Jamie L. McCartney[1]
Kent State University
Abstract
This article reports on the responses to a survey given during a workshop at the 2016 CIT conference. This survey centered on grit as presented by Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, and Kelly (2007). They contend that grit is the amount of persistence people have to complete their goals, even when barriers are present. The population in this particular study was American Sign Language/English interpreters, interpreter trainers, and other interested parties who attended the CIT conference held in Lexington, Kentucky, on Oct. 26-29, 2016. Tests were run for variables such as education level, hearing and marital status, presence of deaf family members, and certification. Three factors were predictive of grit. They were as follows: hearing status, the lack of the presence of a d/Deaf family member, and professional satisfaction. When qualitative responses were analyzed for reasons the respondent gave for initially choosing interpreting as a profession, as well as their motivation to remain in the profession, there were noteworthy responses in the familial and societal categories.
Keywords: grit, sign language, perseverance
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[1] Correspondence to: jmccar15@kent.edu or (330) 672-0708
2016 Biennial Conference – Out of the Gate, Towards the Triple Crown: Research, Learn, & Collaborate