Conference Program

Our proposal wish to highlight the richness and complexity of the mixed teaching environment we have, which fosters a shared democratic practice through cultural, linguistic, and professional mutual understanding. We will do so by presenting the audiences involved (Deaf/hearing, professionals/academics) (Ristic, 2022)(Mohd Rashid and al., 2026), the funding models (university funding for students, ministerial funding for academic professionals), facility arrangements (dedicated recording rooms, classrooms, offices, safety measures), pedagogical collaborations (project-based approach, collaborative practices among students) (Kordić and al., 2023), and pedagogical adaptations (visual teaching supports, extensive use of video) (Howerton-Fox ans al., 2024)(Golos and al., 2023)(De Raeve, 2015).

The Department of Translation, Interpreting and Mediation (D-TIM) trains – among others – French to French Sign Language (LSF) translators, French to/from LSF interpreters, and LSF mediators at the Master's level, under the "European Master of Translation" (EMT) label of excellence.

Students, whose first language is either LSF (primarily Deaf individuals) or French (primarily hearing individuals), can join the program in the first year of their Bachelor's degree, with LSF as the primary subject taught, and French or English respectively as the second subject. At the Master's level, Deaf students can then choose translation or mediation, while hearing students choose interpretation. From the first year of the Bachelor's (L1) to the final year of the Master's (M2), these students take an increasing number of shared courses. Once language foundations are consolidated in L1, the curriculum focuses on LSF-based subjects such as translation, linguistics, and Deaf Studies, as well as more technical fields related to the specific option chosen in the Master's program.

The teachers are either Deaf or hearing, and largely signers, which allows for direct teaching in LSF; otherwise, interpretation is provided to ensure course accessibility. These teachers are professionals in their fields (teaching, translation, mediation, interpreting) as well as academics, ensuring a rich educational experience with varied perspectives. One of the academics is a Deaf associate professor attached to the department. The accessibility provided relies on funding allocated either to the students by the university for classes, conferences, and seminars, or to the Deaf associate professor by the Ministry of Higher Education, for internal meetings.

These teachers are also involved in reflections on the program’s evolution and in student evaluations at the end of the last year of the Master (thesis defense, practical exams), ensuring the training remains in constant alignment with field requirements. Furthermore, our program develops a project-based pedagogy in partnership with local and national Deaf or hearing organizations to implement accessibility solutions for events requiring, for example, interpretation, translation, communication, or subtitling. Students lead these projects under the supervision of a faculty advisor, complementing their theoretical university learning.

We also foster collaborative pedagogy within various courses to encourage sharings between students, utilizing specific room arrangements, video usage, and visual and multimodal teaching aids.