“Have you ever thought about leading a field school course with Canadian students in a country where the day-to-day language is not English? Have you wondered how students would engage with the local population when they do not speak the same language and engagement is essential to the course learning outcomes? Have you considered the use of interpreters to overcome the language barrier and wondered how it will impact student learning, course outcomes and the overall experience?
Students within the BScN program at Thompson Rivers University have the opportunity to take international field school courses where English is not the first language of the population. During this presentation we will discuss our experience of working with interpreters in a community development course in Nicaragua. Participants will be introduced to the following elements that should be considered when working with interpreters: selection of interpreters, preparation of students to work with interpreters, introduction of interpreters to the course concepts and purpose and the navigation of challenging situations. We will highlight the ups and downs of working with interpreters from the perspectives of the students, faculty and interpreters.
Of Interest to: Post-secondary education, K-12 educators, Instructional designers, Researchers, Educational technologists
