Debbie Gbenro
The interpretation services department in all of its capacity aims to make the services it offers to students an enriching experience. This is done by providing well trained interpreters, clean headsets amongst many others to students. This ensures that language is not a barrier that denies any student access to education.
The North-West University (NWU) Potchefstroom Campus is home to students from about 60 international countries whom most are non-Afrikaans speaking students. NWU seeks to accommodate all of its students, especially when it comes to language, says Professor Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation at the NWU.
It has been over 10 years since the NWU adopted the use of interpretation services, to accommodate non-Afrikaans speaking students. The university after merging with two other universities in 2004 adopted two other working languages (English and Setswana) noted by the NWU website.
The NWU hires interpreters every year. Successful candidates (part time or full time) that meet the requirements are taken through a 2-3 weeks training programme. After which they are allowed to interpret a lecture, says Johan Zerwick from the Language Directorate of the NWU.
Interpreters are evaluated once they start interpreting in lecture rooms. A senior interpreter is sent to record a lecture for each lesson interpreted by a new interpreter. The lecturer’s voice is recorded and the translation of the interpreter is recorded.
The recording is then transcribed. The translation of the interpreter compared to the lecturers speech should be at least 95% accurate. If not, the interpreter is helped to improve by Zerwick.
There are logistics and preparations done ahead of a lecture. Pieter Potgieter, senior technical assistant of the NWU Interpretation Services said: "Every staff member is provided with a case, in it is a microphone, batteries and headsets. Interpreters go to the venue before a lecture to pick up the equipment needed for the lecture room. After class they come back to charge the equipment."
Jean-Mari Redelinghuys, an interpreter, says,“I email the lecturer beforehand to request lecturer information about the topic for preparation.”
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