BSL Translation
- Provide selected vocabulary explanations with a visual presentation
We illustrate this with screenshots from University of Reading’s Begin Robotics on FutureLearn.
Both the unenhanced and enhanced ‘Welcome to Begin Robotics’ video sections provide glossaries of terms.
Figure 1 is unenhanced. The glossary is accessed through a hyperlink. It also contains many more terms than the ones that might be needed to understand the ‘Welcome to Begin Robotics’ clips. Learners might therefore find it difficult to work out exactly what help they will need to make the clips more understandable.
Fig. 1 (unenhanced)
In the enhanced version – Figure 2- terms that may be less easy to understand but which are key to making sense of the clips have been identified and displayed within the body of an introductory text itself. In other words, learners know straight away that they are important and don’t have to do anything else to access them.
Fig. 2 (enhanced)
BSL Translation
We have not translated the glossary of terms into BSL despite this being one of our recommendations. But Figure 3 shows a signed example of another set of materials for reference. BSL translation for material such as a technical glossary is best done in advance allowing for detailed preparation by the interpreter.
However, live BSL translation for technical terminology can be difficult or time-intensive to adopt. In practice, interpreters may be called upon to do on-the spot translations of technical terminology and this may be problematic. Each interpreter tends to bring something different to this interaction, based on their own training and experience, and as such the information given may not be consistently expressed.
It would be wise to check the interpreter’s knowledge of the specialised subject and/or ease of access to certain BSL vocabulary associated with the given subject prior to booking on-the-spot interpreting.
Fig. 3
