ASL Texts for Consecutive Interpreting Practice
Step 2: Text in Parts
The video below has been separated into sections. Watch the entire section. Then, when the movie is done, produce an interpretation. When you are finished with your interpretation, click the arrow on the right of the video screen to go on to the next section.
This video is divided into 14 sections.
Step 3: Work with Complete Text Again
Now that you have gone through this process and worked with the sections edited for consecutive practice, try interpreting the complete text again. If you wish, you can also review the English summary of the text to support your comprehension. It is below.
The complete video is at the top of this page. Click here to return there.
English Summary
A Boy’s First Love
When Debbie was working in Philadelphia as a postal carrier, she was filling in on one man’s route. It was in a development with larger homes. At one house, a young boy ran out to greet her when she delivered the mail. With adults, she was just able to gesture to her ears when they attempted conversation. But with this boy, she wasn’t sure what to do. He was talking to her, but all she could do was pat him on the head. He was obviously hurt by the lack of her response. With all of the training from the Post Office, she wondered if she could find out the best way to communicate with the boy.
The next day, the boy came out like before and was obviously disappointed when Debbie didn’t talk back to him. The third day, the boy came out again, but this time he was with his father. The father saw Debbie’s hearing aid, and was able to explain about her being Deaf to his son. He then showed him how to sign, “I-LOVE-YOU.” Debbie signed this back to the boy, who was feeling bashful at that point and went in with his father. The next day, the boy came out alone and after getting the mail, signed I-LOVE-YOU to Debbie who returned the sign. This went on for a week.
The next week, Debbie was sick and didn’t make it back on that route. Later on, she was delivering mail to the school district office when she ran into the boy’s father. He asked why they hadn’t seen her any more, and she explained about being sick and in the hospital. The father told her that Michael talked about her all the time at the dinner table, claiming that when he grew up, he was going to marry her.
Debbie never actually saw that Michael again.
These summaries are offered for support in comprehension. They are written in third person to provide the information contained in the text, rather than a model interpretation. Use them only as a stepping stone for your own analysis and interpretation.