Experts at Illinois are developing a training program for interpreters, following a state law that requires qualified interpreters to be present when teachers and parents meet to discuss individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with special educational needs.

Faculty from Second Language Acquisition & Teacher Education, the Department of Linguistics, and the Program in Translation & Interpreting Studies are working on language proficiency tests and training modules in special education and interpreting to meet this need.

The five-year, $5 million project—called Training Qualified IEP Interpreters (TQII)—has made significant progress since launching in 2023 with funding from the Illinois State Board of Education.

The project’s interpretation team has fully implemented training modules for two cohorts in the past year. Meanwhile, the testing team has developed and piloted English and Spanish versions of the language proficiency test. These will be officially launched this academic year.

The team is also working on tests in Russian, Arabic, Urdu, Polish, and Mandarin Chinese. They hope to pilot them this year and launch the tests gradually in the upcoming years.

Editor's note: This story first appeared in the School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics fall 2024 newsletter.