EnglishClub

The importance of effective communication cannot be overstated in today’s world. This is especially true in interpreting, where accurate language translation can bring people from different cultures together and facilitate understanding. However, becoming a proficient interpreter can take time and effort for English language learners. They often face significant challenges, such as language barriers, cultural differences, and conveying nuanced meaning. In this article, we will explore how teaching English language learners effective communication strategies for interpreting can empower them to overcome obstacles and enhance their skills. Ultimately, this will contribute to a more inclusive and connected global community.

Challenges faced by English language learners in interpreting

Interpreting can be challenging for English language learners due to various language barriers. It’s essential to encourage students to explore these language fluency challenges that might arise in a second language. If you teach English language learners, differentiating instruction might help them overcome these obstacles and enable students to identify language difficulties.

One major obstacle is their limited proficiency in the target language, which can hinder their understanding and expression of complex ideas. In addition, difficulties with pronunciation, intonation, and fluency may impact the clarity and effectiveness of their interpretation.

Differences in syntactic structures, word order, and idiomatic expressions between their native language and English may also impede the ability of ELL students to produce coherent interpretations.

Lastly, fear of making mistakes or being misunderstood can create psychological barriers that can inhibit progress.

To overcome these challenges, it is important to design targeted instructional approaches that address the specific needs of English language learners.

The importance of effective communication strategies in interpreting

Effective communication strategies play a pivotal role in the success of interpretation, especially for English language learners. These strategies enable interpreters to bridge the language barrier, ensuring accurate and meaningful communication between individuals who speak different languages. Here are some key reasons why effective communication strategies are vital in interpreting:

Enhancing comprehension

Communication strategies assist interpreters in better understanding the source language message when they use techniques such as active listening, note-taking, and paraphrasing. These strategies allow interpreters to grasp the content, context, and intent behind the speaker’s words, ensuring accurate interpretation and minimizing the risk of miscommunication.

Conveying accurate meanings

Effective communication strategies allow interpreters to convey the intended meaning faithfully from the source language to the target language. They enable interpreters to choose appropriate vocabulary, structure their interpretations coherently, and capture the nuances, idiomatic expressions, and cultural references embedded in the original message.

Facilitating effective communication

Communication strategies enable interpreters to manage the flow of communication between speakers, ensuring smooth and efficient interaction. By deploying clarification and confirmation strategies, interpreters can seek clarifications when they encounter unfamiliar terms or ambiguous statements and confirm understanding to avoid misunderstandings.

Benefits of utilizing effective communication strategies in interpretation

Employing appropriate communication strategies in interpreting benefits both interpreters and clients in several ways. These benefits include:

Accuracy and clarity

Effective communication strategies enhance the accuracy and clarity of interpretation, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings or misinterpretations. This promotes effective communication and fosters mutual understanding between parties.

Professionalism and confidence

Using effective communication strategies demonstrates professionalism and expertise on the part of interpreters. It boosts their confidence and instills trust in their clients, establishing a positive working relationship.

Empowerment of English language learners

For English language learners aspiring to become interpreters, mastering effective communication strategies empowers them to overcome language barriers and fulfill their professional goals. These strategies provide them with the tools and skills necessary to navigate complex linguistic and cultural contexts confidently.

Key communication strategies language learners should grasp to facilitate interpreting

Although there are various skills that language learners will need to master before they can become professional interpreters, the most vital skills include:

Active listening skills

Active listening techniques are strategies used to engage in listening and understanding spoken language fully. These techniques help improve comprehension, enhance interpretation skills, and promote effective communication. Some essential techniques that promote active listening include non-verbal communication, paraphrasing and summarizing the speaker’s ideas, reflecting and responding to the message, and providing feedback on the speaker’s message.

Clarification skills

Clarification and confirmation strategies are techniques used to seek clarification and ensure understanding in communication. These strategies are essential in interpreting, where accuracy and clarity are paramount. By employing these strategies, interpreters can mitigate misunderstandings, clarify ambiguous information, and ensure that the intended message is accurately conveyed. These strategies are essential for practical interpretation and effective communication between the parties involved.

Non-verbal communication skills

Non-verbal communication strategies include gestures, facial expressions, body language, and other non-verbal cues that enhance communication and convey meaning. In interpreting, where verbal language is the primary focus, non-verbal communication complements the spoken message. These strategies include body language, eye contact, proximity, pauses and silence, and intonation.

Valuable teaching approaches to teaching language skills

Here are some classroom techniques for teaching communication strategies to language learners:

Modeling and demonstration

Teachers can model and demonstrate effective communication strategies to the students. Show them how to actively listen, ask clarifying questions, paraphrase, and use appropriate non-verbal cues. This provides a clear example for students to follow and helps them understand the practical application of these strategies.

Role-playing

Engage students in role-playing activities and simulations where they can practice and hone their skills. Assign roles to students and create scenarios that require them to use different strategies such as active listening, clarification, paraphrasing, or summarizing. This hands-on practice allows students to apply the strategies and receive feedback on their performance.

Group work

Teachers can encourage collaborative group work where students can practice communication strategies with their peers. Assign tasks or discussions that require students to actively listen, ask questions, and provide feedback to one another.

Feedback and correction on language skills

Provide constructive feedback and error correction to students as they practice communication strategies. Highlight their strengths and areas for improvement, focusing on the effective use of strategies.

Technology-enhanced learning

Teachers should aim to use technology tools and resources to enhance the teaching of communication strategies. Use video clips, online interactive exercises, or virtual communication platforms such as video remote interpreting apps that simulate real-world communication situations. These resources provide additional opportunities for students to practice and refine their communication skills.

Final thoughts

Teaching effective communication strategies to language learners is crucial as it significantly enhances their ability to communicate and interpret accurately. Educators must equip students with active listening techniques, non-verbal communication skills, and clarification and confirmation strategies.

These tools will help students overcome language barriers and engage in meaningful cross-cultural communication. By prioritizing the instruction of communication strategies, educators can empower English language learners to become proficient communicators, bridging the gap between languages and facilitating inclusive and effective communication in diverse settings. These classroom techniques provide students with essential tools to navigate complex linguistic and cultural contexts, promoting accurate interpretation and successful communication.

By the same author

• 10 tips and tricks for teaching English as a second language

Teaching English as a second language is a task that is often easier said than done. Even for an experienced teacher, successfully leading your first ESL class can be challenging.

However, teaching ESL, at its core, is the same as teaching fluent students because you still need to apply basic classroom principles. Your lessons need to be structured to cater to an array of learning needs too. But you’ll also face some unique challenges when working with English language learners.
Teaching language skills while compensating for different cultures, learning styles, and educational backgrounds, all while trying to break through language barriers, can take some getting used to. But with the right tips and tricks up your sleeve, teaching your students the English language can be an extremely rewarding experience.

Let’s take a look at some essential language skills and teaching tips every ESL teacher should use to achieve success in their endeavors! How to be a Pro at Teaching English as Second Language:

1. Ensure you’re backed up by proper qualifications

Although you might be fluent in the English language, that doesn’t mean you’re qualified to teach others. Anyone serious about teaching English as a second language should obtain a bachelor’s degree (in any subject) and complete a 120-hour TEFL certification course. Whether you choose to do your TEFL certification or master’s in TESOL online or at a physical college is up to you. After you’ve been certified, you’ll receive the resources you need to apply for teaching positions and set off on your new career, whether that’s in your home country or abroad.

2. Keep things simple

Native English speakers might not think that adding a few extra words to a sentence can cause confusion. But from the perspective of a foreign language learner with limited English proficiency, there’s a major difference between “put your book on the shelf” and “would you mind placing your book back on the bookshelf?” Whenever teaching a new language to beginners, try to use the simplest of sentences with plain vocabulary, and speak slowly. You can gradually introduce new English words once your students have the building blocks in place that will ensure they understand the basics of the English language.

3. Visuals are your friends. Use them often

Visuals can be words on desks, handouts, and even drawings. Regardless of whether you’re teaching kids or adults, visuals can help your students better relate to physical objects, which speeds up the process of picking up on words outside of their native language. A pictorial wall is also a great way to help expand the vocabulary of your students, and every great teacher knows this. You can also give your students time to watch movies in the English language, perhaps they could be subtitled to encourage active participation in the activity. In the ESL class, the old saying that a picture speaks a thousand words couldn’t be closer to the truth.

4. Bring the fun back

Language learning can feel bland and boring if you’re going at it in black and white for hours on end. And this is the last thing you want your learners to experience, which is why you need to find fun ways of sprucing up each lesson with interesting verbal and written instructions. Perhaps incorporating the interests of your students into the lessons helps them engage and broadens their understanding of the topic. Separating the class into teams that compete against each other is also a fun way to encourage students and ensure you’re adding an element of excitement to the learning process. And when learners are excited and interested in the subject, they find it easier to relate to the new language, which makes bridging the language barrier easier.

5. Become a master of lesson planning

All the best teachers know that lesson planning is the foundation of teaching success. Your students are unpredictable, and winging it is never an acceptable thing to do in the classroom. What you need is enough worksheets for the entire class and lesson time that’s gracious enough to cover the lessons you have planned for the day. But you also need a backup plan for when an activity isn’t working as well as you planned it would. How will you introduce new topics of language to the class? When are your students to move on with the syllabus? Which aspects of the syllabus need to be revisited? All this needs to form part of your lesson planning.

6. Respect cultural differences

If you’re teaching English as a non-native language in a foreign country, you’ll most probably face cultural differences. As a teacher, it’s your responsibility to gently shift a student’s mindset to work with your teaching methods. Certain cultural norms, like dress code and aspects of non-verbal communication, must be respected. Still, the first step to understanding and ultimately overcoming these cultural barriers is bonding with your students in a supportive environment and making them feel comfortable around you. This creates a positive learning environment where you can establish boundaries and set expectations for your English learners.

7. Use tech for teaching English language learners

Just like the rest of the world, teaching methods are continually evolving. Translation technology and tools like Google Translate are becoming more prevalent in multilingual classrooms. Chalk and a blackboard have almost completely disappeared in classrooms of the digital era, and the use of technology and digital tools isn’t just optional anymore; it’s almost vital. From using video clips to language apps and music in your classroom, there are many ways in which you can harness the power of technology in language learning. But remember, all English language learners might not have access to a smartphone or tablet, so make sure the technology you plan on implementing in your lessons is accessible to everyone in the classroom.

8. Help your English language learners set goals

A great way to keep language learners motivated is with short- and long-term goals. Whether the goal is to read an English novel by the end of the year or acing an exam on English language skills, you need to encourage all your students to set targets for themselves to help them keep track of their progress. Once you’re aware of their goals, it can also help you create appropriate activities and lessons centered around their goals, making the learning process more exciting and engaging for your students.

9. Map out a timeline for your foreign language course

Right from the start through to the final lesson, you need to set a clear completion timeline for your English classes. This helps you (and your students) stay on top of the objectives at hand. You can also use checkpoints throughout your timeline to evaluate the progress your students made and assess whether they’ll reach their next goal in time. This will help ensure you’re meeting the needs of your students with your lessons and that they are making progress in their English learning journey.

10. Include interactive activities to promote language skills

A great way for an English teacher to boost language acquisition and the confidence levels of their students is through interactive activities. Group work and interactive activities help students practice their new vocabulary and polish their verbal communication skills. And since it’s a social activity, it can also help inhibited learners come alive in the classroom environment.

Wrapping up

Teaching English as a second language might seem like a daunting task and can be a little more challenging than the average teaching job, but it’s one of the most rewarding teaching roles out there. This is so much more than a career. It’s a meaningful endeavor that gives back and helps bring the world closer together, one word at a time. Each teacher might have their own style, but the ten tips we’ve highlighted in this post should help you foster stronger relationships with your students and equip you to set them up for language learning success.

For decades, scholars dedicated to studying the way we learn languages looked for the ideal teaching technique to help students become multilingual. Eventually, all conclusions pointed in the same direction: The best approach is a versatile one, in which the student takes command of the learning process and becomes an active speaker – even if they make several mistakes per sentence.

Becoming bilingual is about getting immersed in another language, making it a part of your everyday life and learning to think in it. Once you no longer need to translate every word you use into your native language to really understand what you’re saying, you’ve made what might be the greatest leap in your learning process.

Immersion and taking an active role are the key to language learning because that’s how we learned our first language to begin with: By being exposed to it constantly, and forced to use it – even when we handled it poorly.

Books, movies, maybe even searching every new word you learn on Google Images – There is not a single technique to fully immerse yourself in your language of choice. Part of the adventure is about discovering what works for you and how to “hack” your brain so you can begin to think in your second language.

Learning English can be a great way to level-up your career, whether you want to work in tech, academia or professional translation services.

English is the most studied language in the world, those who’ve traveled internationally know it to be a lingua franca, and it’s essential to succeed in almost any industry.

In this post, we’ll take a look at six essentials every English learner needs to have an effective, fun and enriching learning process:

1 An Online Dictionary

Having a go-to online dictionary can be key to gaining autonomy in your usage of the language, helping you go beyond the vocabulary you learned taking English lessons (or using a language-learning app). If you’re writing a text, having a conversation online or commenting on a Youtube video, and you get stuck, or you don’t remember the “English equivalent” of the word you need to use, knowing where to look for answers is key.

Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com are particularly comprehensive. Other websites, such as Linguee, can help you verify that you’re using a certain term in the right context.

2 A Great Language-Learning App

With our increasingly fast pace of life, few people have the time to sit down in a classroom for one or two hours, once or twice a week, listen to a lesson and then do homework. Language-learning apps can help us speed up our learning process, acquire language and become active students.

When you’re taking English lessons, it’s very easy to let shyness and fear of failure constrain you. So you don’t read aloud, rarely speak the language, and are just passively sitting there, taking notes and listening. Of course, language lessons can be truly beneficial, giving you some guidance in your learning process. But English proficiency won’t be given to you by someone else, you have to earn it by making mistakes, by exercising, by using the language your way.

By gamifying the learning experience, language-learning apps help you set clear goals, acquire vocabulary, and make the mistakes you need to make to take your English to the next level.

3 A Great Book

English learners have an advantage over those learning “rarer” languages. Especially if you live in Western Europe or The Americas, you’re dealing with the language in everyday life. From slogans to pop culture. The volume of English material, and the level of exposition to the language you can get in your home country, just by looking around, make learning English easier than learning a language you don’t see in your day to day life.

If you enjoy reading, look for English-only bookstores in your city, and visit them. Especially if you’re in the intermediate fluency range, reading can be a highly-enjoyable way to train. If you want to make reading a part of your language-learning process, but you still have a very limited understanding of the language, consider going for children’s books or for YA novels that use a very direct, plain prose style.

4 A Subscription to a Streaming Service

As mentioned above, English learners can be benefited from the incredible amount of American and British TV shows and movies we consume.

You’d be rewatching Game of Thrones anyway – Why not do it in with English subtitles?

“Hacking” your TV or movie watching experience to seize it as a learning opportunity can help you immerse in the language, get used to how real people use it to tell stories.

5 A Community

Whether online or offline, having a community of language learners you can share tips with, practice with, and feel supported by, can help you use the language in your everyday life, while keeping you persevering and motivated.

If you’re looking for online language-learning communities, check out Facebook groups, join a Subreddit or look for related Twitter hashtags. Offline learning communities can be found in classes, “language cafes” and book clubs. Look for this kind of offers in your city.

Maybe you’re not an extroverted person, or maybe you just don’t flourish when you’re in a group. If that’s the case, consider getting a conversation partner instead.

6 The Right Mindset

Learning a second language is a lifelong process. Be patient. You might be six months, two years or five years away from a fully-bilingual level of fluency, but don’t give up. Learn to enjoy the ride, learn from your mistakes and don’t’ set unrealistic goals.

As Benny Lewis wrote in Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World,

“[M]y English isn’t perfect. I hesitate when I’m nervous, I forget precisely the right word every now and again, and there are plenty of topics I am uncomfortable talking about. Applying higher standards to your target language than you would to your native language is overkill.”

—

Are you an English student? Have you used media and gamification to level up your language learning? What are your five language-learning essentials? Let us know in the comments below!