Relay Interpreting with iPads in Higher Education

NENIČKOVÁ, Veronika. Relay Interpreting with iPads in Higher Education. In ICT for Language Learning. 2015.

Basic information

• Original name: Relay Interpreting with iPads in Higher Education
• Authors: NENIČKOVÁ, Veronika.
• Edition: ICT for Language Learning, 2015.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Field of Study: 50300 5.3 Education
• Country of publisher: Italy
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3MXc9nSaYzqdmQ2TUxSQlJtS3c
• Organization unit: Faculty of Arts
• Keywords (in Czech): iPad, technologie ve vzdělávání, cizí jazyk, tlumočnictví, tlumočení, výuka, simultánní tlumočení,
• Keywords in English: iPad;ICT in Higher Education;Higher Education;Foreign Language;Foreign Language Teaching;Relay Interpreting;Simultaneous Interpreting
• Tags: International impact

Abstract

Relay or indirect interpreting is one of the interpreting modes where the message is conveyed from the source language to the target language via the medium of a third one. In other words, the interpreter does not listen to the speaker but to another interpreter. Relay interpreting is common at large conferences and during official sessions in, for example, the European Parliament. In interpreter training, the equipment accessibility is one of the keys to success. However, not all universities have enough quality equipment to cover all the training needs at all times. Moreover, it may not be flexible enough to facilitate tasks designed by the teacher. In such cases, using iPads may be just the solution. At the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, we succeeded in developing a way of iPad implementation in relay simultaneous interpreting practice that received positive feedback from both teachers and students. iPads gave us the needed flexibility. There are of course other benefits to using iPads, f.e. the price. In comparison to simultaneous interpretation equipment, iPads are much cheaper. Furthermore, they are portable, which means they can be moved from classroom to classroom, and easy to use. And finally, they can accommodate multiple trainings seminars at different language departments throughout the year. Our solution is based on a set of instructions and steps that have to be followed in a particular order to ensure success of the exercise. They involve setting up “a scene”, ensuring a wi-fi connection, adjusting audio volume and using a video player and an audio recording application. Two iPads and two sets of headphones are necessary for a pair of students working together. The number of students practicing at the same time is limited only by the number of iPads. The recordings made during the practice can be used later in the seminar e-learning course where self-evaluation, peer ev., teacher feedback and self-reflection take place.