1st Interpreter Observation: Getting to the Candidates- Discussing Disability Policies

1.The genre/setting of the interpretation?

This interpreted event was considered to be “Guest Speaker/Panel (Consultative)”.

2.Who you spoke with to arrange the observation?

I was very blessed to have Mandi actually reach out and organize everything. After she received

permission for us to observe the event, she gave the rest of the cohort the information. This was

a public event and so I am not sure how much time it took to arrange and get permission to attend. 

3.How did you negotiate and collaborate with participants (Scheduler, interpreter, deaf person)?

I only collaborated with the interpreter by asking them if I could as them any questions afterward.

Unfortunately, they did not respond to my personal message. I did not have any contact with the scheduler. 

Also, the only contact I had with the hosts, deaf people, and other hearing participants was during the event. 

I saw people commenting in the chat, asking questions for the candidate. I did not speak to any of the 

participants directly. 

4.What is unique to this setting/genre?

This setting/genre is unique in many ways. One example is that there is one main speaker but

you need to be prepared for a variety of different types of people speaking. Since it is a consultative

event you need to make sure that you are prepared for rapid role shifting or discourse if needed. Also, 

the vague and intricate manner of speaking is unique for this setting. Since the event was political, 

the vocabulary and English sentence structure are complex and sometimes blatantly vague. 

5.What you think would be most challenging working in this genre/setting?

I think one of the most challenging things in this setting would be the fast pace that was being used. 

It was also very difficult because of the formal vocabulary and topics that were being discussed. The 

candidate may have been asked a question about their plan regarding a specific law if they were successfully
elected into office. He then would then go on to use a great deal of jargon, speak quickly, and with a very 

high register. It would be difficult to grasp the meaning of the information in English and then still have

enough time to interpret it into ASL without missing information. 

I also believe the main challenge that the interpreters faced was not because of the setting, rather, 

The challenge was in the topic. I believe it would be difficult to interpret for politicians. They know 

how to properly dance around a question and are often purposefully vague and imprecise when answering.

6.What you think would be most enjoyable working in this genre/setting?

I believe that one of the most enjoyable things in this setting would be being able to learn more

about the policies being created, the laws that are in place currently, and the candidates that are running

for office. I believe this topic would help me to gain a better understanding of politics as well as help 

me to make more informed decisions in the elections. 

7.What does the working interpreter like and/or dislike about this genre/setting?

I wasn’t able to interview an interpreter that works in this setting. I believe that a dislike that I 

have about this setting is simply because the topic is political. I don’t enjoy discussing politics. On 

the other hand, there may be people who really enjoy this setting because of the topic of politics. There is no 

“one-size-fits-all” answer for what would be likable or dislikable in this setting. 

8.Would this be an appropriate place for a student internship? Why or why not? Give a detailed rationale.

I don’t believe the topic of politics is an appropriate place for a student interpreter to start off at. 

I believe that it would be a difficult setting because the register is very formal and the fact that politicians 

are sometimes purposefully vague in their message or answers to questions. On the other hand, 

I think that a Guest Speaker/Panel (consultative) setting would be okay for an interpreter to being in. 

Since the message and speakers are taking turn talking, the interpreter would have more time to 

interpret and be more accurate in their interpretation itself. The student intern would also most likely
have a team there to help and feed information if any info was missed. The setting itself would be alright, 

I simply worry that the topic would be overly complicated. 

2nd Interpreter Observation: Intellectual Disability and Mental Health Training

1.The genre/setting of the interpretation?

This interpreted event was considered to be “Workshop (not panel)”.

2.Who you spoke with to arrange the observation?

Mandi was generous enough to arrange the observation. After she got permission for us to observe,

she gave the rest of the cohort the information. I believe she probably had to get permission from the 

hosts of the event, interpreters, and deaf consumers. 

3.How did you negotiate and collaborate with participants? (Scheduler, interpreter, deaf person)

Everything was arranged through Mandi. I only had contact with the hosts, interpreters, and the 

Deaf consumer(s) during the actual event. 

4.What is unique to this setting/genre?

Something unique about this setting is the fact that you need to be very careful with your word

choice and how you actually interpret what is being said. This is unique because it was a workshop

where those who provide services for those with mental illnesses or disabilities are able to learn more. 

The word choice needs to be considered. For example, person-first language is important. 

5.What you think would be most challenging working in this genre/setting?

I think the most challenging part of this setting would be the fact that this workshop topic

went very in-depth. This means that it would be difficult to interpret the information if you did not have

any experience with this setting. I am sure you would have time to study and prepare for the event 

beforehand but, still, without deep understanding, it would be difficult to interpret. I believe that 
the more mental energy you have to put towards understanding what the presenter is saying in English

means that you will have less time and cognitive processing energy to interpret the message accurately. 

6.What you think would be most enjoyable working in this genre/setting?

I think that the most enjoyable part of working in this setting would be learning more about

how to provide equal access to those with disabilities. I am currently working at a non-profit that

works a lot with students who have special needs. This workshop was interesting to me because it helped

expand my understanding and tied to something I am passionate about. So, I think that the most enjoyable 

part of this setting for me would simply be learning more about a topic that I am interested in. 

7.What does the working interpreter like and/or dislike about this genre/setting?

Mandi was able to collect a few questions from the cohort and set a message to the interpreters. 

They said that one of the main things they like about this genre/setting is that they are able to learn 

new information. Also, they simply liked to provide an interpretation for the Deaf participants. The main

challenge for them in this setting is the rate at which the speakers talk. They said it can sometimes

be difficult to keep up with the speaker. 

8.Would this be an appropriate place for a student internship? Why or why not? Give a detailed rationale.

I believe that would not be a very good place for student internships because of the in-depth

discussions and large vocabulary/jargon that is specific to the topic. I believe students could be successful 

in this setting if they had the materials to study beforehand and took the time to learn about the topic. 

This would be a difficult setting for student interpreters because it would most likely be very lecture

heavy with difficult jargon. It would be even more difficult if you don’t have schema with this topic. 

3rd Interpreter Observation: LDS General Conference

1.The genre/setting of the interpretation

2.Who you spoke with to arrange the observation

This was a public event that was broadcast online so I did not need to get permission to 

observe. Since I have grown up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I knew that

this event was coming up and knew that it was interpreted. I knew it was interpreted because I have

previously watched the conference in ASL. 

3.How did you negotiate and collaborate with participants? (Scheduler, interpreter, deaf person)

This event was broadcasted. I did not have any contact with the schedule, interpreters, or the

Deaf consumers. I was not in the same location as the interpreters or deaf consumers. 

4.What is unique to this setting/genre?

Something very unique to this setting is the fact that you must be knowledgeable regarding

the history or religion and the nuances of religious dialects and vocabulary usage. The message is

applicable to many people, which means that there are large audiences. This setting is similar to 

platform interpreting because of the large audience. Also, the messages have an overarching theme. 

The goal of this theme is to make it feel applicable to everyone and inspire action. That is very

Similar to platform or workshop interpreting where the presenter is trying to encourage the audience

to act in some way.

5.What you think would be most challenging working in this genre/setting?

I believe that the most challenging aspect of this setting would be interpreting in front of a 

camera, but knowing that hundreds or thousands of people are watching you. You need to try and 

engage/connect with people that you can’t even see! It would also be very difficult to interpret the 

messages when you may not know the main goal or implicit meaning of the speaker. Also, the register

would fluctuate from speaker to speaker along with the demands. 

I think it would be enjoyable to work in this genre/setting because you are able to interpret 

something that is deeply important to many people. Each religion has followers that sincerely believe

in the truthfulness of it. You, as the interpreter, are able to give them access to something that they 

cherish. I also believe it would be enjoyable because you would most likely be working with very 

skilled hearing ASL interpreters and/or CDIs. 

7.What does the working interpreter like and/or dislike about this genre/setting?

Since I was unable to interview an interpreter in this setting, I am not sure what the working

interpreter likes/dislikes regarding this setting/genre. I believe that everyone’s answers would be different. 

The answers would truly vary depending on the person and the things that they enjoy. 

8.Would this be an appropriate place for a student internship? Why or why not? Give a detailed rationale.

I believe this would be a good place for a student internship because you would be able to 

work alongside other ASL interpreters and CDIs. Also, if you have personal experience in the

religion then you can use your schema and E.L.K to help you interpret. I also believe that it would be 

a positive work environment for student interns. You would most likely get the material beforehand. This 

means you would be able to study it and practice beforehand. Of course, it would also be difficult

because of the register and the high likelihood that the speaker went off of their “script”. 

4th Interpreter Observation: DPAN.tv, iHeartRadio Living Room Concert For America

1.The genre/setting of the interpretation

This interpreted event was considered to be “Performing Arts (broadcast)

2.Who you spoke with to arrange the observation

This was a public event and so I did not need to contact anyone to get permission to view the
event. I did hear about this event from Kenzie! She saw it on DPAN.tv and told the rest of the cohort about

the opportunity after getting it approved. 

3.How did you negotiate and collaborate with participants? (Scheduler, interpreter, deaf person)?

Again, I didn’t have any contact with the scheduler, interpreter, or the deaf person before or 

during the event. This event was broadcast online, therefore, the only contact I had with others was 

through the comment section of the video. 

4.What is unique to this setting/genre?

This setting is very unique! One of the main unique characteristics of this setting is the fact

that the interpreter must demonstrate not only the words that are being spoken but also interpret 

the implicit meaning within the lyrics. They also have to portray the instruments being used and the

pitch that the singer is using. For example, some signers use forms of scat singing during 

instrumental moments in the music. 

5.What you think would be most challenging working in this genre/setting?

The most challenging part of this setting would be analyzing the song and making sure

your analysis of the meaning (explicit and implicit) is accurate and what the writer intended.

I think I would enjoy this because of my love of poetry and analyzing the meaning of poems, but it

would still be very difficult! Another challenging thing for me would be knowing that there are 

tons of people watching you perform this song. To say the least, it would be a lot of pressure. 

It would be hard to match the language needs of each individual watching. Some consumers may 

prefer more English-based while others enjoy watching the songs performed in ASL.

6.What you think would be most enjoyable working in this genre/setting?

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this setting, for me, would be the ability to have fun

while at work! The interpreters are able to match the affect of the song. Sometimes that means acting,
looking, and signing in a sad/slow way. Other times this means you must be passionate and 

deliberate with your signing because the song discusses becoming drunk, partying, or having intercourse.

I believe it would enjoyable to “put on” those personas.

7.What does the working interpreter like and/or dislike about this genre/setting?

I was able to interview and ask a few questions to one of the interpreters. She said that

she likes this genre/setting of performing arts because she is able to express the emotion of the

songs not only through signs but through affect and facial expression. One thing that she dislikes

about this setting is the fact that it takes a large amount of time to prepare and analyze the song before

performance.

8.Would this be an appropriate place for a student internship? Why or why not? Give a detailed rationale.

I believe this would be an amazing opportunity for student internships. I believe that the

interpreters that were involved in this event were able to prepare a great deal beforehand. They

most likely knew the song that they were going to interpret and were able to analyze, prepare, and practice 

before the event actually took place. With this preparation time, they could reach out to deaf creators, 

mentors, or other members of the deaf community to get feedback. Also, you are only interpreting for 

a few minutes at a time. This would be great for student interpreters because then they would not be too

overwhelmed or stressed. If they missed a lot of information or were misinterpreting everything,

then another interpreter could take over. This was a very supportive environment that I believe would

be wonderful for a student internship. It would only be successful if the student took the time to prepare 

beforehand.