Debra Kenny Teesdale
May 28, 2025
Shifting Perspectives: Mastering Role Shift in ASL
Co-Sponsored by LRID and LSD
Presenter Bio:
Meet Debra Teesdale, a passionate educator and advocate for American Sign Language and Interpreting education. With a BA in ASL and an MA in Linguistics from Gallaudet University, Debra brings expertise to the University of Georgia's Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education, where she's taught since 2014. From Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu, Hawaii to the Japanese ASL Signers' Society in Tokyo, Japan to the Louisiana School for the Deaf, and Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, Debra's journey is marked by a commitment to sharing the beauty of ASL. When not in the classroom, Debra unwinds with good red wine, travel, and quality time with her kids and adorable menagerie – a deafblind dog, deaf cat, partially blind cat, hearing cat, and a charming fish! Debra's recent feature in the Red & Black article "Acting through interpreting: A look at student ASL interpreters at UGA" highlights her dedication to her students and the field.
Workshop Description:
Explore the art of role shift in ASL. Through a combination of interactive discussions and hands-on practices, you will learn how to effectively use role shift sequence to convey complex narratives, characters, and perspectives. You will analyze and practice various role shift techniques, including spatial mapping, body shifting, and facial expressions, to enhance your signing skills and bring narratives to life in ASL
Workshop Objectives:
Upon successful completion of the workshop, the participant will:
1. Identify and apply various role shift techniques
2. Develop strategies for smoothly transitioning between roles and perspectives
3. Apply role shift sequence techniques to improve overall interpreting accuracy and
fluency.
LRID is an RID-approved CMP Sponsor for continuing education activities. This program is offered for 0.3 PS at the some content knowledge level.
Target audience: ASL/English
interpreters; both Deaf and non-Deaf
Any special requests must be received by May 12, 2025.
This training will be presented in ASL
only.
Interpreters will not be provided.