ASL Texts for Consecutive Interpreting Practice

with Debbie Peterson and Tracy Bell Koster

Originally created in 2002, this resource is designed specifically as a tool for assisting interpreters and students of interpreting to gain competence in interpreting from ASL to English. Containing 11 ASL texts (ranging in length from just under a minute to about four minutes), they are presented in a unique way to facilitate consecutive interpreting practice. Each text is presented in multiple formats:

  • complete text
  • sectioned in chunks allowing for consecutive interpretation practice
  • in its entirety again.

An English summary of the text is included for support in comprehension and analysis.

Accessing the Videos

These videos are now available online.  Two texts are provided for free as examples of how the texts are formatted.  The cost for access to all texts is $5.00 for 120 days of access.

Get Access to All Text

From Tracy Bell Koster:

  • FREE ACCESS:  Missing the Target: Tracy tells of an experience returning a gift at Target where her lip-reading skills did not serve her well.
  • Getting the Message: Tracy tells of a hotel stay with someone at the front desk who did not quite understand what it meant to have Deaf guests.
  • A Misinterpreted Tour: Tracy tells of a visit to New York City and one tour guide’s misunderstanding.

From Debbie Peterson:

  • FREE ACCESS: Learning about the World: Debbie explains how spending time at her grandmother’s house helped her learn both about listening to her elders and the nature of the world.
  • An Explosive Classmate: Debbie explains about a classmate who used an M-80 to get himself into trouble.
  • A Boy’s First Love: Debbie describes an experience she has as a Postal Carrier with a young boy named Michael.
  • That was Then, This is Now: Debbie talks about the creative play she was involved with when at the Alabama School for the Deaf and how that is different from what children do today.
  • Learning to Smoke: Debbie talks about her days at the School for Deaf when she learned to smoke and got in all sorts of trouble.
  • My Friend the Mouse: Debbie explains about staying at her friend’s house and meeting another friend of the mouse variety.
  • My First Earthquake: Debbie explains about living through an earthquake in Seattle and the lessons she learned.
  • Travels in Europe: Debbie tells about traveling with a Deaf friend from England to Paris.