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DLS capacitates staff through interpreting workshop
Unisa’s Directorate Language Services (DLS) hosted a Microsoft Teams Interpreting Workshop on 17 and 18 July 2024 at the Unisa Science Campus. The workshop was facilitated by the Stellenbosch University Language Centre. Among the attendees were Unisa staff members from the DLS, Tuition Support and Facilitation of Learning and myUnisa Operations. The DLS plans to gradually roll out the interpreting service within Unisa during 2025.
Staff members from the Directorate Language Services, Tuition Support and Facilitation of Learning, myUnisa Operations and the Stellenbosch University Language Centre
The mandate of the DLS is to provide institutional language services and implement the multilingual language policy that mainstreams Indigenous South African Official Languages (ISAOL), as well as South African Sign Language (SASL), which was recently declared one of the country’s official languages, as media for conducting university business.
The aim of introducing an interpreting service within the DLS is to actualise and implement Unisa language policy and other national language prescripts such as the Constitution, the Use of Official Languages Act 12 of 2012, the Pan South African Language Board Act 59 of 1995 and the Department of Higher Education and Training Framework of 2020 – that promote the use and advancement of indigenous languages in teaching and learning at South Africa’s institutions of higher learning.
Stellenbosch University Language Centre Facilitator, Christine Joubert, explaining the interpreting process to attendees
The interpreting service seeks to build knowledge and bridges between languages and culture while at the same time fulfilling the multilingual policy in different Unisa language processes and other events such as graduations, memorial lectures and disciplinary hearings, whilst removing the language barriers in the teaching and learning environment.
The interpreting services project also aligns with Unisa’s Catalytic Research Niche Areas and the Sustainable Development Goals, and Student Support and Co-Curricular activities. Lastly, through the introduction of interpreting service the "university makes the means available to assist and advise students and employees in the language of their choice, including South African Sign Language to enhance a student-friendly ethos", as expressed in the recently reviewed Unisa Language Policy of 2022.
Edward de Kock of the Stellenbosch University Language Centre orientating attendees on Real Time Online Interpreting
During the workshop, the attendees were introduced to Real Time Online Interpreting (RTOI), how it started and its current developments at Stellenbosch University. The attendees were further equipped in the interpreting practice, types of interpreting (simultaneous and consecutive), terminology development for interpreting purposes, the importance of a partnership between interpreters and lecturers, among others. The facilitators indicated the benefits of interpreting by highlighting how the interpreting service and interpreters are important in bridging the gap between languages and familiarising academic jargon to students, while at the same time ensuring access and success in their studies, building students’ vocabulary and terminology in two languages, and saving lecturers time and effort. The interpreting service has thus resulted in a higher student pass rate at Stellenbosch University.
The facilitators also engaged the Unisa staff members who participated in the workshop in practical interpreting exercises, where they demonstrated RTOI where the interpreters communicate with lecturers about interpreting in their modules (which they refer to as an Interpreting Kit) as well as the real-time interpreting experience using Microsoft Teams. Concluding the workshop, through its facilitators, the Stellenbosch University Language Centre committed to offer extra support to Unisa’s Directorate Language Services when it comes to implementation of the interpreting service project.
* Submitted by Boitumelo Sekgothe, Study Material Coordinator, Tuition Support and Facilitation of Learning
Publish date: 2024/09/04
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