ABSTRACT
Educational interpreting is a designation in the United States for the interpreting work that occurs within the primary and secondary education system. The aim is to provide deaf and hard-of-hearing students who use a signed language with access to classroom instruction and socialization through an interpreter. This interpreter is embedded in far-reaching social relations. In this chapter we lay out some of the historical analysis of educational interpreting and suggest that this research, which has contributed to our understanding of the language work within educational settings, does not do enough to situate this language work within a particular systemic context. Relying on interview data with sign language interpreters and one of the most significant texts for the educational interpreters, the Individual Education Plan (IEP), we promote an analysis that situates interpreters’ language work within systemic relations. We conclude with a few suggested further readings.
