Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Find out more at https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/internationalperspectives
"Sign Language Interpreting Education in Ireland" | Chapter summary in Irish Sign Language (ISL)
Chapter authors: Sarah Sheridan, Teresa Lynch, and Lorraine Leeson
From “International Perspectives on Sign Language Translator and Interpreter Education”
Edited by Jemina Napier, Stacey Webb, and Robert Adam
Published by Gallaudet University Press
**This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter authors.**
Visual description: The signer, Ms. Teresa Lynch, is a white woman aged 62. She is using Irish Sign Language. She has shoulder-length hair that is bright purple and white. She is dressed in a black, round-neck top with long sleeves. She wears a pendant necklace and earrings. The background is a plain blue wall, and to her left, a dark green plant is visible.
Transcript:
This chapter is co-authored by Dr. Sarah Sheridan, Professor Lorraine Leeson, and myself, Ms. Teresa Lynch. Dr. Sheridan and Professor Leeson are hearing, whereas I am deaf. Collectively, we have extensive experience in lecturing interpreting students; additionally, I teach Irish Sign Language (ISL) and work as a part-time interpreter. Dr. Sheridan instructs both undergraduate and postgraduate (applied linguistics) students, while Professor Leeson holds the position of Associate Vice Provost for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
This chapter presents an overview of ISL/English interpreter training in Ireland, exploring the profession's development, historical milestones, challenges, barriers, and funding issues. We also discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lecturing and the establishment of specialized training for deaf interpreters. The Centre for Deaf Studies (CDS) remains the sole provider of university-level ISL/English interpreter education in Ireland. Initially offering a diploma in 1992, the CDS now provides a degree program. Currently, there is no postgraduate qualification available specifically for ISL/English interpreters. Nonetheless, many of our students have pursued postgraduate studies in fields pertinent to the Deaf community, such as counselling and law. It is hoped that future offerings will include a dedicated postgraduate course at the CDS.
The recent training of deaf interpreters was initiated after attempts to encourage deaf students to enrol in our four-year program met with little interest. The Irish Sign Language Act (2017) recognizes ISL alongside Ireland's other official languages, Irish and English, thus providing it legal protection. Consequently, we secured funding to implement a one-year continuous professional development program for deaf interpreters. This initiative coincided with the onset of COVID-19, leading to the training of 24 students online via Zoom. Teaching these new online students posed significant challenges due to the absence of in-person contact and opportunities for face-to-face group collaboration. Despite these obstacles, we persevered using the Zoom format.
Simultaneously, our hearing undergraduate students experienced a substantial shift to online learning due to the pandemic. We were concerned about their well-being while ensuring the curriculum, underpinned by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), underpinned our approach. Teaching and learning a second language in a 2D format presents unique challenges, which we navigated with care and mindfulness. This experience warrants future research.
Student enrolment numbers have fluctuated over the years, and as the only third-level provider of such training in Ireland, we must consider strategies to address this issue, including attracting students from across the country. Online teaching presents one potential solution. However, it may be beneficial to cap class sizes at a maximum of 15 students to ensure manageability and focus. Additionally, our small team of six colleagues highlights the need for more resources to enhance ISL/English interpreter training opportunities across Ireland, beyond Dublin (capital city).
This concludes our chapter summary.
Find out more at https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/internationalperspectives
"Sign Language Interpreting Education in Ireland" | Chapter summary in Irish Sign Language (ISL)
Chapter authors: Sarah Sheridan, Teresa Lynch, and Lorraine Leeson
From “International Perspectives on Sign Language Translator and Interpreter Education”
Edited by Jemina Napier, Stacey Webb, and Robert Adam
Published by Gallaudet University Press
**This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter authors.**
Visual description: The signer, Ms. Teresa Lynch, is a white woman aged 62. She is using Irish Sign Language. She has shoulder-length hair that is bright purple and white. She is dressed in a black, round-neck top with long sleeves. She wears a pendant necklace and earrings. The background is a plain blue wall, and to her left, a dark green plant is visible.
Transcript:
This chapter is co-authored by Dr. Sarah Sheridan, Professor Lorraine Leeson, and myself, Ms. Teresa Lynch. Dr. Sheridan and Professor Leeson are hearing, whereas I am deaf. Collectively, we have extensive experience in lecturing interpreting students; additionally, I teach Irish Sign Language (ISL) and work as a part-time interpreter. Dr. Sheridan instructs both undergraduate and postgraduate (applied linguistics) students, while Professor Leeson holds the position of Associate Vice Provost for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
This chapter presents an overview of ISL/English interpreter training in Ireland, exploring the profession's development, historical milestones, challenges, barriers, and funding issues. We also discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lecturing and the establishment of specialized training for deaf interpreters. The Centre for Deaf Studies (CDS) remains the sole provider of university-level ISL/English interpreter education in Ireland. Initially offering a diploma in 1992, the CDS now provides a degree program. Currently, there is no postgraduate qualification available specifically for ISL/English interpreters. Nonetheless, many of our students have pursued postgraduate studies in fields pertinent to the Deaf community, such as counselling and law. It is hoped that future offerings will include a dedicated postgraduate course at the CDS.
The recent training of deaf interpreters was initiated after attempts to encourage deaf students to enrol in our four-year program met with little interest. The Irish Sign Language Act (2017) recognizes ISL alongside Ireland's other official languages, Irish and English, thus providing it legal protection. Consequently, we secured funding to implement a one-year continuous professional development program for deaf interpreters. This initiative coincided with the onset of COVID-19, leading to the training of 24 students online via Zoom. Teaching these new online students posed significant challenges due to the absence of in-person contact and opportunities for face-to-face group collaboration. Despite these obstacles, we persevered using the Zoom format.
Simultaneously, our hearing undergraduate students experienced a substantial shift to online learning due to the pandemic. We were concerned about their well-being while ensuring the curriculum, underpinned by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), underpinned our approach. Teaching and learning a second language in a 2D format presents unique challenges, which we navigated with care and mindfulness. This experience warrants future research.
Student enrolment numbers have fluctuated over the years, and as the only third-level provider of such training in Ireland, we must consider strategies to address this issue, including attracting students from across the country. Online teaching presents one potential solution. However, it may be beneficial to cap class sizes at a maximum of 15 students to ensure manageability and focus. Additionally, our small team of six colleagues highlights the need for more resources to enhance ISL/English interpreter training opportunities across Ireland, beyond Dublin (capital city).
This concludes our chapter summary.
