IW 103: Special Report 3: 30 Years BA (Hons) Interpreting BSL/English Program University of Wolverhampton

Amazing moments with amazing people make amazing memories... Amazing, isn't it?

We finish our conversation with Prof Megan Lawton, Sarah Bown, and Rebecca Fenton-Ree, recapping with Megan's advice for starting a sign language interpreting degree today, and hearing some of the amazing moments from all three. But wait, there's more... We also hear from some alumni telling us of their experiences in the program.

Enjoy looking back and looking forward to the future of interpreter education.

Transcript

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IW 103: Special Report Part 3: 30 Years BA (Hons) BSL-English Interpreting University of Wolverhampton

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[ROCK INTRO MUSIC STARTS]

00:00:02 Tim

Good morning, good evening, good afternoon. Wherever you are, this is the Interpreter's Workshop podcast. I'm Tim Curry, your host. Here we talk everything sign language interpreting the ins, the outs, the ups, the downs, the sideways of interpreting. If you're a student, a new interpreter, experienced interpreter, this is the place for you. If you want to know more, go tointerpretersworkshop.com.

00:00:28 Tim

Let's start talking... interpreting.

[ROCK INTRO MUSIC ENDS]

00:00:34 Tim

And now the quote of the day by the influential Italian writer and translator Cesare Pavese.

00:00:43 Tim

"We do not remember days, we remember moments."

00:00:49 Tim

Today, we continue the conversation celebrating the 30th anniversary of the bachelor's program BSL/English interpreting at the University of Wolverhampton.

00:01:00 Tim

We speak again with Professor Megan Lawton, the founder of the program, senior lecturer Sarah Bown and former senior lecturer Rebecca Fenton-Ree.

00:01:13 Tim

We do a recap with Megan about her advice on how to set up your own program today, and we hear about how that happened from Sarah and Becky. And from all of them, we hear about those amazing moments.

00:01:30 Tim

And lastly, we hear from those who have gone on to do great things, the alumni. The quote today is exactly what we all need to hear. We don't always realize that the moment is amazing at that moment.

00:01:47 Tim

We don't realize how amazing it is to be with those people…

00:01:51 Tim

…to be doing those things, to being there. But I think that's what life is all about, being there. Being there now so that you can remember what it was like and how amazing it was.

00:02:06 Tim

So, let's enjoy listening to these amazing moments and reflecting on our own, let's get started.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

00:02:19 Megan

What I would say to anybody who is thinking to start a degree program, an interpreting, [Tim: mhmm] is ask other people who've done it and look at models. So, as I say, we looked at the language interpreting in, in Brussels because they were the experts in that.

00:02:39 Megan

And they were very generous with their time and then we could see well what would work, what do we need to add. And they gave us the structure. So, anybody who's starting, they could contact us, [Tim: mhmm] and we could share the structure. We could share the thinking.

00:02:55 Megan

You know, across any program, the learning outcomes that a program has, we can share those. We can explain what we want to do and how to do it. When you're starting that program, then it is about discussions about how you would assess somebody. So consecutive in- interpreting…

00:03:15 Megan

You know, we had certain scripts. [Tim: mhmm]

00:03:19 Megan

The students would have an assessment where somebody would come in, they would speak.

00:03:25 Megan

And they had to sign that was recorded and that was assessed. [Tim: mhmm]

00:03:28 Megan

A deaf person would come in and sign. They had to voice over. That was then assessed. So, we pushed the boundaries about how you would assess something. So, the use of video to capture assessments, then you want, and you need deaf people fully involved in that curriculum.

00:03:47 Megan

So, I would say to anybody who's starting, talk to your deaf community, get them involved. [Tim: mmm] Get them as full partners in the design program. [Tim: mhmm]

00:04:00 Megan

And that also makes you realize what you must do to enable that to happen. [Tim: mhmm]

00:04:07 Megan

And you might then need to have an interpreter who can get those nuanced discussions about core design up and running, but it's gotta be a collaboration. [Tim: mhmm]

00:04:19 Megan

And I would say ask, you know, go and find models, go and see what people did. Talk to people about what they would do differently. [Tim: mhmm] And I've found people have been very generous with what they've said. But I went after visiting Gallaudet, for example. I felt that was an amazing experience.

00:04:40 Megan

But, but I, I didn't think it was for us [Tim: mhmm] because what it did was create a, an, a wonderful, wonderful world that wasn't reality. And actually, what I wanted is that deaf students who’d study at Wolverhampton could go into the world that exists and the world of work for them, [Tim: mhmm] and be competent and resilient and enabled, for example…

00:05:07 Megan

…if they needed a freelance interpreter in the future to be able to go, “No you, you need, you need to have these skills for me.” And I think that's where probably the Gallaudet model was too utopian in one sense not, or not real, [Tim: mhmm] but by seeing it and experiencing it, made me reflect on what we were trying to do. [Tim: mhmm]

00:05:27 Megan

Wolverhampton, because it came from a Polytechnic, it was very orientated around employability and employment. [Tim: mhmm] And so that aspect of being able to go and work and be part of that world was something that I thought, “Yes, we need to enable that to happen.” [Tim: mhmm]

00:05:49 Megan

And if providing good interpreters who were professionals and respect for the deaf community, if that's what it takes, and that's what we should be doing. [Tim: mhmm]

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

00:06:05 Tim

Looking back now, after you've been away from the program for a while, but you're still close to it, I know it's probably still in your Heart, what do you look back now and think that was amazing? Or this moment really makes me smile.

00:06:22 Megan

I think seeing some of the deaf graduates, there was one who did quantity surveying another person who did computing.

00:06:31 Megan

And seeing the, our program made them able to study and be successful at, uh, at the right level.

00:06:41 Tim

Hmm.

00:06:42 Megan

…in the topics that they wanted to follow for themselves.

00:06:45 Megan

The fact that all of our graduates of the, of the interpreting degree have gone into jobs. [Tim: mhmm] And they are working. You see them everywhere. They are fully engaged, but they have the philosophy that they are there to support deaf people reach their potential. [Tim: mhmm]

00:07:03 Megan

So, it's not about them.

00:07:05 Megan

And they are very modest, very humble.

00:07:08 Megan

And I think that was something that we really wanted to instill, that they are instruments and those instruments enable deaf people to reach their potential. [Tim: mhmm] And I think that… looking back, I still, I’m kind of like, “Oh, my God, why wasn't this done beforehand?” [Tim: hmph] That, that's to me was quite a shock. [Tim: hmm] You know, like really, this is in the like, yeah, early 90s, 1991, when I put the business case together to the university to go… January, it was January 1991 and they were, “OK, pitch the idea to us.”

00:07:44 Megan

And they said, “We'll give you two years pump-priming money, and in those two years, we want you to have a degree course validated with students applying for it.” [Tim: mmm] And the fact that the university put that faith and gave me the money to do it, we put a team together who were like...

00:08:04 Megan

“Huh, we can do this!” So there were some, some great moments, but, but just exploring. I, I love the history of sign language and John Hay was very good at that. And when you find, you see that rich history…

00:08:17 Megan

Why do, why do people only see a disability?! [Tim: mhmm]

00:08:20 Megan

Why do people not see the culture, the richness?!

00:08:26 Megan

And that kind of then… that oppression [Tim: mhmm] of it, “speak at all cost” [Tim: yeah] is the goal. Rather than…

00:08:33 Megan

Let's… “You know, why don't you do a degree in quantity surveying? Why don't you do degree in computing? And that you have the skills and abilities to do that.” I think that to me is what's been the real…

00:08:48 Megan

I look back, and I feel humbled about. [Tim: hmm, yeah]

[ROCK TRANSITION MUSIC STARTS]

00:08:51 Tim

If you enjoy this free content of history, tips, stories, and inspiration, I ask that you support the time and money that I spend to bring you the passion of our profession. By clicking on the link of Buy Me A Coffee. Thank you.

00:09:07 Tim

Let's go back.

[ROCK TRANSITION MUSIC ENDS]

00:09:09 Tim

So, Sarah, Becky, same question that I posed to Megan. What amazing moments do you remember during those developing years?

00:09:22 Sarah

Oh, my goodness numerous, there are so, so, so many so many.

00:09:29 Sarah

But if I start with the students, of course, [Tim: hmm] because we wouldn't be there without the students and it's been a privilege to work with so many interesting and talented individuals and contribute towards their developments and their future careers. And that really is a privilege.

00:09:49 Sarah

But of course, as they say, it takes a village to raise a child, and none of this is done in isolation. So, our wonderful deaf colleagues, without whom none of us would be here either. [Tim: mhmm]

00:10:02 Sarah

As too our students, our external network of individuals and organisations which make opportunities, such as with so many and Becky, will be able to give examples as well, but our highly praised, final year, reflective work placement module possible because of all these connections that we've honed throughout the years.

00:10:23 Sarah

You know, our external examiners, who have solidly and consistently recognized and supported us and what we are doing and the innovation of what we've done and what we've achieved.

00:10:33 Sarah

And, you know, we've had done and created golden moments which have benefited so many and just a few highlights, if I run through a few here.

00:10:43 Sarah

We had projects that incorporated the training of hundreds of nurses in basic BSL. That was a rolling program every summer.

00:10:52 Sarah

In 1998, the Visual Language Centre, which was the support centre for deaf students in the university, [Tim: mhmm] hosted the National Deaf Film and Television Festival in Wolverhampton and that event continues today and is known as Deaf Fest.

00:11:09 Sarah

In 1999, the Visual Language Centre was appointed as the British Sign Language Consultants and monitor to the BBC Worldwide series of Poetry in Motion, which was presented in BSL and International Sign. In 2004, we received we were part of the partnership for the funding that the Government Department of Work and Pensions, the BSL initiatives project into online BSL teaching.

00:11:36 Sarah

We were recipients of some of that funding, which has come as the result of the 2003 government recognition of sign language as a language in its own right. 2005, the lecturing team, and Becky can expand on this, were joint winners of the Silt European awards for the Essential Guide for Health and Social Care Professionals in BSL.

00:11:58 Sarah

You can see why we weren't doing PhD's. [Tim laughs] We were very busy doing all of it.

00:12:03 Sarah

In 2005, we got local Black Country Club Finder funding for partnership in creating a BSL teacher support network. [Tim: mmm]

00:12:13 Sarah

And that was to support regional BSL teachers with their CPD and they would all come in and we would talk about teaching developments, new pedagogy, and they'd go into our film studio, made film-material creation, which would… they take back and work with their students on.

00:12:29 Sarah

Kristiaan, who was our head of department for a very extended period of time, as well as our, our sign linguist, lead all these projects. He was the forerunner in 2006-7 with a funded project to start developing, and Becky was part of this as well, the teaching of BSL as a subject in secondary schools.

00:12:51 Sarah

So, we were doing this back in 2006 and -7 and onwards. And then in 2009 we validated BSL as a teacher training course for a lifelong learning opportunity.

00:13:03 Sarah

2014, the NRCPT accredited us with the highest level of interpreter registration. The registered sign language interpreter status for graduates at undergraduate level with a first-class honors. And then in recent years we've had the launch of our Masters in interrupting for interpreters and translators.

00:13:24 Sarah

And we would have done that much earlier on, Kristiaan put the proposal through a very expensive piece of work. The university approved it.

00:13:32 Sarah

And then we found half of our team decided to go off and have babies, [Tim and Sarah chuckling] and some of our team went off and retired. So that's why he delayed that for a while. But you know, it's on track now. So, you know, those are just a few highlights of so many things that we did that… there's our golden memories that did so much for so many others.

00:13:54 Sarah

Becky, do you want to expand on that?

00:13:57 Becky

I, I was just going to mention that the projects and the awards, and it was great because we did so many different things and with the team we would go off and deliver the various training or develop CD-ROMs we developed, CD-ROMs that were interactive.

00:14:16 Becky

Eh, no one had done that before.

00:14:18 Becky

And we were so proud of our CD-ROM…

00:14:20 Becky

NOW, I mean, you say CD-ROM and probably my teenagers, that I teach would go, “What do you do with it?” [Tim and Becky burst out laughing]

00:14:28 Becky

But yes, we were so innovative in the technology and the resources and it, it…

00:14:34 Becky

…just, it just appealed to our creative nature, like, “OK, we've got this project, absolutely. Let's do it.” [Tim: mhmm] It was, it was just, it stretched us. We thought, “Well, we can't do any more.” Then we get to the end of the project and we go, “Well, blimey, we did it!” [both laughing]

00:14:49 Becky

“We did it and we got an award for it!” [laughter]

00:14:51 Sarah

Somehow, somehow, we found the time. [Tim: mmm] And we had the freedom, even though we were teaching round the clock and developing this program.

00:15:00 Sarah

There was always, you know, Kristiaan would always find more funding, more opportunities. He had more networks. He was developing all the time. And all the time, all of that always came back into developing teaching, developing the profession, developing the community, you know, bringing more deaf people into what we were doing.

00:15:19 Sarah

So, the whole thing was constantly, you know, circular in a sense, nothing ever stood out as a standalone that didn't benefit something else.

00:15:29 Becky

Well, the BSL, TSN, the Deaf Teacher Support Network, that was instrumental in developing our sign language teaching team.

00:15:37 Tim

Hmm.

00:15:38 Becky

Because they were like, “Oh, I want to be involved in the University.” We were like, “Yes, come on, be involved, be part of the project, be part of something.” So, it was great that those projects really reached out to the deaf community, and we developed those great partnerships.

00:15:51 Sarah

And it was instrumental as well in helping to support deaf tutors working out in the community, wasn't it? And it was bringing the community in and supporting the community further afield as well.

00:16:02 Becky

Yeah, there was no support of the deaf teachers, really, back then.

00:16:06 Becky

So, for us to, to deliver training and resource making, was just… “What? We're doing is for free?” “Yes, absolutely. Come on over. We're going to give you a bit of theory, show you what you can do in the studio and develop some resources.”

00:16:19 Sarah

It was a different time, [Becky: mmm] yeah.

00:16:21 Tim

Yeah.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

00:16:26 Tim

What is something you wish you could tell your alumni that you could not tell them when they were students?

00:16:33 Sarah

I think I would say what I say to them now. Enjoy all of it. You've got time. There's no rush and it will be all right. You know the skills required on your program and externally will be honed over the years as they are with any profession. So, if we look to musicians, surgeons, teachers, athletes. These are skills, you know. You learn them within your training institution, but then you hold them over many years. I think. I would also say, you know.

00:17:05 Sarah

It's a privilege to work in this field, as I've said before you know.

00:17:08 Sarah

It's a privilege to be a teacher. It's a privilege to be an interpreter.

00:17:12 Sarah

And as a byproduct of what you do, you're exposed to so many people and their lives, the range of subjects, the environments, the dynamics, all of that, you will be observing and absorbing.

00:17:26 Sarah

And I think I would say all of this learning you're only there because two or more people do not share the same language.

00:17:34 Sarah

So never forget that and, and you by, by the idea of being there, you have so much opportunity to learn so much about life, about other people and about yourself and in turn to become a more rounded individual yourself. And I think that's a gift. [Tim: mmm]

00:17:55 Becky

Beautifully put, Sarah, I don't think I can add to anything.

00:17:59 Tim

From over those years of teaching, what was your proudest moment?

00:18:05 Becky

For me…

00:18:06 Becky

It was seeing the, the light bulb moments go on with my students. You could see when I was teaching something that they found to be particularly difficult, whether it was a language, speech, interpreting, whatever it was, and you saw the light bulb moments go on. [Tim: mmm] And for me they just made me want to do my job more and more.

00:18:27 Becky

You get the buzz, you get the buzz for teaching. [Tim: Yeah] And I think that's why I continue to be a teacher. Because you, those light bulb moments for me are fantastic. “Yeah. Yes, they've got it!”

00:18:37 Becky

And I've been somewhat part of that process from. [Tim: mmm] That's from a teacher's point of view. From my own selfish point of view, my proudest moment was when I got my master’s.

00:18:48 Becky

I never considered myself an academic. [Tim: mmm] I had to really study hard at undergrad level to write an essay. I failed my first undergrad essay in my first year because I wasn't a strong academic writer.

00:19:03 Becky

And for me to complete my master’s and I gained distinction on every assignment I did, was probably one of the proudest moments because I thought, well, I'm not an academic. [Tim: mmm] I'm a language teacher. I'm a, I'm a, just a communications teacher. I'm not an academic. And so, for me to do that and then subsequently publish some of that research or do some conference papers from it,…

00:19:24 Becky

…kind of gave me the confidence to think, “Well, actually I can do this. I, I have got the possibility. I have got the brain. It's not just about being in a classroom. I can apply those… that theory and that underpinning of the academic knowledge into some sort of practical element of my masters or whatever.”

00:19:45 Becky

So yes, that for me has to be the proudest moment for me. [Tim: hmm]

00:19:49 Sarah

You joined us, you know, you, you were appointed as well, because you were an outstanding student, undergraduate student…

00:19:56 Becky

And wasn’t until… [Sarah: …you know…] once I learned how to write an essay, I was. [All laughing]

00:20:02 Sarah

And you had so many abilities, you know, so, you know, Becky was the most phenomenal credit to our team as were all our team members.

00:20:11 Sarah

You know, I think for me when I look at proud moments, oh my gosh, there are so many because I look at the students, I look at what the team has achieved alongside what, you know, the, my personal achievements but...

00:20:23 Sarah

You know, bear with me while I run through [Tim chuckling] some, you know, some ideas whi-, while I think back. I think firstly my proudest moment at the moment as we sit here is to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment within the field of interpreter education and training. And you know, huge thanks and acknowledgement and gratitude to the university for consistently supporting this subject throughout. [Tim: mmm]

00:20:48 Sarah

That's a tremendously proud moment. And you know, I, and like with Becky…

00:20:52 Sarah

You're in teaching because you are fundamentally into other people and their development.

00:20:59 Sarah

And to see those light bulb moments to see that learning to see that growth journey to see those achievements, to see them graduate, to go on and become these accomplished professionals. Yeah, it's just wonderful. It's, there's, there's nothing like it.

00:21:15 Sarah

And, and I think to sustain, and continually innovate, and consistently achieve, and promote high quality standards is a really outstanding contribution to the profession and to society. You know by the teaching team and everybody who has been a part of that teaching team over time, I think…

00:21:34 Sarah

It's relatively easy to develop further ideas when there is already a substantial body of learning and teaching structures in place. You know you get it off the shelf, or you turn up and somebody's already developed that module. [Tim: mmm] 

00:21:47 Sarah

But it's a real test of skill, ability, innovation, and endurance to do it from scratch and to maintain it over an extended period of time. So you know, I think everybody that comes into any profession is standing on the shoulders of the giants that went before them and then they in turn become the giants for the future generations. And I mean, remember, as I've already said…

00:22:13 Sarah

At that time, we had in the region of 250 students divided across one and 45 or 50 modules with high assessment loading. Becky and I were marking and assessing around the clock [Tim: mmm] when we weren't teaching around the clock. [Tim chuckling] Umm, and so, you know, when we look to why are we there? alongside all the things we've already discussed, you know the end goal for these students is graduation.

00:22:36 Sarah

And getting a job and you never need to forget, never forget that. Graduation day is a wonderful celebration, and that's where we get to meet the families as well. [Tim: mhmm]

00:22:45 Sarah

…who have often been part of this journey in supporting that individual through that process, you know, emotionally, psychologically, financially, whatever it may have been. So, it's great to meet the families as well and hear all the stories behind the scenes too. [Tim: mhmm]

00:23:00 Sarah

And I think we've had the privilege of meeting hundreds of people during these years who have gone on. We are a bit like the pebble in the ponds, The Ripple effect, will touch all these hundreds of people who go off and touch hundreds of people and over time, like a Rolling Stone, it becomes thousands of people who have been touched by education being there in the first place. I think at a personal level…

00:23:27 Sarah

If I think back, I mean there are lots, lots, and lots of things. There's a couple of things being asked, you know, when I was asked to come full-time. You know, being course leader in those early days really, and, and across nearly two decades I was course leader.

00:23:43 Sarah

And leading this program with this incredible team towards national and international success and recognition and professional accreditation. That was incredible. Ummm, being invited by Professor Lorraine Leeson. [Tim: mmm] You know, to sit on the efsli committee of experts for the setting of quality standards and Co-authoring on the efsli publication of, you know, the Learning Outcomes and Assessment guidelines, [Tim: mmm] which were part of that 2013 Pan European Project, which was innovative at the time and launched at the European Parliament.

00:24:17 Sarah

And we had the opportunity then as a team to incorporate innovative pieces of our, our pedagogy, our assessment matrices, they were field leading, they, they still are in so many ways. So, we incorporated that the, you know, consistently praised reflective work placement module you know was incorporated to in that.

00:24:39 Sarah

The joint award that Becky and I received from the university in our early days for innovation in teaching, interpreting, and using technology, which was groundbreaking then, and you know, the university acknowledged that and understood what we were doing. So, you know, these just little snippets of so many things, really. And as I say, you know, it takes a team. We don't do this in isolation.

00:25:04 Becky

Just to say that, Wolverhampton alumni you, your paths cross all the time. And it's so lovely to see [Sarah: yeah] alumni. And you go, “Oh yes, Wolverhampton.” Or, “Yes, you were at the same, same study time” or whatever. And you, just nice to see those paths cross and one of the examples of that is my line manager Catherine is also an alumni.

00:25:24 Becky

She did the IT, information technology course.

00:25:27 Becky

She was one of the first profoundly deaf students who arrived at the university needing interpreters, came from Ireland, didn't have British Sign language, so she had a whistle stop tour. And now we worked together and, she's head of departments, and we worked together, teaching. And so, it's been wonderful to have that network of, of my students that we now meet in different paths in different situations, all working together, and I think that's been the, the real beauty of the Wolverhampton cohorts over the years.

00:26:02 Sarah

Yes. And so many of them are obviously alongside so many accomplished external practitioners. Many of our alumni now are, you know, so it's so accomplished in their own rights, and they become work placement supervisors for our current students. And that's wonderful too because they know the journey that they've been on. [Becky: mmm]

00:26:24 Sarah

So yes, it's lovely. When we first started, we were breaking the mold, weren't we? In Wolverhampton was the new kid on the block. [Becky: yeah] And now Wolverhampton is very well established and our alumni, you know from our interpreting and our deaf studies programs. And obviously today we're talking about the interpreting program because it's the 30 years of that program.

00:26:45 Sarah

But they are to be found all over, all around the country, across the world, [Tim: mmm] you know, on television, in organisations, in so many different capacities, carrying on. You know, and carrying the flag for Wolverhampton and the profession. [Tim: mmm]

[ROCK TRANSITION MUSIC STARTS]

00:27:04 Tim

If this episode made you think or smile, or maybe both, please share it with a friend and Buy Me A Coffee to support the podcast. Thank you. Now let's go back.

[ROCK TRANSITION MUSIC ENDS]

00:27:19 Tim

So, when you look back one last time, besides the wonderful university bar [Becky and Sarah laugh] or the river rafting. [Becky and Sarah laugh]

00:27:31 Tim

What makes you smile now?

00:27:35 Becky

For me, I think it would be the memories of teaching students, the memories of seeing them struggle, develop, pass. And then pass their the, the course, pass their, their degree, and then bumping into them later on or seeing them, you know, either they're, they're in vision interpreting or they're doing something online or something.

00:28:01 Becky

And just go, “Gosh, look at, look, look what they're doing. That's amazing!” And there's an immense sense of pride that the, the, I, I was a part, a very small part, of that process in their early days. [Tim: mmm]

00:28:13 Becky

And I think that's, for me, it really reminds me of why I worked at the University for 11 years and to see their progress and their development.

00:28:22 Becky

So, I look back on my 11 years and now with, with those fond memories.

00:28:28 Sarah

Yeah, I totally agree with Becky and I'm, you know, 30 years I've been connected to the course in different ways in 25 years, part time. And I came from practice, you know, as an interpreter, as manager of interpreting services, I'd worked in social work. I've done a I'd worked in every sector, public, private, charitable. So, I totally agree with Becky on that.

00:28:49 Sarah

And I think really everything that's been said, so, so far really, what makes me look back and smile.

00:28:56 Sarah

And I think not to forget alongside, you know, all the hard work there’s an awful lot of laughter with the students. [Becky: yeah]

00:29:03 Sarah

We laughed together, [Becky: hmm] you know, along the way. There were so many things. But I think to say, you know, we're heading next month into our 30th conference. We're looking back and we're acknowledging everything that's been achieved [Tim: hmm] with this conference is celebrating our alumni.

00:29:20 Sarah

It's looking to the future, and I just think, you know, it's an incredible legacy for the university, for the profession, for the communities we serve and wider society, and this is something to be immensely proud of.

[SHORT TRANSITION MUSIC]

00:29:39 Tim

We've heard from those who made the BSL/English interpreting program at the University of Wolverhampton, what it is today. Now let's hear from those who experienced it first-hand, the alumni.

00:29:55 Russell

Hello, I'm Russell. I graduated from the Wolverhampton BSL/English interpreting program back in 1998. I think I was the 3rd cohort. I qualified as an interpreter year after graduation, and I subsequently taught in the course for a couple of years. So, I got to experience the degree from two very different perspectives.

00:30:15 Russell

Um, I’ve a job as freelance interpreter now.

00:30:18 Russell

And the scenarios in which I work have a fairly broad reach. I'm also a senior practitioner and I've supported many regulated trainees on their path to becoming qualified interpreters and translators, and more recently as a professional supervisor. Following on from the degree I did a couple of Master’s degrees in applied linguistics and language teaching, and I’ve a dual professional role teaching English to deaf adults.

00:30:42 Russell

I did the doctorate degree, which was in education and that explored the role of BSL and the teaching of English.

00:30:49 Russell

Connection to Wolverhampton University does continue. I've taken a number of students on work placement over the years for their final year module and I've gone back as a visiting lecturer. I'm proud to be Wolverhampton alumni because it's where it all started for me. Really. I never actually lived there while studying, but commuted from London so there were quite a lot of early starts.

00:31:09 Russell

Butt the achievement off the back of those early days definitely makes it all worthwhile.

00:31:15 Selina

Hi Tim. My name is Selina. I graduated from the University of Wolverhampton. BSL/English interpreting, plus Foundation degree in 2012.

00:31:27 Selina

Then, in 2018, I returned as part of the first cohort to do the MA in interpreting, and now I'm back doing my PhD part time. I'm exploring the life experiences of interpreters of colour.

00:31:42 Selina

And going to the University of Wolverhampton's changed my life. It's brought me towards academia. I've made lifelong friends. You know, my life wouldn't be the same without it. So, I'm just really grateful to everyone and all the lecturers and all the other students I've met along the way. And they're like I say, it's a brilliant course.

00:32:02 Selina

And I would highly recommend it to anyone.

00:32:04 Selina

Thank you.

00:32:05 Ryan

Hi, my name is Ryan Ball. I am a graduate of the BSL interpreting program as of 2020. I am now my 4th year of registration with the NRCPD and since leaving university I have held managerial positions in interpreting agencies and also now a full-time freelance interpreter that works in TV, film, theatre performance, Higher Education, and a range of other domains. But all of that, the job that I do now and the job that I love, I gained through my study at the University of Wolverhampton and specifically on the BSL English interpreting course.

00:32:41 Ryan

The education that I received from all the lecturers was industry leading and world class. They are at the forefront of the research for the field, which allows us as students to access the most innovative strategies for our field interpreting, which then informs our practice as future professionals.

00:33:00 Ryan

The best thing about the course for me was definitely the amount of support I received from the lecturers and the university as a whole. And to think it's been going for 30 years, it's quite humbling because I was part of that. I was four years in the making for that and I got, I gained professional registration.

00:33:18 Ryan

And I look forward to seeing a lot more interpreters coming out of the University of Wolverhampton because the course and the quality of the interpreters that leave once they've completed the course is absolutely phenomenal.

00:33:29 Amy

Hello, my name is Amy Barnes and I'm a freelance interpreter based in London. I graduated from Wolverhampton a decade ago in 2014...

00:33:39 Amy

…which is very bizarre to say. I have very fond memories of my time at Wolverhampton and the broad range of experiences I was lucky enough to be exposed to.

00:33:48 Amy

All of my lecturers were working interpreters and were able to add their real-life experiences to my learning and hence so many hints and tips, many of which are still used today.

00:33:59 Amy

The highlight of my time was my work placement. I was fortunate enough to be placed at Sandwell Deaf Community Association and I shadowed some wonderful interpreters and pleased to say that 10 years on the tables have turned and I now have current students shadowing me.

00:34:16 Amy

I wouldn't be the interpreter I am today without the experiences I had at Wolverhampton, and it is still by far the best decision I've ever made.

00:34:27 Sally

Hi, my name is Sally and I graduated in 2010 with the encouragement of John Hay, one of my lecturers. I got an in-house interpreting job in a charity in Edinburgh straight after UNI that gave me both great support and experience as I worked and finding my feet in the profession, and I've worked as an interpreter since then for the past 14 years.

00:34:47 Sally

After that and with my first-class degree from Wolverhampton, I returned from Belfast and undertook my PhD in Queens University, Belfast, which I completed in 2018. Thinking back to Wolverhampton, we were close cohort and testament to that is the fact I'm still in touch with many of my class.

00:35:04 Sally

Some of whom I work with as peers, some I have the privilege of interpreting for, and some who simply live in great places to go on holiday.

00:35:12 Colette

I'm Colette Phippard RSLI. I graduated in ‘97. I was on the second year that the course was run. I moved from Bristol University as Wolverhampton was the only uni at that time with the degree in BSL interpreting, I went on to work as a community and territory of Stoke-on-Trent and then came back towards to the CSU to interpret for the largest community of deaf students at any uni at that time.

00:35:36 Colette

All of my colleagues were graduates as well. I've been freelance since 2002 and I now live in Hampshire and I'm married to another graduate that I met in Wolverhampton. I had the privilege of being trained by PLJ and Ben Steiner, who brought many of his colleagues with him from BCC here. I'm sure I wouldn't recognise the course now. It was all chunky cameras, VHS tapes, and a waiting list to borrow books in the library until the Forest Bookshop turned up with specialist offerings. Ohh, Jays cafe at lunchtime, fast tea for the Deaf Club on Thursday, and friends for life people are still work with now.

00:36:12 Omoyele

Hello, my name is Omoyele and I graduated from Wolverhampton University in 2002. I have worked as a sign language interpreter ever since and I now wear two other hats, one as a professional supervisor providing support to other sign language interpreters, and as course tutor at 360 supervision, where I trained as a professional supervisor. I am now training future cohorts. My lasting impressions of the course are the community feel that it gave me, the support that it offered, and I think that helped me in my future careers.

00:36:53 Omoyele

I wanted to give back and offer that support to other interpreters in the field. I remember what makes me smile in memory is the exams that we used to do. The practical exams and afterwards we would be ushered into a room to keep us separate from our other peers.

00:37:10 Omoyele

And we would have a little party [light chuckle] after we finished all our practicals with our lecturers there, which just added to that feeling of Community. I absolutely loved it. And that has driven me ever since. I have wanted to be a place where people feel supported and feel that sense of community.

00:37:31 Omoyele

So yeah, really good memories.

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00:37:38 Tim

So over 30 years ago, Megan became aware that the deaf community that she was trying to support was sorely lacking in the number of sign language interpreters, and even those were lacking formal qualifications. Awareness can be a powerful thing.

00:37:57 Tim

In this case, it started something that impacted the lives of many students, teachers, and the communities we serve. Let's keep spreading awareness. They are languages. Access means quality access. Interpreters need education.

00:38:16 Tim

So, we've looked back at the many moments and now we're looking forward. We see some of the forward thinking through the alumni and what they have done, and we look forward to many more of these moments in Wolverhampton and the connections they've made in their communities and outside, through Europe and beyond. I hope this has inspired you to create and spread the awareness and to improve your own education.

00:38:47 Tim

Thank you to Professor Megan Lawton, Sarah Bown, Rebecca Fenton-Ree, and all of the alumni. And for you, listening and sharing this history, until next time, keep calm. Keep interpreting those amazing moments. I'll see you next week.

00:39:06 Tim

Take care now.

[ROCK EXIT MUSIC ENDS AT 00:39:43]