Dr. Taylor Woodall-Greene

Department of Languages and Literatures

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Dr. Taylor Woodall-Greene is an American Sign Language professor for the Department of Languages and Literatures.

 

Dr. Woodall-Greene researches sign language interpreters in diverse settings and incorporates creative methodologies and techniques for research with the D/deaf and interpreting communities. The interpreting field is experiencing a high rate of turnover. Dr. Woodall-Greene's focus for her current research is on analyzing the embodied nature of interpreting. Translation for spoken languages often takes an alternating approach with many pauses for translators to produce the target language from the source language. Sign language interpreting happens almost simultaneously; as a D/deaf or hearing person communicates in one language, the interpreter will start delivering the other language without pausing. This type of labor is strenuous and poorly understood by most hearing community members, which will affect the amount of support the interpreters receive that is specific to their jobs.

Dr. Woodall-Greene also researches the lack of diversity among interpreters. The overwhelming majority of interpreters are white women, which does not reflect the communities that they will serve. The implications that race and gender have on the field of interpreting, access to the community, and the teaching of sign language to the next generation of users are understudied.