Abstract:

Global COVID19 crisis requires a modern approach to teaching. One way to modernize the work of a teacher and to respond to new challenges is to use cloud services. This article deals using cloud services for teaching conference interpreting.

Cloud technologies include various hardware, software, methodologies and tools like Internet services provided to the user for fulfiling certain tasks and projects. Cloud computing is a distributed data processing technology in which computer resources and capacities are provided to the user as an Internet service, i.e. the user is provided with a platform on the Internet that is physically located on a remote server.

Using cloud technologies for teaching has a number of advantages. They include:
1) accessibility from any device with Internet access.
2) scalability of the system at the request of the user.
3) flexibility of settings and services.
4) integration of various services on one platform.
5) security ( mandatory encryption and data backup algorithms).
6) cost-effectiveness

Effective training of conference interpreting skills implies combining a number of cloud services.

First, it is the webinar platform. There is a number of cloud webinar platforms that provide a great number of options necessary for teaching conference interpreting. It is worth saying that most modern webinar platforms have the same number of options we need, for example, webinars, chat, video and audio calling, screen sharing. Nevertheless, the webinar platform cannot provide us with all the tools we need for teaching conference interpreting, that is why we need additional services.

Second, the additional services we need for teaching, include: cloud data storage, online video hosting, online voice recorder.

A typical conference interpreting lesson implies unseen translation, special exercises for improving the basic skills necessary for interpreting ( active listening, analysing the message and reproducing it in another language) and oral translation of audiovisual texts. Besides, cloud technology allows role-playing (one of the students gives a speech on the topic of the lesson while the rest of the group translate it either simultaneously or consecutively).

All in all, cloud services allow us to face the global crisis and keep on teaching even so complex disciplines as conference interpreting, online.

Keywords:

Conference interpreting, cloud computing, online teaching, cloud services.