Through New York State Education Department funding, a new multimedia interpreting & language lab has been designed and constructed by the ASL/English Interpretation Program.

 

In custom-designed private cubicles, students can hone their language skills by viewing source material on a video or CD/DVD and by recording themselves signing ASL or shadowing a native ASL signer.

The technology also allows students to practice ASL to English interpreting skills by having them record a spoken English interpretation as they watch ASL source material.

They can also reverse the process (English to ASL interpreting practice) by watching and listening to a spoken English source piece and recording an ASL interpretation at the same time.

Along with individualized work, an instructor at the “teacher station” can send out a source piece to all or a select number of student stations and can monitor student work being done at any station.

Attention was paid to acoustical and environmental qualities in the choice of floor and wall coverings, all 12 student stations are equipped with a switcher, multiple VCRs, a camera, headsets, and microphone. Seven of the stations have digital integration through iMAC computers equipped for media use.