Hello everybody, welcome to ASL Basics. Today we will be interviewing Konae
Williams, she's a sign language interpreter here in California and we
will be talking to her about what kind of advice she has to those that are just
learning the language for the first time or perhaps those that may want to be
interpreters in the future. So be sure to stick around to the end for her own
personal advice for those that may be struggling with learning the language.
Before we get started, if you've been finding these videos helpful please like
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latest videos, and with all that being said let's go ahead and get on with the
interview. Good morning Konae, how are you? Good morning, I'm fine. How are you? I'm
good thanks! So how long have you been learning sign language? Around seven
years. Seven years well that's awesome. And how long have you been interpreting?
I've been interpreting for 4 years total.
Wow, that's awesome. I do you have a few questions for you so
my first question for you is, what originally got you interested in
learning sign language? Um, I think I will like to begin, it started when I was in
speech therapy. Mm-hmm. And on the wall I would see like a poster and it would have
all the fingerspelling it have ABC, I remember as a little girl I would
practice underneath the table ABCDE, so think I started from that. Well that's really cool.
What about learning sign language for
you was the most challenging? For me I picked up the signs really good but it's
just communicating because I was really shy, like oh man, I'm not a CODA, what do
I do? But just it was it was easy it's just
like getting to know my friends socializing I think maybe. So did you
find socializing helped you overcome your shyness. Yes yes. Yeah for sure. I did.
Yeah, I know for myself, I tend to be more introverted so for me to learn a
different language to put myself out there and you can feel vulnerable
sometimes but really that's the best way to learn huh? Yes, and people are so nice.
People can surprise you. Yes! They're more patient than you give them credit for.
How did you become an interpreter or what inspired you to become an
interpreter? Funny story, I wanted to become an interpreter but I never really
thought I would actually succeed I was becoming an interpreter. It was my friend,
she actually called the office and she offered my name and they called me and I
was like, nervous, I'm like, "really? Is this happening? Me interpreter? Okay." And I went
to do the interview and I did like practice a book for ASL because I want
it to work with kids and they need to see my skills and that's how it started.
Wow, that's great. And how things been since then? Have you felt like it's been
getting easier over the years? Yes, I mean the language it changes but that's really
the fun. I love to see the different changes in the language. I love to see
how, like how one person have one sign for
one word in English and it's like, woah, I accept that, accept that, so you're always like learning your
brains always growing and stuff. Mm-hmm. Yes you're really close it is a really
it's a fast evolving language and it's very regionalised too. I know for myself
when I moved from Southern California to Central California a lot of signs were
different they designed pizza different they signed computer different and it's
it's a bit of a learning curve if you move from one spot to the next or just
if you're communicating with people from around the country to learn all the
different variations of signs. How would you explain the difference between
knowing sign language to being able to interpret sign language? Is there a difference?
Yes. Okay learning sign language, you have
your own personality. I don't think you believe that you have that, but yeah your
personality is included also. When you become an interpreter, you're becoming
other people you always need to match the facial expressions, the language, the
make sure you get that message always like make sure you're on point with that.
And it's just that kind of stuff. Yeah, and that was something that I struggled
with when I first started interpreting. I remember one of the first classes I
interpreted was a photography class in college and the professor was angry and
irate with the students and I was sitting there interpreting with a smile.
And so what the interpreter I was working with was my mentor, he's like, hey
you need to match his facial expressions if he's angry you need to be angry. And
that does get easier over time, not only matching their emotions but their
prosody and just the way that they're communicating and the way that they're
presenting their their words. It's more than just interpreting the words it's
interpreting the message. Yeah. So do you enjoy being an interpreter? I love it!
You get to meet so many different people, different students they all have their
different personalities are so funny and and makes your day. Like if you're having
a struggle like one day out home you arrive to work and it's just like their
smiles. Amazing. I love it. Yeah, I definitely have fallen in love with
interpreting. In the beginning there's a lot of nervousness, there was a lot of
uncertainty, but over the years just learning the language and becoming
comfortable with the interpreting process, then you get to interact with
the kids and adults and this wider range of people and to get to know other
interpreters it really has become a really fulfilling and satisfying job for
myself too. Yeah, and I also think maybe because I'm always like encouraging
myself, because I'm shy. You see me and I'm like quiet. I'm not mean, I'm just shy,
really. But then like in interpreting your job is to work your job is to ... it's
to support, your job is not about shy me, it's about them the two people the
hearing and the deaf. Absolutely, and I know you're pretty busy, you're
interpreting and you're also going to college full time. You want to talk to us
a little bit about that? It's important no matter what happens to take rest, like
all my Saturday's are rest days because work, school, becomes overwhelming.
So Saturday's I'm resting. It's important, and always talking and just trying to
live life in joy no matter what happens like doing my best. No matter if it's
Church, if it's working, if it's school, just always encouraging myself to succeed
doing whatever I can. Yeah, definitely there's there's balance to be found.
And sometimes it can be tricky to find that balance, but I think over time
that you found it? I hope so. I mean I can attest to that too. I'm also
working full-time, I'm also going to college full-time, I have a new daughter
that's a year and a half that keeps my my life very busy. Busy! But definitely
learning a new language, it can fit into busy lifestyles so I wouldn't
necessarily say don't learn sign language because you're too busy for it.
No. Because you know you could make the time and it could lead to very satisfying
outcomes. You know, hence like finding a job in educational interpreting, or just
being able to be an inspiration to others, or to encourage children. It's a
really satisfying job. So what kind of goals do you have for the future? I want
to become a math teacher, but also I'm not quitting interpreting. I will
continue to interpret. I want to sign music one day, maybe at my church, but
that's that's my goal. Just because I'm becoming a teacher, I'm not gonna stop.
I'm going to continue to learn, I'm going to continue to be involved. I'm not going
to quit. I love sign language, I love Deaf culture,
I love it! That's awesome! So would you have any
final advice for those are just beginning to learn sign language or
perhaps those that have been learning for a while and are finding it
difficult or are struggling with it?
I say never give up, just keep going and
also
struggling you can always learn, struggling is not failure, it's not the
same. Struggling is like succeeding. Struggle first, and you learn how can I make
it different. Like how. So never give up, always try to
make it fun. Mmm-hmm. Enjoy it! I think that's probably
the best advice I could give too, just try to learn to enjoy the process and, you
know, going out and meeting new people, using what you've learned so far with
others really help make that process easier, and it actually can go a lot
faster for those that are just beginning. Great advice, I really appreciate you
meeting with me today and to give your experiences and your advice, thank you so much.
Thank you. I hope this was encouraging for all of you today to be
able to hear Konae's advice and for those that are learning the language I know it
can be difficult and it can be hard but truly it is worth the effort. And let me
know in the comments, what advice that you found of Konae's to be the most
helpful for you. If you're new to the channel, you can catch up with all my
previous videos with the card up above or in the links in the description below.
And if you're eager to learn more ASL, you can find me on instagram @aslbasics.
And remember the best way to learn a language is to actually use it,
so please feel free to share these videos with someone that you know so you
can get some practice in, and continue to learn the language. Thank you for joining
us today, and until next time, I'll see you later!