The Sign Language Interpreting Studies Reader

In Sign Language Interpreting (SLI) there is a great need for a volume devoted to classic and seminal articles and essays dedicated to this specific domain of language interpreting. Students, educators, and practitioners will benefit from having access to a collection of historical and influential articles that contributed to the progress of the global SLI profession. In SLI there is a long history of outstanding research and scholarship, much of which is now out of print, or was published in obscure journals, or featured in publications that are no longer in print. These readings are significant to the progression of SLI as an academic discipline and a profession. As the years have gone by, many of these readings have been lost to students, educators, and practitioners because they are difficult to locate or unavailable, or because this audience simply does not know they exist. This volume brings together the seminal texts in our field that document the philosophical, evidence-based and analytical progression of SLI work.

George Major, Auckland University of Technology, The Journal of Specialised Translation, Vol. 28 (2017):
Having such varied – as well as old and rare – papers in one collection is a valuable resource. While I imagine it may mainly be of interest to signed language interpreters and translators there is relevance for spoken language interpreters too, particularly those working in community contexts. The Editors also highlight the intersection between signed and spoken interpreting fields throughout, and the events and researchers who have brought the two together over the decades. The Reader would not be the same without the contextual information preceding each chapter which paints a very detailed picture and sets the scene for the selected papers. Importantly, the Reader honours the early pioneers in our field, and helps us to understand some of the key people and research studies that shaped where we are today.