Disciple's Handbook

Unit 11 Interpretation Lab

12 min read

Level 3 — Intermediate (CEFR: B1)

Unit 11 — Commands: The Imperative

Interpretation Lab — Bidirectional Consecutive Interpretation

Purpose

Unit 11 is the first lab in this curriculum that requires bidirectional consecutive interpretation — both Spanish into English and English into Spanish. The curriculum specifies this explicitly: listen to an altar call in Spanish and interpret into English; then listen to one in English and interpret into Spanish.

This is the correct approach for imperative language. Commands are one of the most emotionally loaded registers in any language. They carry urgency, warmth, authority, and invitation. An interpreter who renders commands woodenly — who translates ¡Vengan! as “Come” with no energy, or who turns “Come just as you are” into a flat Ven tal como eres without the warmth of the original — has failed the moment. The altar call is often the most critical 3–5 minutes of an entire service. Everything else leads to it.

The dual challenge of imperative interpretation:

  • Spanish → English: The interpreter must hear imperative forms (which can appear as formal/informal, positive/negative, first-person plural) and produce English commands that carry equivalent emotional register — not just grammatical equivalence.
  • English → Spanish: The interpreter must produce the correct Spanish imperative form in real time — formal (usted/ustedes) vs. informal (tú), affirmative vs. negative — while matching the emotional delivery of the English speaker.

Interpretation mode: consecutive, bidirectional. Labs 1–4 are Spanish → English. Labs 5–6 are English → Spanish. Labs 7–8 are integration and speed.

Lab 1 — Sermon Commands (Spanish → English)

Skill target: usted/ustedes formal imperative forms from sermon context; natural English rendering

Partner reads Spanish with pauses at slashes:

Hermanos, abran su Biblia en Juan capítulo tres. / Lean conmigo el versículo dieciséis. / Escuchen bien estas palabras. / No lean sobre ellas — párenlas y dejen que entren. / Piensen en la persona más difícil de amar en su vida. / Ahora apliquen este versículo a esa relación. / No se conformen con una fe teórica. / Vivan lo que creen. / Lleven este pasaje en su corazón durante esta semana. / Compartan con alguien lo que Dios les diga hoy. /

Target English rendering:

  1. Brothers and sisters, open your Bible to John chapter three.
  2. Read with me verse sixteen.
  3. Listen carefully to these words.
  4. Don’t just read over them — stop and let them sink in.
  5. Think of the hardest person to love in your life.
  6. Now apply this verse to that relationship.
  7. Do not settle for a theoretical faith.
  8. Live what you believe.
  9. Carry this passage in your heart this week.
  10. Share with someone what God tells you today.

Lab 2 — Pastoral Instruction Commands (Spanish → English)

Skill target: mixed formal/informal commands in pastoral instruction; nosotros commands

Partner reads Spanish with pauses at slashes:

Oremos juntos. Tomemos un momento de silencio antes de seguir. / Recuerden que Dios los conoce a cada uno por nombre. / No olviden lo que Dios ha hecho por ustedes. / Volvamos al texto. Veamos juntos el contexto. / Comparta con su vecino una cosa por la que está agradecido hoy. / No guarden estas bendiciones para ustedes solos — denlas. / Sigamos en oración. No nos detengamos aquí. / Construyamos juntos una iglesia que ame a su comunidad. /

Target English rendering:

  1. Let us pray together. Let us take a moment of silence before continuing.
  2. Remember that God knows each one of you by name.
  3. Do not forget what God has done for you.
  4. Let us return to the text. Let us look at the context together.
  5. Share with your neighbor one thing you are grateful for today.
  6. Do not keep these blessings to yourselves — give them away.
  7. Let us continue in prayer. Let us not stop here.
  8. Let us build together a church that loves its community.

Note on nosotros commands: Oremos → “Let us pray” (not “We pray”). Volvamos → “Let us return.” This “Let us…” construction is the standard English equivalent and should sound natural, not archaic.

Lab 3 — Negative Commands in Discipleship (Spanish → English)

Skill target: negative commands (no + subjunctive); emotional register in discipleship speech

Partner reads Spanish with pauses at slashes:

No se rindan. El camino es difícil, pero la recompensa es eterna. / No miren atrás cuando Dios los llama hacia adelante. / No teman — Dios está con ustedes en cada paso. / No dejen que el miedo decida por ustedes. / No confíen en sus propias fuerzas. Confíen en las fuerzas de Dios. / No se comparen con otros. El camino de cada uno es diferente. / No se cansen de hacer el bien. / No abandonen la fe porque el camino se ponga difícil. /

Target English rendering:

  1. Do not give up. The path is difficult, but the reward is eternal.
  2. Do not look back when God is calling you forward.
  3. Do not fear — God is with you at every step.
  4. Do not let fear make your decisions for you.
  5. Do not trust in your own strength. Trust in God’s strength.
  6. Do not compare yourselves to others. Each person’s path is different.
  7. Do not grow weary of doing good.
  8. Do not abandon your faith because the path becomes difficult.

Lab 4 — Altar Call (Spanish → English)

Skill target: complete altar call with mixed imperatives, emotional urgency, warmth, and invitation language

Partner reads Spanish with pauses at slashes:

Esta noche, Dios te está llamando. / No endurezcas tu corazón. / No digas que ya lo pensarás después — el momento es ahora. / Si estás listo para recibir a Cristo como tu Señor y Salvador, levanta tu mano. / No tengas vergüenza. No estás solo. / Levanta tu mano donde estás. / Mírala. Esto es un acto de fe. / Ahora, repite esta oración conmigo en voz baja. / Repite cada palabra: Señor Jesús… / Reconozco que soy pecador… / Creo que moriste por mis pecados… / Creo que resucitaste al tercer día… / Ven a mi vida como Señor y Salvador… / Amén. / Si hiciste esa oración, ven al frente. / No te quedes en tu asiento. Ven. / El pastor quiere orar contigo personalmente. / Ven. El Señor te está esperando. /

Target English rendering:

  1. Tonight, God is calling you.
  2. Do not harden your heart.
  3. Do not say you’ll think about it later — the moment is now.
  4. If you are ready to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, raise your hand.
  5. Do not be ashamed. You are not alone.
  6. Raise your hand where you are.
  7. Look at it. This is an act of faith.
  8. Now, repeat this prayer with me quietly.
  9. Repeat each word: Lord Jesus…
  10. I acknowledge that I am a sinner…
  11. I believe that you died for my sins…
  12. I believe that you rose on the third day…
  13. Come into my life as Lord and Savior…
  14. Amen.
  15. If you prayed that prayer, come to the front.
  16. Do not stay in your seat. Come.
  17. The pastor wants to pray with you personally.
  18. Come. The Lord is waiting for you.

Post-lab reflection: This passage has high emotional intensity. When you play it back, evaluate: Did your English voice carry the urgency and warmth of the invitation? Did it sound like an altar call or like a grammar exercise being read aloud?

Lab 5 — English → Spanish: Sermon Commands

Skill target: producing ustedes imperative forms from English imperatives; formal register

Partner reads English with pauses at slashes; you render in Spanish:

Turn in your Bible to Psalm 23. / Read it slowly — don’t rush. / Listen for what God is saying to you specifically today. / Write down one verse that speaks to you. / Carry it with you this week. / Share it with someone who needs it. / Come back next week with what God showed you. /

Target Spanish rendering:

  1. Abran su Biblia en el Salmo 23.
  2. Léanlo despacio — no se apresuren.
  3. Escuchen lo que Dios les está diciendo específicamente hoy.
  4. Escriban un versículo que les hable.
  5. Llévenselo consigo esta semana.
  6. Compártanlo con alguien que lo necesite.
  7. Regresen la próxima semana con lo que Dios les mostró.

Key production check: Turn → Abran (not Turnen). Read → Lean (not Leen). Write → Escriban (not Escriben). All formal imperative forms use the present subjunctive — the production challenge is not confusing them with the indicative.

Lab 6 — English → Spanish: Altar Call

Skill target: producing complete altar call in Spanish from English; imperative forms with pronouns; emotional register in Spanish

Partner reads English with pauses at slashes; you render in Spanish:

Tonight is the night. / Don’t wait any longer. / If you feel God calling you — respond. / Raise your hand if you want Jesus to come into your life. / Don’t be afraid. / Raise it right where you are. / Now come to the front. / Don’t stay seated — come. / We want to pray for you personally. / God loves you exactly as you are. / Come. /

Target Spanish rendering:

  1. Esta noche es la noche.
  2. No esperen más.
  3. Si sienten que Dios los está llamando — respondan.
  4. Levanten la mano si quieren que Jesús entre a sus vidas.
  5. No teman.
  6. Levántenla donde están.
  7. Ahora vengan al frente.
  8. No se queden sentados — vengan.
  9. Queremos orar por ustedes personalmente.
  10. Dios los ama tal como son.
  11. Vengan.

Register check: The short, repeated “Come / Vengan” at the end of altar calls is a deliberate rhetorical device. In both languages it should land with weight and warmth — not monotonously. Each repetition should have slightly different emotional emphasis.

Lab 7 — Full Integration: Spanish → English Bidirectional Session

This simulates a live service where the same interpreter renders both directions in sequence. Your partner will read a Spanish sermon opening with commands (you render in English), then an English altar call (you render in Spanish). No pause between them.

Part A — Spanish → English (partner reads):

Hermanos, siéntense por favor. Cierren sus ojos por un momento. / Eliminen las distracciones. Pongan su mente en Dios. / Abran sus corazones. / Recuerden por qué están aquí. / No vengan a este lugar como rutina — vengan como personas que necesitan a Dios. / Escuchen. Dios tiene algo que decirles esta noche. / Abran su Biblia. Busquen en Mateo capítulo once. /

Target English rendering (Part A):

  1. Brothers and sisters, please be seated. Close your eyes for a moment.
  2. Eliminate distractions. Put your mind on God.
  3. Open your hearts.
  4. Remember why you are here.
  5. Do not come to this place as routine — come as people who need God.
  6. Listen. God has something to say to you tonight.
  7. Open your Bible. Turn to Matthew chapter eleven.

Part B — English → Spanish (partner reads):

If you’ve been holding back from God — let go tonight. / Don’t leave this place carrying the same weight you came in with. / Come to the front. / Let us pray for you. / Receive what God has for you. / Don’t wait. Come now. /

Target Spanish rendering (Part B):

  1. Si has estado reteniéndote ante Dios — suéltate esta noche. / Si han estado reteniéndose ante Dios — suéltense esta noche.
  2. No salgan de este lugar cargando el mismo peso con el que entraron.
  3. Vengan al frente.
  4. Déjenos orar por ustedes.
  5. Reciban lo que Dios tiene para ustedes.
  6. No esperen. Vengan ahora.

Lab 8 — Speed Challenge: Command One-Liners (Bidirectional)

Partner alternates Spanish and English items. You render each immediately into the other language:

  1. Abran sus corazones a Dios esta noche. → “Open your hearts to God tonight.”
  2. “Don’t give up — God is faithful.” → No se rindan — Dios es fiel.
  3. No teman. Dios está con ustedes. → “Do not fear. God is with you.”
  4. “Come to the front right now.” → Vengan al frente ahora mismo.
  5. Compartan el evangelio con sus vecinos. → “Share the gospel with your neighbors.”
  6. “Raise your hand if you want prayer.” → Levanten la mano si quieren oración.
  7. Lean la Biblia cada día. → “Read the Bible every day.”
  8. “Let us pray together.” → Oremos juntos.
  9. No se olviden de orar por sus familias. → “Do not forget to pray for your families.”
  10. “Open your Bible to Ephesians chapter two.” → Abran su Biblia en Efesios capítulo dos.
  11. Reciban la paz de Dios en sus corazones. → “Receive the peace of God in your hearts.”
  12. “Don’t let doubt steal what God has given you.” → No dejen que la duda les robe lo que Dios les ha dado.
  13. Síganme en esta oración. → “Follow me in this prayer.”
  14. “Go and make disciples of all nations.” → Vayan y hagan discípulos de todas las naciones.
  15. No se conformen con menos de lo que Dios tiene para ustedes. → “Do not settle for less than what God has for you.”

Lab Completion Checklist

  • Lab 1 (Spanish → English sermon commands) completed — formal imperative forms rendered naturally
  • Lab 2 (nosotros commands) completed — “Let us…” constructions fluent
  • Lab 3 (negative commands) completed — no + subjunctive rendered without hesitation
  • Lab 4 (Spanish altar call → English) completed — emotional register evaluated in playback
  • Lab 5 (English → Spanish sermon commands) completed — ustedes imperatives produced accurately
  • Lab 6 (English altar call → Spanish) completed — commands with pronouns and emotional delivery
  • Lab 7 (full bidirectional session) completed — smooth direction switch with no loss of register
  • Lab 8 (speed challenge) completed — all 15 items rendered immediately in the correct direction

See also: Missionary Application, Lesson 5 — Altar Call and Invitation Language

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