Register: Comparing ASL and English

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS December, 2006, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

Register: Comparing ASL and English. CD-Rom or streaming download. 3 hours. Signs of Development, LLC. 2003. $35.85. (www.signs-of-development.org). Also available for free loan through the Described and Captioned Media Program (www.cfv.org)

Effective use of register in interpreting is one of those concepts that takes a few minutes to understand and a lifetime to put into practice. This clearly organized, easy to navigate “WWWorkshop” features deaf ASLTA Professional Tom Riggs, who explores frozen, formal, consultative, informal, and intimate registers. Of more immediate use to interpreters, he also provides detailed examples and comparisons of the features of each register in both ASL and English. Having provided the theoretical framework for understanding register, this program then allows the viewer to put the theory into practice by identifying the features of each register in presentations given by both hearing and deaf presenters, giving the same information, but in different registers each time. Not only does this help viewers identify the features, but it also provides excellent source material for practicing interpreting various registers from ASL to English and from English to ASL. A nuanced understanding of register is a vital part of any interpreter’s professional toolkit, and this presentation will provide something useful for students, new interpreters, and veterans alike. In addition, 0.3 CEUS may be earned upon completion of the workshop, all collateral activities, and the payment of a processing fee.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.