Disciple's Handbook

Unit 6 Interpretation Lab

15 min read

Level 2 — Elementary (CEFR: A2)

Unit 6 — Verb Group 2: -ER Verbs

Interpretation Lab — Consecutive Interpretation Practice (Spanish → English)

Purpose

Unit 6 introduces the first major direction shift in this curriculum. In Unit 5, you interpreted from English into Spanish — rendering an English ministry narrative in Spanish. In Unit 6, you interpret from Spanish into English — hearing Spanish speech and rendering it in English.

This shift matters. An interpreter in the field works in both directions. Rendering from English to Spanish is one direction; rendering from Spanish to English is the other — and it exercises a different skill. You must hear the Spanish verb form, identify its tense, process the meaning, and produce natural English output, all without pausing to think.

The -ER verbs are especially important for this direction because they include the core comprehension verbs of doctrinal and theological speech: creer (believe), entender (understand), saber (know), poder (be able to), hacer (do/make), ver (see), obedecer (obey), reconocer (acknowledge). When a Spanish-speaking pastor teaches doctrine, these verbs are everywhere. The interpreter who hesitates on them will lose the thread of the teaching.

Interpretation mode: consecutive Spanish → English. A partner reads the Spanish passage aloud with pauses at slash marks. You render each segment into English. Then compare against the target.

Lab 1 — Gospel Explanation (Present Tense Focus)

Skill target: present tense -ER verbs; recognizing and rendering doctrine in present tense

Partner reads Spanish with pauses at slashes:

La Biblia dice que todo ser humano cree en algo. / Todos buscamos significado. Todos queremos pertenecer. / Pero el problema es que sin Dios, nadie puede encontrar la paz verdadera. / La Biblia enseña que el ser humano no puede salvarse a sí mismo. / No podemos obedecer perfectamente la ley de Dios. / No merecemos su misericordia. / Pero Dios nos ofrece algo que no podemos ganar: la gracia. / Quien cree en Jesucristo recibe el perdón. / No porque lo merece, sino porque Dios lo da. / ¿Entiendes esto? ¿Lo crees? /

Target English rendering:

  1. The Bible says that every human being believes in something.
  2. We all seek meaning. We all want to belong.
  3. But the problem is that without God, no one can find true peace.
  4. The Bible teaches that human beings cannot save themselves.
  5. We cannot perfectly obey God’s law.
  6. We do not deserve his mercy.
  7. But God offers us something we cannot earn: grace.
  8. Whoever believes in Jesus Christ receives forgiveness.
  9. Not because they deserve it, but because God gives it.
  10. Do you understand this? Do you believe it?

Self-evaluation questions:

  • Did you render puede as “can” (not “could”)? Podemos as “we can”?
  • Did you render cree as “believes” (not “believed”)?
  • Did merece/merecemos come out as “deserves/we deserve”?
  • Was your English natural and flowing, or did it sound like word-by-word translation?

Lab 2 — Doctrinal Teaching on Faith (Preterite Irregulars)

Skill target: preterite of -ER verbs including irregulars (creyó, hizo, pudo, supo, quiso, vio); rapid recognition in narrative

Partner reads Spanish with pauses at slashes:

Abraham creyó a Dios, y eso le fue contado como justicia. / Lo que Abraham hizo no fue perfecto, pero su fe fue real. / Cuando Dios lo llamó, Abraham no supo exactamente a dónde iba. / Pero confió. Y Dios cumplió su promesa. / Moisés también creyó. Vio la zarza ardiendo y no huyó. / Entendió que estaba en presencia de Dios y cayó al suelo. / Los apóstoles vieron a Jesús resucitado. / Al principio, algunos no quisieron creer. / Tomás dijo que no creería hasta que viera. / Pero cuando vio, creyó y reconoció: “¡Señor mío y Dios mío!” / ¿Qué hiciste tú cuando escuchaste el evangelio por primera vez? /

Target English rendering:

  1. Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.
  2. What Abraham did was not perfect, but his faith was real.
  3. When God called him, Abraham did not know exactly where he was going.
  4. But he trusted. And God fulfilled his promise.
  5. Moses also believed. He saw the burning bush and did not flee.
  6. He understood that he was in the presence of God and fell to the ground.
  7. The apostles saw the risen Jesus.
  8. At first, some of them did not want to believe.
  9. Thomas said he would not believe until he saw.
  10. But when he saw, he believed and acknowledged: “My Lord and my God!”
  11. What did you do when you heard the gospel for the first time?

Key irregular preterite recognition check:

  • creyó → “believed” ✓ (not “believes” or “was believing”)
  • hizo → “did” ✓ (from hacer)
  • supo → “knew/found out” ✓ (from saber)
  • quisieron → “wanted/were willing” ✓ (from querer)
  • vio → “saw” ✓ (from ver)

Lab 3 — Pastoral Background Description (Imperfect Focus)

Skill target: imperfect of -ER verbs (creía, entendía, podía, quería, hacía, veía); rendering habitual and ongoing past states

Partner reads Spanish with pauses at slashes:

Antes de conocer a Cristo, yo no creía en nada. / Entendía que existía una dimensión espiritual, pero no quería explorarla. / Mi vida me parecía suficiente. / Podía manejar mis problemas con mi propia fuerza. / Así pensaba. Pero no era verdad. / Debajo de la superficie, yo sufría. / Veía que mis amigos también sufrían. / Reconocíamos que algo faltaba, pero no sabíamos qué era. / El mundo ofrecía muchas respuestas: dinero, éxito, placer. / Ninguna de estas cosas podía llenar el vacío que teníamos. / Así vivíamos — buscando, pero sin encontrar. /

Target English rendering:

  1. Before knowing Christ, I did not believe in anything.
  2. I understood that a spiritual dimension existed, but I did not want to explore it.
  3. My life seemed sufficient to me.
  4. I was able to handle my problems with my own strength.
  5. That is what I thought. But it was not true.
  6. Beneath the surface, I was suffering.
  7. I saw that my friends were also suffering.
  8. We recognized that something was missing, but we did not know what it was.
  9. The world offered many answers: money, success, pleasure.
  10. None of these things could fill the emptiness we had.
  11. That is how we lived — searching, but not finding.

Self-evaluation questions:

  • Did you render imperfect consistently as “was _-ing” or “used to _” where appropriate?
  • Did podía come out as “could/was able to” (not “can”)?
  • Did veía come out as “was seeing/saw” (background) rather than “saw” (preterite one-time event)?

Lab 4 — Present Perfect: Testimony of Spiritual Growth

Skill target: present perfect with -ER verbs including irregular participles (hecho, visto, vuelto, puesto); recognizing “have done” in Spanish

Partner reads Spanish with pauses at slashes:

Desde que entregué mi vida a Cristo, mi vida ha cambiado completamente. / He leído la Biblia de principio a fin dos veces. / He aprendido a orar con confianza. / Dios me ha enseñado a perdonar a personas que me hicieron daño. / He visto milagros con mis propios ojos. / He conocido hermanos y hermanas en la fe que se han vuelto mi familia. / Nuestra iglesia ha crecido. Hemos establecido tres grupos nuevos en la comunidad. / Hemos hecho cosas que nunca pensamos posibles. / Dios ha demostrado que puede usar a personas ordinarias. / ¿Qué ha hecho Dios en tu vida este año? /

Target English rendering:

  1. Since I surrendered my life to Christ, my life has changed completely.
  2. I have read the Bible from beginning to end twice.
  3. I have learned to pray with confidence.
  4. God has taught me to forgive people who hurt me.
  5. I have seen miracles with my own eyes.
  6. I have met brothers and sisters in the faith who have become my family.
  7. Our church has grown. We have established three new groups in the community.
  8. We have done things we never thought possible.
  9. God has shown that he can use ordinary people.
  10. What has God done in your life this year?

Irregular participle check:

  • ha hecho → “has done” (from hacer — participle: hecho)
  • he visto → “I have seen” (from ver — participle: visto)
  • han vuelto → “have become/returned” (from volver — participle: vuelto)

Lab 5 — Near Future: Church Discipleship Plans

Skill target: near future with -ER verbs (voy a creer, vamos a hacer, va a entender); conversational planning language

Partner reads Spanish with pauses at slashes:

Este semestre, vamos a hacer un estudio bíblico en el libro de Romanos. / Cada semana, vamos a leer un capítulo juntos. / El pastor va a enseñar y nosotros vamos a responder con preguntas. / ¿Quién no tiene Biblia? Vamos a proveer una para cada persona. / Este estudio va a establecer fundamentos sólidos en la fe. / Cuando terminemos, cada uno va a poder explicar el evangelio con claridad. / Los líderes van a hacer discípulos de los que vengan. / También vamos a ver videos explicativos para los que aprenden visualmente. / Si vienes con un corazón abierto, Dios va a poder hacer grandes cosas en ti. / ¿Quieres venir? ¿Puedes comprometerte a asistir cada semana? /

Target English rendering:

  1. This semester, we are going to do a Bible study in the book of Romans.
  2. Each week, we are going to read a chapter together.
  3. The pastor is going to teach and we are going to respond with questions.
  4. Who does not have a Bible? We are going to provide one for each person.
  5. This study is going to establish solid foundations in the faith.
  6. When we finish, each person is going to be able to explain the gospel clearly.
  7. The leaders are going to make disciples of those who come.
  8. We are also going to watch explanatory videos for those who learn visually.
  9. If you come with an open heart, God is going to be able to do great things in you.
  10. Do you want to come? Can you commit to attending every week?

Lab 6 — Simple Future: Prophetic and Promise Language

Skill target: simple future of -ER verbs including irregular stems (tendrá, hará, podrá, sabrá, querrá); formal declaration register

Partner reads Spanish with pauses at slashes:

Un día, toda rodilla se doblará y toda lengua confesará que Jesucristo es el Señor. / Cada persona que ha vivido en esta tierra se pondrá delante de Dios. / Dios verá cada corazón tal como es, sin máscaras. / Él sabrá todo. No habrá secretos. / Los que creyeron en Cristo no tendrán que temer ese día. / Él hará justicia perfecta — no perdonará el pecado por ignorarlo, sino por haberlo pagado en la cruz. / Los que no creyeron podrán ver en ese momento lo que rechazaron. / Pero para los que creen, ese día será el comienzo de una eternidad con Dios. / Esta promesa no cambiará. La Palabra de Dios permanecerá para siempre. /

Target English rendering:

  1. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
  2. Every person who has lived on this earth will stand before God.
  3. God will see every heart as it truly is, without masks.
  4. He will know everything. There will be no secrets.
  5. Those who believed in Christ will not have to fear that day.
  6. He will execute perfect justice — not by ignoring sin, but by having paid for it on the cross.
  7. Those who did not believe will be able to see in that moment what they rejected.
  8. But for those who believe, that day will be the beginning of an eternity with God.
  9. This promise will not change. The Word of God will remain forever.

Irregular future stem recognition:

  • tendrá → “will have” (from tener)
  • hará → “will do/make” (from hacer)
  • podrán → “will be able to” (from poder)
  • sabrá → “will know” (from saber)

Lab 7 — Full Integration: 3-Minute Doctrinal Explanation

This is the core lab from the curriculum. All -ER verb tenses appear across a single 3-minute passage. Your task is to track the tense in each segment and render it accurately into natural English.

Partner reads with pauses at slashes:

¿Qué significa creer? Mucha gente dice que cree, pero no entiende lo que eso significa. / Creer no es simplemente estar de acuerdo con hechos. Los demonios saben que Dios existe — y tiemblan. / Creer, en el sentido bíblico, es confiar. Es poner todo el peso de tu vida en Jesucristo. /

Abraham creyó de esta manera. No fue perfecta su fe — cometió errores. Pero confió en la promesa de Dios. / Y Dios vio su confianza y la reconoció como justicia. / Eso es lo que hizo Dios con Abraham. Y eso es lo que puede hacer con nosotros. /

Por años, muchos de ustedes han creído de manera superficial. / Han leído la Biblia, han venido a la iglesia, han hecho todas las cosas correctas exteriormente. / Pero en el fondo del corazón, no han entendido que la fe es una entrega total. /

Hoy, Dios quiere hacer algo nuevo. / Va a revelar su amor de una manera que ustedes no han visto antes. / Quien esté dispuesto a entregarse completamente va a poder ver la diferencia entre la religión y la fe viva. /

Este será el momento más importante de algunos de sus vidas. / Dios lo hará. Su Espíritu lo puede hacer. / Pero ustedes tendrán que decidir. / ¿Creerán de verdad hoy? ¿Entenderán lo que significa entregar todo? /

No se arrepentirán. Ninguno que ha puesto su confianza en Cristo se ha arrepentido jamás. /

Target English rendering (segment by segment):

  1. What does it mean to believe? Many people say they believe, but they do not understand what that means.
  2. Believing is not simply agreeing with facts. The demons know that God exists — and they tremble.
  3. Believing, in the biblical sense, is trusting. It is putting the full weight of your life on Jesus Christ.
  4. Abraham believed in this way. His faith was not perfect — he made mistakes. But he trusted in God’s promise.
  5. And God saw his trust and credited it to him as righteousness.
  6. That is what God did with Abraham. And that is what he can do with us.
  7. For years, many of you have believed in a superficial way.
  8. You have read the Bible, you have come to church, you have done all the right things outwardly.
  9. But deep in your heart, you have not understood that faith is a total surrender.
  10. Today, God wants to do something new.
  11. He is going to reveal his love in a way you have not seen before.
  12. Whoever is willing to surrender completely is going to be able to see the difference between religion and living faith.
  13. This will be the most important moment of some of your lives.
  14. God will do it. His Spirit can do it.
  15. But you will have to decide.
  16. Will you truly believe today? Will you understand what it means to surrender everything?
  17. You will not regret it. No one who has placed their trust in Christ has ever regretted it.

Tense map:

Passage sectionTense in useKey -ER verbs
Opening definitionPresentcreer, entender, saber, poder
Abraham narrativePreteritecreyó, hizo, vio, reconoció
Congregation addressPresent perfecthan creído, han leído, han entendido
InvitationNear futureva a revelar, va a poder
DeclarationSimple futureserá, hará, tendrán, creerán

Lab 8 — Speed Challenge: Doctrinal One-Liners

Skill target: immediate rendering of -ER verb forms in short ministry sentences; no hesitation

Partner reads each item; you render immediately:

  1. El pastor cree que Dios está obrando aquí. → “The pastor believes that God is at work here.”
  2. Nunca entendí la gracia hasta que la necesité. → “I never understood grace until I needed it.”
  3. Dios puede hacer lo que nosotros no podemos. → “God can do what we cannot.”
  4. Ha visto milagros que no puede explicar. → “He has seen miracles he cannot explain.”
  5. Creímos la promesa y Dios cumplió. → “We believed the promise and God fulfilled it.”
  6. ¿Qué quieres que Dios haga en tu vida? → “What do you want God to do in your life?”
  7. Los discípulos vieron al Señor resucitado. → “The disciples saw the risen Lord.”
  8. Vamos a leer el pasaje juntos. → “We are going to read the passage together.”
  9. No podía creer que Dios me amara así. → “I could not believe that God loved me that way.”
  10. Ella ha leído el Nuevo Testamento tres veces. → “She has read the New Testament three times.”
  11. Dios hará grandes cosas en esta comunidad. → “God will do great things in this community.”
  12. ¿Sabes lo que significa ser salvo? → “Do you know what it means to be saved?”
  13. Obedecemos porque lo amamos, no porque tenemos miedo. → “We obey because we love him, not because we are afraid.”
  14. Supo que Dios lo llamaba al ministerio. → “He knew / found out that God was calling him to ministry.”
  15. La iglesia tendrá que decidir a quién va a servir. → “The church will have to decide whom it is going to serve.”

Lab Completion Checklist

  • Lab 1 (present) completed — present -ER forms rendered accurately in English
  • Lab 2 (preterite irregulars) completed — creyó, hizo, supo, quiso, vio recognized and rendered
  • Lab 3 (imperfect) completed — imperfect -ER forms rendered with correct English past progressive or habitual
  • Lab 4 (present perfect) completed — irregular participles (hecho, visto, vuelto) recognized
  • Lab 5 (near future) completed — voy/vas/va/vamos/van + a + infinitive rendered fluently
  • Lab 6 (simple future) completed — irregular future stems (tendrá, hará, podrá, sabrá) recognized
  • Lab 7 (full integration, 3 minutes) completed — tense map checked against target
  • Lab 8 (speed challenge) completed — all 15 items rendered without hesitation

See also: Missionary Application, Lesson 13 — Full Tense Practice: -ER Verbs

Graph View

Backlinks