to develope teaching materials for Sign Language interpreters, transliterators of signed Czech and visualisers of spoken Czech. This project called SPD 3 - Training of Tutors and Developing Teaching Materials for Sign Language Interpreters, Transliterators of Signed Czech and Visualizers of Spoken Czech was launched in March 2006 and finished in February 2008. The materials are now being sold and used by our student interpreters and their trainers. On February 11th the members of the CKTZJ and many other people from the community of the Deaf in the Czech Republic (aprox. 200) celebrated the closing of the big project in the municipal council hall of the Prague city. There is now about 50 different books, DVDs and other materials made within the frame of this project and all of them were presented at the press conference. The goal of the project was to create basic materials for the potencial, new and current interpreters of SL in the Czech Republic, publications on various topics and issues, as the interpreting for the Deaf, their culture and language, linguistics of SL etc. These publications are comprehensively covering a vaste area, as no other consistent materials were existing
at the beginning of our project.

Since March 2006, the project had been financed by the Czech Republic's European Social Fund as well as from national public funds i.e. the state budget and the budget of the capital city of Prague. The materials created during the project will be used in the Certification Education Programme of the Czech Chamber of Sign Language Interpreters (CEP), which was the most extensive and the most demanding project of the years 2006 and 2007 and still stays the the main goal of the CKTZJ for the next years.

OTHER EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, SEMINARS, LECTURES ETC.
St. Jerome´s days. A traditional series of lectures, seminars and presentations on translation and interpreting takes place annually in November. In the year 2007 the Czech Chamber of SL Interpreters presented two contributions.
Expolingua. The International Fair of Languages, Education and Culture. The CKTZJ was represented there as well.
Interpreter as Communication Bridge between Hearing Physician and Deaf Patient – Conference. After two projects focused directly on educating employees in the health sector the Chamber gained experience in the area of heath care. In order to increase the amount of information among the hearing professionals CKTZJ has organised a conference with 130 participants – health care employees. As a follow up, proceedings from the conference (containing basic information on the Deaf community, Sign Language and the rules of communication with the Deaf etc.) have been issued together with a DVD featuring personal experience of Deaf patients with commentaries. A total of 500 issues have been released among the experts who were not able to attend the conference but are the ones who meet the Deaf patients the most.
Others. Members of the CKTZJ are renowned experts in the field of SL interpreting, Sign Language and Deaf Culture. That is why they are invited by various organizations and educational institutions to cooperate with them on trainings and seminars on the given topics. So far the Chambers partners in this field include the College and the Secondary Medical Shool Duškova 7, The Teaching Hospital in Prague on Charles Square, the Faculty of Education at the Charles University in Prague, the Institute of Translation Studies at Charles University in Prague, the Chamber of Court Appointed Interpreters and the Union of Interpreters and Translators.

CULTURAL PROJECTS

Being a professional organization aiming to enhance the quality of interpreting services in the Czech Republic, the Chamber has been making various cultural events available also for the Deaf since 2003. Traditional events organised for many years include interpretation of selected theatre performances and music events. Just to mention some of them which happened in the year 2007 and the first half of the year 2008:

Perfect Days. Performed in the Theatre Na Zábradlí.
Flowers for Algernon. Performed in the Theatre V Celetné.
The Garden. A performance staged in the Theatre Nablízko with the interpreters more acting than interpreting. It was performed in the International Sign System as well.
Romeo and Juliet. A result of cooperation with the experimental theatre ANPU. This was the first theatre performance combining puppet theatre and drama to be interpreted to Sign Language.
The Fall of the House of Usher. A part of the project Revived monuments – a touring event which aimed to atract attention to unused historical monuments and took place in various locations (old castles etc.) in the Czech Republic.
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull. A performance in the Minor Nosticovo Theatre.
Twelfth Night. An annual event on January 6th organised by the Billingual Nursery School Pipan and other organizations of the Deaf and their friends. The program consists of several songs interpreted to the Sign Language.
Signed by Heart. Similar event with interpreted songs, happening regularly in December.

Throughout the whole year many people found the performances very attractive. Tickets vere often sold several weeks before the day of the performance. The performances were well-received not only among the deaf audience but by the hearing public as well. The project of theatre performances interpreted for the Deaf is very exceptional because it is supported by the fact that various international organizations ask the interpreting team to open workshops on interpreting pieces of art in their country. In January 2008 for example the members of the CKTZJ were invited for the International Deaf Festival of St. Francis of Sales to Nitra (Slovac Republic) where they lead a workshop on the Chamber´s activities. Such invitations are a reward for us and an evidence of well-done job.

The Czech Chamber of Sign Language Interpreters and public

The CKTZJ is in contact with international organizations of the SL interpreters, mainly with the European Forum of Sign Language interpreters (EFSLI). The representatives of CKTZJ attend the Annual General Meeting of EFSLI every year. News from this organization and from all over the world are being each month translated in to Czech and published in the electronic magazine Bulletin which is distributed among the CKTZJ members. Since January 2008 the Chamber issues a monthly electronic magazine Bulletin in Pictures which contains a summary of news from CKTZJ in English. The Bulletin in Pictures is sent to the national and international organizations throughout Europe.

The Chamber´s activities are each month described and commented in the regular monthly Bulletin. The Czech SL interpreters can find various articles, news, reports on CKTZJ activities, presentations of the projects, invitations to various events and other interesting information from the field of interpreting home and abroad. In 2007, the Chamber kept on cooperating with all newspapers and magazines dealing with hearing impairment issues and regularly reported on its activities.