So You Want to Be an Interpreter: An Introduction to Sign Language Interpreting

The book is well-written and covers a lot of issues prospective interpreters need to consider and deal with before starting practice. However the testing information is completely outdated with the advent of the NIC test.

*So You Want to be an Interpreter?* is a recommended book for those wanting to be an interpreter or CDI (certified Deaf interpreter). (Although, 2nd edition is recommended for RID certification.)

The first half of the book can be boring or redundant for those who are already familiar with cultural and language differences among races, genders, generations and the like. If you know all about L1 and L2, then you'll be reading about them again here.

The other half deals with interpreting for the Deaf. Included are interpreting approaches, the history of RID and AVLIC, codes of ethics and situations.

It would have been a wonderful book except that there are a few problems. First of all, there are some editing problems. By 3rd edition, this should have already been resolved. If not, then obviously the editor isn't doing a good job. Secondly, some information, especially in the second half of the book, are redundant. So redundant that you cannot wait to finish the book. And by hurrying to finish the book, you end up skimming through the last chapters.

This is supposed to be the "bible" of ASL interpreting. Therefore, you shouldn't want to hurry through this book. I believe that the first half could have been condensed or merged with the interpreting issues.

However, this is a resourceful book offering thoughtful suggestions and professional advice for interpreters and students.

The first time I leafed through this book at a bookstore, I found an error, and it was downhill from there. The most frustrating part is that many of the references cited in the text don't appear in the bibliography. So there's no way to go to the source to learn more about the topic the authors are discussing. You'd think a problem like this would be fixed by the third edition! This book is required reading for becoming a certified interpreter in the USA, so it's really disappointing that it was not more rigorously reviewed and edited.

I think this a good book for students on a college level graduate or undergraduate or even professional interpreters.
This book is explains and defines what an interpretures role is and how it is done. I've only read the book for a short time,but what I've read so far it makes sence what the authors are trying to bring forth. The book is written in simple english and said in such a way that it's easy to understand and to know where the authors are coming from. So I would suggest this book highly.

This book provides TONS of information about interpreting. The examples are a great way to really get into the mind set of all parties involved in an interpreting situation. While the book is pricey it is worth it. This is a reference text that you will use for years.