PSU profs get $500k for language program

Professor Patricia Wetzel and assistant professor Masami Nishishiba never thought they would enter the technological realm. But with a new $500,000 grant to develop an online interpretation and translation program for the Japanese and Arabic languages, the two professors are diving head first into the world of e-learning.

Last month, the International Research and Studies division of the U.S. Department of Education awarded the three-year grant to Wetzel and Nishishiba.

“The idea is to develop an open-source curriculum,” Nishishiba said. “Hopefully this will be something that can be used for foreign language training.”

At the moment, the professors are in the process of collecting language samples for use in the multimedia program. When it is finished, the online teaching program will be used here at Portland State and elsewhere.

The program will explore two types of foreign language study: translation that is more concentrated on written text, and interpretation, which focuses more on spoken language.

“I was a little hesitant at first,” Nishishiba said. “I personally thought it would be impossible to train anybody with Web-based material. I prefer to do more face-to-face training.”

Soon, however, Nishishiba found herself impressed with the possibilities of e-learning and became interested in finding ways to, “fill the gaps.”

Wetzel, too, commented on the process of developing an e-learning program, saying that they are learning a lot about the benefits of e-learning, along with its constraints.

Wetzel partly attributes receiving the grant because of an increasing interest in the United States for access to Japanese and Arab cultures. The two PSU professors also found this sentiment reflected in the elevated interest for foreign language learning at the U.S. Department of Education.

The project will approach a national need for foreign language translators and interpreters across multiple segments of society.

Segments such as government, industry, education and civic life as they are affected by increasing rates of immigration along with complex global economic, political and cultural challenges according to the grant’s abstract.

If Wetzel and Nishishiba find success with their program, it may be adapted and tailored to teach other languages, such as Russian, Persian and Vietnamese.

Programs such as the one Wetzel and Nishishiba hope to build will be used to help feed a growing need for foreign language interpreters in the nation.

“The field of translation is just booming,” Wetzel said.

She cited the example of “localization,” a marketing field that depends upon translators. Localization is used when a company has a desire to introduce a product into a foreign market. Translators are used to ensure that the product will be appropriate within the context of the language and culture.

Wetzel met Nishishiba five years ago at a Japanese function. Impressed with Nishishiba’s talent in interpretation, Wetzel asked Nishishiba to teach a class on Japanese/English interpretation.

Nishishiba, who is part of the Public Administration faculty, accepted, and has taught a class on interpretation ever since.

“She is the best Japanese/English interpreter I’ve ever seen,” Wetzel said.