A quick reminder about live ASL-interpreted video feed on the internet for General Conference this weekend.

Link is from lds.org:

Actual link to the stream
(this is a Windows Media Player streaming .asx feed; you'll need the latest version of MS Windows Media Player. Mac OS X users might want to look in to Flip4Mac as a replacement; will play .wmp and .asx streams in Quicktime):
http://www.lds.org/broadcast/file/build/0,16929,5423,00.asx

Link to all languages:
http://www.lds.org/broadcast/gc/0,5161,7834,00.html

Enjoy.

Thank you so much for the link. I tried to find ASL yesterday with no luck, but today was able to watch through the link. Were you one of the interpreters? It is always nice to put a face with a name. Are the interpreters for the conference hired and payed or is it a calling?

Natalie

I was. Sunday morning session.


Hired? Sort of. Interpreters for conference, regardless of the language, are hired as onscreen talent or independent contractors. Paid? No. Calling? It used to be until they moved all signed language interpretation under the Translation Department.

According to lds.org, ASL-signed sessions will be available in four weeks from October 7 (beginning of November 2007).

Do the interpreters for conference get the talks ahead of time so they can practice? If not, then I'm just in awe at how they can keep up with it all. Do you just listen or can you read the talk as you are interpreting? I felt for the man that was doing Presidents talk on Sunday and he was listing all the names of various countries. My fingers (and brain) got tired just watching him fingerspell that much.

Natalie

For many years, talks were not available to ASL interpreters until literally the day of their assignments which made for some interesting shotgun approaches to interpretations. Since ASL interpreting is now supervised by the Translation Department, there is much more emphasis on helping ASL interpreters better prepare for their work.

At this most recent October 2007 conference, over ninety languages were being simultaneously interpreted; in order for those interpretations to not only be linguistically but also semantically and culturally accurate, access to the texts prior to their delivery is vital; ASL interpreters are no different. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule in a live broadcast; of note this last conference, as I looked at the agenda for the Sunday morning session, I were not aware to whom the words "new member of the First Presidency" or "new member of the Quorum of the Twelve" referred. I received texts not long before they were expected to be at the pulpit.

What you're watching the ASL interpreters "perform" is simultaneous interpretation and (depending on the interpreter's preparation) translation. Reading the talk as it is being delivered, however, is, cognitively, an impossibility: listening to the speaker, producing signs, visually following along with the speaker on a teleprompter, and anticipating any ad libbing or deviation from the given text is impossible to do. That is why prior preparation--and this is a general principle for any interpreting assignment, religious or health-related or educational--is important time spent prior to an assignment.

As for the fingerspelling and the interpreter's speed, well, that's just good old-fashioned CGI and movie special effects. ;)

I am so glad to hear that you have a maj. of the texts for the talks ahead of time, this Sun. Robin was interping and someone stood up to give their talk and I heard the dreaded words.... "I am going to read one of my fav. children's books." We have recently had a lot of reorg. in Kalamazoo leadership... and we are in the process of reeducating everyone new to the ward, but this post made it obvious to me how much needed it is to have the talks ahead of time. I have missed everyone, it has been quiet. I am happy to know everyone is still here. =)

It could have been worse. "The Race," anyone? <groans>

I think it might be worth reminding (new) leaders that the Church believes rather strongly in teamed, pre-prepared (and therefore, sensitive pre-prepared speakers) interpreters. Remember this gem (2b) from last year's satellite training broadcasts?

ASL conference feeds are up:

http://lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,49-1-775,00.html

Enjoy.

I really enjoyed watching the General Conference sessions this year on the internet. The feed was more smooth and didn't hiccup like it did for us 6 months ago. Because we have been attending a deaf unit this year we also understood so much more!