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Training the Trainers of the Trainers: team-working across boundaries to turn a dream into a reality. Department of Languages & Intercultural Studies (LINCS) Centre for Translation & Interpreting Studies in Scotland (CTISS). Christine WL Wilson & Rita McDade. Background The Project (ToT) - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Training the Trainers of the Trainers:team-working across boundaries
to turn a dream into a reality
Department of Languages & Intercultural Studies (LINCS)Centre for Translation & Interpreting Studies in Scotland (CTISS)
Christine WL Wilson & Rita McDade
Background
The Project (ToT)
Team-working & Collaboartion
Positive Aspects
Challenges
BACKGROUND
British Sign Language
(BSL)
Indigenous heritage language
(4th most used language in UK after English, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic)
BACKGROUND
BSL
PREFERRED LANGUAGE
Deaf Community
Scotland = 6,000+
UK = 60,000+
BACKGROUND
BSL
FIRST LANGUAGE
Children of Deaf Parents
- Deaf + hearing -
BACKGROUNDBSL
ADDITIONAL ACQUIRED LANGUAGE
Deaf deafened
family friends colleagues
(ad hoc / at school / evening classes)
BACKGROUNDBSL
USED AT WORK
interpreters
social workers
teachers of Deaf children...
BACKGROUND
BSL
NATURAL LANGUAGE
X artificial communication system
(Sign Supported English, Makaton ...)
BACKGROUND
BSL
ViSUAL-GESTURAL LANGUAGE
handshapes + lip-patterns + facial expression …
GRAMMAR + SYNTAX
BACKGROUNDBSL
X VISUAL VERSION
OF ENGLISH
BACKGROUNDBSL
X UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE
c. 6000 sign languages ?+ Creoles+ dialects
BACKGROUNDBSL
X WRITTEN FORM
NOTATION
(for transcription)
BACKGROUNDBSL
RECOGNISED AS MINORITY LANGUAGE OF UK
18 March 2003
BACKGROUND
4 September 2003
SIGN LANGUAGES RECOGNISED AS MINORITY LANGUAGES WITHIN EU
BACKGROUNDLEGISLATION
Disability Discrimination Act (2005)
Special Education Needs Discrimination Act (2001)
Human Rights Legislation
BACKGROUNDScottish Executive
mainstreaming of equality
promotion of bilingualism + multilinguialism
BACKGROUNDScotland now
Standard Grade Exams in BSL
« Double the number of BSL Interpreters »
First Minster, Jack McConnell Question Time (31 March 2003)
BACKGROUNDPAST
BSLoutlawed - discouraged / devalued
BSL USERSoppression - inequality - lack of opportunities
BACKGROUNDSO ...
● BSL research < 1960s
● ONE BSL Dictionary 1992
● NO complete « grammar »
BACKGROUND« CATCH 22 »
HUGE TASK WILL -> ACTION
LACK
SKILLED PEOPLE
THE PROJECT
GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN TEACHING BSL TUTORS (ToT)
teaching began September 2005
THE PROJECT work began late spring 2003
SCOTTISH TRAINING STRATEGY WORKING GROUP
(STSWG)
THE PROJECTSTSWG
Heriot-Watt University
University of EdinburghSASLI (Scottish Association of Sign Language Interpreters)
SCoD (Scottish Council on Deafness)Forum of Providers of Social Work Services
to Deaf People (Scotland)
THE PROJECTTHE PROBLEM
shortage / competent BSL Tutors
lack of BSL resources + materials
almost no advanced level material
gaps in knowledge re: BSL
researchers = rare
THE PROJECTTHE SOLUTION
competent « teacher-trainers »
train other tutors
+ teach at advanced levels
+ develop materials
+ conduct research
THE PROJECT
cascade
of future
developments
THE PROJECT
SUPPORT & COLLABORATION
Equalities Unit (Scottish Executive)
Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
THE PROJECTFUNDING
Minister for Communities
£360,000
4 November 2004 develop + provide an award-bearing course benchmark for future developments
THE PROJECTCOURSE
at MA level 1-year FT equivalent (PT / 2 yrs) designed for sign language taught in sign language assessment in BSL
THE PROJECT MODULES
Language& Culture
Descriptionof BSL
AdvancedBSL
Studies:structure &
function
SignLinguistics
LanguageLearning
LanguageTeaching 1
ContrastiveLinguistics
LanguageTeaching 2
Visuality &Signed
Language
Socio-linguisticsof Signed
Languages
LanguageTeaching 3
Languagefor SpecialPurposes
THE PROJECT
STUDENTS
experienced BSL Tutors trained assessors all over Scotland English-language skills experience of FE / HE
TEAM-WORKING
AT DEVELOPMENT STAGE
across
institutional + professional boundaries
TEAM-WORKING
COURSE DEVELOPMENT + DELIVERY
import expertise into Scotland
PROFESSORS + RESEARCHERS < Australia; Denmark; California, San Diego +
Washington, USA
TEAM-WORKING
COURSE DEVELOPMENT + DELIVERY
+ collaboration between
guest lecturers different topics within modules - between modules
bridge continuity
TEAM-WORKING
COURSE DEVELOPMENT + DELIVERY
GUEST LECTURER TEAM
across
geographic - linguistic - cultural boundaries
TEAM-WORKING
HERIOT-WATT CORE TEAM
Lecturer (French-language background)Deaf BSL Tutor
+ Professor (BSL)+ Deaf Research Assistant
+ other LINCS lecturers
TEAM-WORKING
HYBRID TEAM
Guest Lecturer(s)
+ HW Core Team
COURSE COORDINATOR
COLLABORATION
POSTIVE ASPECTS OF TEAM WORKING ACROSS
BOUNDARIES
CHALLENGING ASPECTSOF TEAM WORKING ACROSS BOUNDARIES
POSTIVE ASPECTS
Role Models
to illustrate what can be achieved
two-way collaboration in classroom
POSTIVE ASPECTS
Broadening Horizons
distance from local politics
the world outside Scotland
POSTIVE ASPECTS
Exporting FROM Scotland !
Exchange programme (University of New Mexico, USA)
POSTIVE ASPECTS
Opening Minds
working across Deaf / hearing boundaries
ownership of BSL
POSTIVE ASPECTS
The L2 Experience
Family signs
Fruit signs
CHALLENGING ASPECTS
Cultural issuesLanguageUse of EnglishSelf-confidence
KEY TO SUCCESS
Role of the co-ordinator
ROLE OF THE CO-ORDINATOR
Cultural issues
CHALLENGES ?
support lecturer provide local examples
ROLE OF THE CO-ORDINATOR
Language issues
CHALLENGES ?
hearing person in BSL as 2nd language
(e.g. SVO)
ROLE OF THE CO-ORDINATOR
Language issues
CHALLENGES ?
Deaf Guest lecturers in BSL as 2nd/3rd language
- time
ROLE OF THE CO-ORDINATOR
Language issues
CHALLENGES ?
The Unexpected
ROLE OF THE CO-ORDINATOR
Use of English
CHALLENGES ?
Powerpoint / whiteboard English tag: « preparation »
ALSO « backwards » « slip of the tongue » « that was a low trick »
ROLE OF THE CO-ORDINATOR
Self-confidence of lecturers
CHALLENGES ?
moral support practical support
CONCLUSION
STUDENT TEAM FEEDBACK
“It’s working !”
CONCLUSION
Gallaudet University, USA
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Russian, Spanish ...
+ BSL = “just another language”
CONTACT
Tel: +44 131 451 4201
