The aim writing this essay is to understand and to explain difficulties with communications during sign language interpreting at the Video Relay Service (VRS). Another aim is also to identify the necessery conditions for communications at the VRS and to investigate why difficulties may arise in lack of these necessary conditions. The questions of this essay are: Which are the vital important difficulties in communication at the VRS and why do these difficulties arise? To answer these questions, four sign language interpreters working with the VRS, have been interviewed. These interviews constitute the empirical data of the essay. The interviews has been analysed from an interpreting perspective as seen from Wadensjö, Chernov and Atwood & Gray. The teoretical base of the essay is also seen from Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective and his model of production formats and also from Habermas’ theory about action types. The conclusions of this essay is that agreement of the service and of the conversations cast assignment, is very important for the conversation to be continued at the VRS, in lack of these difficulties will appear for the interpreters. The interpreters’ possibilities to anticipate are related to the context of the situation. For the conversation to continue the interpreter do have to take an active responsibility and arrange the conditions for the communication, otherwise difficulties will appear.

<p>The aim writing this essay is to understand and to explain difficulties with communications during sign language interpreting at the Video Relay Service (VRS). Another aim is also to identify the necessery conditions for communications at the VRS and to investigate why difficulties may arise in lack of these necessary conditions. The questions of this essay are: Which are the vital important difficulties in communication at the VRS and why do these difficulties arise?</p><p>To answer these questions, four sign language interpreters working with the VRS, have been interviewed. These interviews constitute the empirical data of the essay. The interviews has been analysed from an interpreting perspective as seen from Wadensjö, Chernov and Atwood & Gray. The teoretical base of the essay is also seen from Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective and his model of production formats and also from Habermas’ theory about action types.</p><p>The conclusions of this essay is that agreement of the service and of the conversations cast assignment, is very important for the conversation to be continued at the VRS, in lack of these difficulties will appear for the interpreters. The interpreters’ possibilities to anticipate are related to the context of the situation. For the conversation to continue the interpreter do have to take an active responsibility and arrange the conditions for the communication, otherwise difficulties will appear.</p>