This is the sign for..."Interpreting metalinguistic references in discourse by Brenda Nicodemus, Mark Halley, & Guilia Petitta

Among the linguistic challenges faced by signed language interpreters is how to manage metalinguistic references in discourse. Metalinguistic references occur when a speaker uses language to talk about language. For example, a person may sign, "My name sign is..." (followed by tapping the C handshape on the chin). In this situation, the interpreter must not only convey the meaning of the message but must also transmit information about the language production. Metalinguistic references create a unique challenge for signed language interpreters since linguistic features do not neatly correspond with spoken languages. In this presentation, we describe types of metalinguistic references, and provide samples of how interpreters manage these challenges.