The ATA Chronicle - September/October 2022 - 33

the interpreter and either
speak very fast or for long
periods, which puts stress on
interpreters and forces them
to write lengthier notes. If
this makes you tired, ask
for a break or ask the judge
to slow down and insert
pauses. Remember, the code
of ethics for licensed court
interpreters3
requires that
we disclose things that can
hinder our performance, and
fatigue is one of them.
Protect your hearing.
Always use a good set of
headphones and adjust
your volume settings so the
sound won't hurt your ears.
Acoustic shock4
Wear professional attire.
Remember that even if
you're working remotely,
you're still an officer of the
court and should always
dress professionally. Judges
appreciate that, especially
in an era where people
appear in sweatpants and
tank tops, thinking that the
proceedings are less formal
because they're using a
tablet or their smartphone.
has become
a concern for many VRI and
conference interpreters, so
we must be aware of this
risk and protect ourselves
against it. If you think that
someone else has set their
volume too high or too low,
let them know. Don't take
unnecessary risks to please
other stakeholders.
www.ata-chronicle.online
Finally, I would like to say
that while this article
focuses on VRI team
interpreting, the program
created to provide video
remote hearings for Texas
magistrate courts wouldn't
have succeeded had it not
been for the entire team of
stakeholders. They
understand that due process
cannot be met unless
magistrate judges and
non-English and limitedEnglish-proficient
individuals
can communicate
effectively.
NOTES
1.
2.
Texas Court Remote Interpreter Services Program (Office of
Court Administration).
Government code (Texas Judicial Branch) requiring master
licensed court interpreters.
3.
4.
Texas Court Code of Ethics for Licensed Court Interpreters.
El-Metwally, Maha. " Acoustic Shock: What Interpreters
Need to Know, " The ATA Chronicle (July/August 2020), 33.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Ballantyne, Linda, Philippe Fournier, Marc Orlando, Gabriella
Verdi, and Klaus Ziegler. " Acoustic Shocks Research ProjectFinal
Report " (International Association of Conference
Interpreters, 2020).
Salazar, Teresa, and Gladys Segal. " Team Interpreting in CourtRelated
Proceedings " : Position Paper (National Association of
Judiciary Interpreters and Translators, 2020).
Sandra Dejeux is a Texas master licensed court
interpreter and a certified health care interpreter.
She works part-time for the Texas Office of Court
Administration as a contract interpreter for
Operation Lone Star. She provides translation and
interpreting services for courts and law firms in the Houston
metro area, as well as online training for legal and medical
interpreters through her company, SD Translations LLC. She has
a BA in international studies and an MA in Spanish translation
and interpreting. translations@sdtranslations.org
American Translators Association 33

https://www.txcourts.gov/tcris/ https://www.txcourts.gov/tcris/ https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.157.htm https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.157.htm https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1334824/LCI-Code-of-Conduct-2016-Web-.pdf https://www.ata-chronicle.online/highlights/acoustic-shock-what-interpreters-need-to-know/ https://www.ata-chronicle.online/highlights/acoustic-shock-what-interpreters-need-to-know/ https://aiic.org/uploaded/web/Acoustic%20Shocks%20Research%20Project.pdf https://aiic.org/uploaded/web/Acoustic%20Shocks%20Research%20Project.pdf https://aiic.org/uploaded/web/Acoustic%20Shocks%20Research%20Project.pdf https://aiic.org/uploaded/web/Acoustic%20Shocks%20Research%20Project.pdf https://najit.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Team-Interpreting-5.2020.pdf https://najit.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Team-Interpreting-5.2020.pdf https://najit.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Team-Interpreting-5.2020.pdf http://www.ata-chronicle.online

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