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Home > Mainstream Center > Oral Transliterating
Oral Transliterating
Recognizing that students with hearing loss often need assistance in gaining full access to information in school settings, The Mainstream Center offers a program to train educational oral transliterators. The basic training program is the only one of its kind in the United States. This thirty-hour workshop is held each summer on the Northampton Campus. Offered since 1989, over three hundred people have enrolled in this course. We also offer training on advanced topics, such as preparing for the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Oral Transliteration Performance Exam. We are continually surprised by the amount of information a student misses in classes and groups because there is too much background noise or students are too far away. Teachers are asked to repeat comments, but this is often forgotten. Oral transliterating erases these gaps.What is an educational oral transliterator?  | | A deaf student in class with the support of an oral transliterator. |
An educational oral transliterator is a communication facilitator who works in situations where there is a student who is deaf or hard-of-hearing. The transliterator facilitates communication between the student and everyone else in the room (i.e., teacher, other staff, and students). The transliterator sits in the front of the room near the speaker, facing the student, and repeats in an inaudible whisper everything that is said. The transliterator can also voice for a student when necessary. Transliterating is used during class lectures, presentations, discussions, films, meetings or assemblies to give the student access to all of the information from different speakers in different parts of the room. Benefits of Oral Transliterating from the Students' Perspective"The transliterator allows me to understand what is going on in my surroundings and I can go from there in getting involved in discussions or conversations." "With the oral transliterator, if I have an answer in my head and I want to say something, I can. This is important because most of my teachers depend on class participation." "I use the FM system and the oral transliterator. I rely on the FM for information from the teacher and rely on the oral transliterator for information from the students.""Without the oral transliterator, I never knew the questions that were asked - now I do. I have a chance to answer and I feel more a part of the class.""I can laugh with the class. I feel more included.""Because I am conscious of what is going on, my confidence is boosted and I share my thoughts and ideas with others.""I think I am more independent because I can form my own thoughts because I understand the information."CLICK HERE for oral transliterating educational products.For information on oral transliterating and training options, contact:Claire Troiano, M.E.D., OTC
Director of Outreach Training and Oral Transliterating Services
The Mainstream Center
Clarke School for the Deaf/Center for Oral Education
48 Round Hill Road
Northampton, MA 01060-2124
(413) 582-1147 V/TTY
ctroiano@clarkeschool.org
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