A few weeks ago, I gave a talk as part of DG Interpretation’s Universities Conference in Brussels, which was held on the theme “Modern Learning Times, New Learning Needs”. Now, the transcript of that talk has been posted on the blog run by the interpreter group AIB, of which I am a member. You’ll find it here, together with a link to the conference proceedings and recorded webstream:
Interpreter Training and E-learning: A Match Made in Heaven?
Happy reading!
The Interpreter Diaries are off to Brazil! I’ve been asked by AIIC Brazil to run a workshop on IT and blended learning for interpreter trainers in the beautiful town of Curitiba on January 29-31, 2016.
This will be the fourth in a series of AIIC Training workshops on new technologies in interpreter training (following on from similar events held in Maputo, Paris and Seoul). The three-day course will be intensely practical, with hands-on sessions taking participants through the creation of their own online materials, guided tours of the virtual interpreting classroom, and more.
I’m told there are still four spots open on the course, so please spread the news to your colleagues in the Americas (note that attendees may be eligible to apply for a bursary to cover travel costs).
I’ll leave you with the blurb from the workshop’s registration page – and I hope to see you in Brazil!
IT is becoming an essential tool for students and trainers in all fields, and interpreter training can benefit enormously from technological developments. Virtual learning, a trend that has taken the world of post-secondary education by storm, can allow both established and up-and-coming interpreting programs to extend their reach while maximizing their use of resources, and enhance the training experience for both students and trainers.
In this hands-on workshop, Michelle Hof will take participants through topics such as:
–Best practice in face-to-face and online interpreter training
–Practical aspects of the virtual classroom and online learning platforms
–Teaching and testing interpreting skills using virtual technology
–Effective blended learning approaches
–Leveraging online and offline resources in the interpreting classroom
The summer professional development season is swiftly approaching, and it’s my pleasure to announce that my colleagues at the University of La Laguna have decided to offer something new this year. This June, Dick Fleming and I will be running a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop here on Tenerife as part of the University’s INTTRA training initiative.
The ToT workshop will focus on practical tips and tricks for teaching in both on-site and virtual interpreting classrooms. It will run over the course of three days at the end of June and be held in the sunny southern end of the island (yes, there are plenty of beaches nearby 😉 ).
I’m very excited about this new ToT initiative. The aim is to create a bridge between the more “traditional” forms of classroom-based learning and new approaches in the virtual sphere. We’ll be combining Dick’s years of experience training on-site at the European Commission in Brussels with the lessons I have learned while cutting my teeth over the past few years in the virtual classroom. Together, we’ll examine best practice in both settings and explore how on-site lessons can be adapted for virtual delivery, among other things. Participants will be encouraged to bring along their own questions and case studies for discussion in the group, and will run practical exercises to put ideas into practice. I know from past ToT experiences that great things happen when interpreter trainers come together – and this time as well, I am counting on watching the ideas fly!
To find out more about the workshop and consult the detailed schedule, please check out our infomation page. To reserve your spot, you can either drop us a line at masteric@ull.es or pre-register on the INTTRA workshop page.
Hope to see you in June!
The Interpreter Diaries 