The Roles of the Educational Interpreter: Between Social Practices and Education Policies

ABSTRACT In this article, we reflect on the roles played by Educational Interpreters of Brazilian Sign Language-Brazilian Portuguese in current Deaf Education in inclusive schools that follow a bilingual perspective. Drawing on Bakhtin’s notions of discourse and interpretive activity, we analyze excerpts from a document issued by the Florianópolis City Department of Education, in Brazil, which defines the duties of Educational Interpreters. Our findings point to refraction in how Educational Interpreters are characterized and to an attempt to frame their roles in general and specific duties, some of which focus on planning/training and others focus on the classroom routine. Our conclusions suggest that the role of Educational Interpreters is a merger of both interpreting practices and pedagogical activities.