The Role-Space of Italian Sign Language Educational Interpreters: An Ethnographic Case Study of Interpreters at the Istituto Comprensivo di Cossato

This dissertation explores the role-space of educational interpreters at IC Cossato, an Italian public school known for its Bilingualism Project promoting LIS-Italian bilingualism and biliteracy (Rivisto, 2016; Teruggi, 2003). Role-space theory (Lee, 2023; Llewellyn-Jones & Lee, 2013, 2014) conceptualizes interpreters’ roles as dynamic and co-constructed with interlocutors along three axes: Presentation of Self, Interaction Management, and Participant Alignment. Through ethnographic interviews (Spradley, 2016), observations and field notes (Emerson et al. 2011; Glesne, 2016), and policy artifacts (Hornberger & Johnson, 2011), I investigate how three interpreters in IC Cossato’s elementary school perceive and enact their roles, often diverging from their interpreter education. As a community of practice (Wenger, 1990), they navigate role-space through collaborative relationships with teachers, reconciling role expectations with classroom realities, and support deaf students’ academic and social access. This case study within the Italian context contributes to larger discussions on interpreter education and how role perceptions shape accessibility.