Last updated on June 12th, 2024 at 09:12 am

Distance Learning, Opportunities for Multilingual Learning

From preschools to universities, schools across the United States have a responsibility to their students and staff to keep them safe to the best of their abilities. Since early spring 2020, thousands of students and teachers have been quarantined and unable to operate on school grounds.

With schools, universities, and educational institutions starting their new instruction cycle this fall with a new normal worldwide, distant education is a favored option and the technology has enabled a classroom that is multilingual and efficient without borders.

In order to continue educating students, many schools have moved classes online and most have a mixed approach. As with in-person education, having the proper professionals in the right places is crucial for the education system to work. Education translation services are more necessary than ever now as we alter our approach to education, both at the administrative and student level.

But online classes can be live with a teacher or facilitator or can use pre-created eLearning modules. The possibilities are endless and even more opportunities come when the multilingual ingredient is added to the mix.

Today, we’ll examine how educational translation works from the perspective of a translation company. We’ll look at the new ways translation for educational institutions are used and how those blend with existing uses for educational translation.

The Virtual Classroom

Schools are usually places where a lot of in-person social interaction takes place in heavily populated spaces, but social distancing makes that impossible. At this moment many schools are reopening with mixed results. Some are able to operate well while others had to shut their doors again after only a few days. In other areas other schools have no immediate plans to reopen and are keeping classes online, and different areas have different policies governing whether or not to open their buildings.

That’s a major reason why we are helping so many educational institutions right now with language services, including document translation and phone interpretation to communicate with students and parents about procedures and guidelines in order to keep everybody informed in their language of preference.

How else do translation and interpretation services benefit academic institutions?

The Case for Multilingual Classrooms

There are several ways educational translation and interpretation services benefit schools of all sizes, including:

• Schools can take on more multilingual and international students. This is a smart move for the school’s bottom line. We see many universities re-enforcing their effort to market to international students and their parents, from introductory levels to more advanced courses.
• Schools can take on multilingual teachers, professors, and administrative staff. Investing in language services often has a snowball effect that extends the scope of a school’s interactions in different directions.
• Schools can offer a fuller curriculum when they have professionally translated material for training and marketing including eLearning courses and training materials, presentations, and more.
• The students get a better education, both from having access to a much greater range of educational material and gaining a larger perspective from engaging with their multilingual teachers and peers.
• Students get the marks they deserve. Not being fluent in a language puts a student at a major disadvantage, even if they would excel at the course otherwise. Language programs and professionally translated educational material removes that obstacle.

Stats and Figures that Support Translation for Education

To get a look at the scale of these benefits, let’s take a look at some numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). In 2017, about 5 million, or just over 10% of the U.S. student body was an English Language Learner or ELL. Compare that to fall 2000, when that figure was just over 8%, or 3.8 million students.

The Kids Count Data Center reports that in 2016, almost 25%, or 1 in 4, of children in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home. Of these ELLs, Spanish speakers represent over 75% or 3 out of 4.

From 2001-2017, the number of international students coming to the U.S. more than doubled.

How We Help

When translating for educational institutions, a translation company has to be thorough. The educational materials and other documents we translate include the following items.

School Curricula

Lesson plans and syllabi need to be translated and arranged in such a way that every student can follow them. Textbooks must be translated by a professional who is not only fluent in the source and target language, but in the subject matter. Tests and quizzes must be professionally translated to ensure accuracy, whether given on paper or virtually.

Public Service Announcements

During a period where a pandemic is being managed, it is especially important to keep students, faculty, and families informed. Announcements, releases, and media material of all kinds must not only be accurate but on time. We also provide video translation, transcription, and voiceovers for eLearning courses and training.

Academic Guides

These include campus maps, safety guidelines, school policies, and guides of all sorts. The United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights dictates that “Schools must communicate information to limited English proficient parents in a language they can understand about any program, service, or activity that is called to the attention of parents who are proficient in English.” These programs, services, and activities include enrollment forms, performance reports, and language assistance programs.

Personal Documents

Students must satisfy an academic institution’s requirements for personal documents. We translate immigration papers, birth certificates, academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, and essays. We also offer certified translations guaranteed to hold up under scrutiny by any educational institution.

Remote Interpretation

Remote interpretation for education is another language service in high demand right now. Phone interpretation allows communication between schools and governments, with other schools, with students, with families, and with staff. We have access to professional phone interpreters when you need them, as well as remote interpreters to assist with virtual classes, addresses, and Q&A sessions. Families can talk with staff about their child’s progress, schedule parent-teacher conferences, report illnesses, and so on. Language interpretation service can be remote or on-site but due to restrictions and regulation, it is important to plan ahead with enough time to secure resources and design the needs for an effective and successful interpretation event.

Multilingual eLearning Programs

ELearning content can be translated to engage more learners and broaden the reach of courses and training. You need to work with an experienced translation company as a partner for the localization of eLearning since those use different mediums and file formats. From the translation of videos, XML files, quizzes, course documentation to online help, consistency and a flawless workflow will ensure the success of the translation of your e-learning course. The translation of eLearning courses and training modules is also in high demand during this new wave of the virtual classroom.

Reducing Isolation

In a time of social distancing and reduced in-person communication, language does not need to be another element keeping us apart or keeping us quiet. Language services reduce social isolation by allowing students and families to fully engage with the institution, the material, and their fellow students. Going to school isn’t only about earning credentials on paper—the connections we make at educational institutions can influence us for the rest of our lives. Students may choose to stay in their country of study and add their talents to a local business or make their careers elsewhere depending on their experiences in school.

Teaching Each Other in a Multilingual World

While we protect our safety by going virtual, we can enhance our students’ education by going multilingual. We offer language services to promote connection and the sharing of ideas. If you’re in need of academic document translation or interpretation services, we are ready to discuss your needs and give you a quote.