Teaching with interpreters

• Speech-to-text interpretation

Speech-to-text interpretation is performed by trained and experienced speech-to-text interpreters. They type everything they hear during class and send the text to a screen provided for the student, allowing them to follow the class. The interpretation is usually intra-lingual in Swedish or English. This means that what is said in Swedish is transcribed into written Swedish, and what is said in English is transcribed into written English. Since not all speech-to-text interpreters are proficient in interpreting English, it is important to book interpreters with the right competence. For a course normally conducted in Swedish, the course coordinator should notify the interpreting service of any temporary changes in the language of instruction if it is not clearly stated in the schedule.

• Sign language interpretation

Sign language interpretation is carried out by trained and experienced sign language interpreters. They interpret everything they hear from Swedish into Swedish Sign Language, and everything signed in Swedish Sign Language into spoken Swedish. If teaching is conducted in English, it is interpreted into Swedish Sign Language and from Swedish Sign Language into English. Not all sign language interpreters have English as one of their working languages. For courses usually taught in Swedish, the course coordinator should notify the interpreting service of any temporary changes in the language of instruction if not clearly stated in the schedule.

• Deafblind interpretation

Few students with deaf-blindness study in higher education. Students with deaf-blindness can be divided into two groups: those who primarily use Swedish Sign Language and those who primarily use spoken Swedish, which often determines whether the student prefers a sign language interpreter or a speech-to-text interpreter. The interpreting method is then adapted to the degree of visual impairment. For students requesting speech-to-text interpretation, the text can be displayed on a screen in large text or via a display for tactile reading. For students preferring sign language interpretation, the signed language can be adjusted in distance and/or size according to the student’s needs. Tactile sign language can also be an option.

Who needs which support?

The degree of hearing loss says very little about the need for an interpreter during studies. For some students, dialogue situation may work well without an interpreter, but lectures may need to be interpreted. The context also determines the need for an interpreter and the preferred interpreting method. A student who uses sign language interpretation may prefer speech-to-text interpretation for lectures but sign language interpretation for seminars and group tasks. The opposite may also be true. The type of education can also influence the choice of interpreting method. A good example is studies in law, a subject where much legal text is read aloud, which is not always suited to be interpreted into another language.

• Interpreting in all courses and subjects

The interpreting service at Stockholm University has provided interpretation for students in over 400 courses in a wide range of subjects at various universities. Examples include the law program, Latvian language studies, the special education program, economics, the career guidance program, the nursing program, art pedagogy, Swedish Sign Language studies, computational linguistics, National school leadership training program, psychology and English.
Several students have completed their PhD studies and defended their theses, in disciplines such as law, linguistics, engineering physics, and economics.

• Programs with workplace-based education

In programs with workplace-based education, interpreters accompany students to their work place, ensuring they have support there as well.

• Deaf and hearing-impaired students complete their studies

Although there are no available statistics, our experience shows that students who study with an interpreter often complete their studies. As with all students, there can be various reasons for dropping out but one reason related to hearing status is how the course objectives are formulated. In recent years, there has been discussions about how syllabi can be formulated to make education more accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, as well as students with deaf-blindness.

• Openly formulated syllabi

For deaf students, openly formulated syllabi can be crucial for creating an inclusive educational environment. For example, language courses can focus on language comprehension instead of listening comprehension, and nursing programs can require knowledge of how to measure blood pressure without necessarily requiring the use of a stethoscope. This is not about lowering standards, but about offering possibilities to alternative ways for students to demonstrate their knowledge.

It is important to early on address potential barriers to achieve course goals related to disabilities with the student. Course and program coordinators should collaborate with the student to find solutions as soon as obstacles are identified.

What the interpreters do before the teaching session

It is essential that teachers are informed and that interpreters are well-prepared. By informing the teacher of teach with interpreters, well in advance of the teaching session, a good foundation for future collaboration is established. The teacher gains an understanding of the interpreters’ need for preparation and can prepare for the presence of interpreters in the classroom. Before each lesson, one of the interpreters will contact you to request preparation materials for the interpreters. These materials are not shared further; they are strictly used for preparing the interpretation and are then deleted.

Tip:
Good preparation materials include:

• course literature
• powerpoint presentations

• lecture notes

One essential part of sign language interpreters’ preparation work is to discuss and agree on how different technical terms should be interpreted. On the other hand, the speech-to-text interpreters work with their glossaries of technical terms and establish abbreviations for them, which are then pre-entered into the computer speech-to-text interpretation software.

What the interpreters do during the teaching session

The interpreters present themselves to the teacher before the class starts and check their placement, as well as the lighting and sound conditions. Interpreters usually work in pairs, where one interprets actively while the other monitors and ensures that all information is interpreted accurately. After about 15 minutes, they switch roles, as simultaneous interpreting requires full concentration and a high cognitive effort. By working in a team, interpreters can maintain a high level of accuracy and quality over longer periods of time. If the interpreters ask questions during class, it is usually to ask you to repeat something you said, not to ask for an explanation.
At the start of the course, other students may notice the interpreters, but their presence soon becomes a natural part of the teaching environment.

What the interpreter do after the teaching session

Evaluating their interpreting performance is an important part of the preparation for the next session. If more than two interpreters are involved in a course, knowledge sharing about newly established technical terms and their translations is necessary. To facilitate this, interpreters often create a chat group, for instance on WhatsApp. A chat group is a quick and easy tool for managing recorded technical terms regardless of language.

The shift to online teaching has accelerated rapidly since the early 2020s. This change has brought both opportunities and challenges. Interpreting in an educational setting that is either completely on-site or completely remotely is now technically easy to solve. However, hybrid teaching, where the interpreters are remote while the students are physically present, is more challenging.

Collaboration between teachers and interpreters

For the remote interpreting to work, it is important that the electronic equipment is up to date, and that there is good collaboration between the teacher and interpreters. The student should not have to worry about the technology but should be able to focus strictly on their learning. The responsibility for ensuring that the teaching is accessible falls on the department, but the cooperation between teachers and interpreters is just as important.

Tip:
Connect your computer and share your screen in a joint meeting with the interpreters, so they can see what you are showing the students.

Equipment for interpretation

To facilitate the technical aspects of remote speech-to-text or sign language interpretation, the following equipment can be used:

• Mobile phone: Connect it to a remote meeting, such as Zoom.
• Microphone: Use a (wired) microphone for the teacher to wear.
• Tablet: A tablet should be available in the room for the student to view the speech-to-text or sign language interpretation.

The teacher must repeat all questions and comments from students so that the interpreters can hear what is being said. For seminars involving discussions, an extra mobile phone, tablet, or computer connected to the same remote meeting is needed. This device should be placed central in the room and connected to a conference microphone.

There are also solutions involving two microphones connected to the computer that is linked to the remote meeting, one for the teacher and one for the students to share.

The student will also need a computer or tablet connected to a link, provided by the interpreters, to be able to read the interpreted text.
An important technical detail regarding sign language interpretation is that the tablet or computer needs a camera. It is used when the sign language student signs, allowing the interpreters to translate it into spoken Swedish.

Equipment for hybrid teaching with remote interpreters

Phone:
Any model that can connect to remote meetings can be used. It is preferable that the phone does not have a call subscription that could interrupt the meeting, but it should be able to connect to Eduroam. The student logs in with their student account to participate in the meeting. If an old phone is being used, make sure that the battery status is good.

Microphone:
A wired microphone is recommended over wireless, as it is a cheap and reliable solution. Ensure the microphone plug fits the phone. A conference microphone is also a good option, especially for group work or discussions during seminars. There are solutions with two conference microphones connected together.

Tablet:
The students can use a laptop, mobile phone, or tablet to read the speech-to-text interpretation or view the sign language interpretation. The tablet should ideally not have a call subscription but must be able to connect to Eduroam. The student logs in with their student account to join the remote meeting. The student can also choose to use their own device.

Hybrid teaching with teachers and interpreters on site

In cases where sign language interpreters are on-site with the teacher, while students are remote, the camera directed at the teacher should also show the interpreter. There is a risk that the image of the sign language interpreter may be too small to be clearly visible. The best option is to direct another camera at the interpreter, with a separate connection to the remote meeting. The student studying with a sign language interpreter can pin the interpreters in the meeting and adjust the window size accordingly.