In a woman dominated field, where do men fit? I would love to see more men in this field because there are so few. In my graduating class we will have 3, which is a miracle. In the one before mine there is 1. The one before that there were 3.
But how many of the men that go through my college for interpreting, stay with interpreting? That is a number we aren't as familiar with. My peer mentor decided to dual major in psychology because he wasn't sure he wanted to stay with interpreting. One interpreting student I know switched his major from interpreting to psychology while in his program, he wanted to be a psychologist instead.
But let me make this clear: Female interpreters wish there were more male interpreters in the field. We want male interpreters in the field. They bring other skills to the field that some of us may not have. There is also a large demand for male interpreters, especially in the medical field. That being said, we also need straight male teachers. The only straight male teacher I had for ASL was in my third semester, second year. He was one of the best teachers I've had to this point. His signing was sometimes sloppy, but my receptive skills improved more than with any other teacher. His feedback was fantastic and he always made sure to stick around after class to help me with my upcoming presentation.
I haven't had a teacher do that since. I now have an Interpreting 1 professor who is awesome, he does not teach ASL. He is also one of my favorite teachers because he takes the time to meet with students and help them improve.
So, honestly. Teaching, interpreting. Men, we need you in this field. Please, please, please start considering this as a valid option.
But let me make this clear: Female interpreters wish there were more male interpreters in the field. We want male interpreters in the field. They bring other skills to the field that some of us may not have. There is also a large demand for male interpreters, especially in the medical field. That being said, we also need straight male teachers. The only straight male teacher I had for ASL was in my third semester, second year. He was one of the best teachers I've had to this point. His signing was sometimes sloppy, but my receptive skills improved more than with any other teacher. His feedback was fantastic and he always made sure to stick around after class to help me with my upcoming presentation.
I haven't had a teacher do that since. I now have an Interpreting 1 professor who is awesome, he does not teach ASL. He is also one of my favorite teachers because he takes the time to meet with students and help them improve.
So, honestly. Teaching, interpreting. Men, we need you in this field. Please, please, please start considering this as a valid option.
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