The National Center initiated and sponsors the “Effective Practices in Teaching Interpreting” initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to identify and promote effective practices in teaching interpreting and to increase the number of qualified interpreting educators offering effective pre-service and in-service educational opportunities across the US. Our work includes efforts to:

• Identify current, best and effective practices in teaching interpreters
• Offer educational opportunities for current and potential interpreting educators, mentors, and administrators, including communities of learning, professional development, and special-topic seminars that support growth of interpreting educators towards meeting the qualifications needed to teach in 4 yr institutions
• Assess interpreting educator qualifications using the Teaching Interpreting Domains and Competencies (as specifically named in the RSA priorities)
• Support best and effective current assessment processes for interpreter education programs, their resources, curriculum, faculty, and student outcomes.

Under this initiative, the National Center is piloting studies of teachers of interpreting. In partnership with the NEU ASL Program’s Summer Symposia of 2007, 2008, and 2009, and the Masters of Interpreting Pedagogy program in the NEU College of Professional Studies, interpreting teachers were videotaped during their teaching activities. In various years, we have taped experienced ASL and interpreting teachers, novice interpreting teachers, and team teaching settings.

A long-term exploration of teaching practices in interpreting education, this initiative is in its earliest stages. In Year 2 of our funding, a coding system for transcribing the video was developed and is currently being tested, using StudioCode software. Once coded, the system will allow the identification and analysis of teaching practices and approaches. The courses and workshops offered are evaluated using both pre- and post-assessment forms, and also have a follow-up post-assessment after 6 months, in order to determine longer-term effects of the educational opportunities.

Team Lead: Betsy Winston (NIEC)
Team Co-lead: Dennis Cokely (NIEC)
Active support: MJ Billings-Grein (NIEC)
Past support: Anna Davis, NEU ASL Program; Brittany Allen (NIEC)
Contributing Members: Rico Peterson  (NIEC); Laurie Swabey (CATIE)
External Consultants: Lynne Wiesman, Debra Jones, Cindy Williams

Effective Practices Consultant: Arroyo Research Services (Kirk Vandersall)