Helping learners find their voice with ‘AI Translate’

By Deb Millar, Executive Director of Digital Transformation, Hull College

“This has been the most powerful, most emotive project that I’ve ever worked on. Learners that I don’t teach approach me in the corridor and ‘High 5’ me. They tell me about their lives, how and where they’ve travelled to reach the UK. They can now tell us their stories.”

Deb Millar, Executive Director of Digital Transformation, Hull College

Put yourself in the position of someone arriving in the UK, perhaps separated from your friends and family. You’re seeking a home and employment with minimal knowledge of English and little awareness of norms in society, the workplace or education. Hull College’s ‘AI Translate’ project, led by Deb Millar, set out to provide that perspective, not just for teachers working directly with those learners, but for all staff across the whole campus.

At Hull College, around 20% of learners don’t have English as a first language. This has led to a growing demand for ESOL education, a trend mirrored across the UK. ESOL classes often comprise over 20 learners with more than a dozen different languages typically spoken in one group making it a challenging learning environment.

AI Translate began as a talk-teach CPD session for ESOL teachers which introduced some AI-powered translation tools including Microsoft’s Immersive Reader, PowerPoint Live, Translator and Reading Coach. The following day 2 ESOL teachers rushed over to Deb as she walked across campus, eager to stop her and tell her important news. They’d used the translation tools immediately in a challenging learning space where there was frequent disruptive behaviour and lack of focus. The result was a ‘silent classroom’, all learners totally engaged, a hugely significant change in behaviour. Learners worked quietly on tasks and contributed far more deeply to the session than they had in the past. 

The translation tools made an immediate, transformative impact, helping learners access and use College resources and facilities. They were able to have debates on topics such as British Values, expressing themselves freely in their own language. 

An ESOL learner uses MS Translator: Image courtesy of Jisc

The removal of the language barrier stopped their academic performance from being affected and also ensured that essential information about wider topics such as safeguarding and wellbeing were clearly understood. Many ESOL educators reported going home and teaching friends and family members how to use the translation tools. Deb comments that you have ‘hit the right mark’ in learning when a colleague leaves a session and then voluntarily teaches someone else. This ripple effect of the learning spreading to the wider community was profound and powerful. 

One learner who was repeating the year was disengaged and could exhibit challenging behaviours. He had never been able to find the words to express his frustration that he was not literate in his first language. He had never used a computer and had missed a significant amount of school time while travelling for 3 years to find a country in which he felt safe and welcome. His entire attitude to learning changed when he could use the translation tools to express himself, tell the story of his journey and his challenges and be understood.

Deb quickly realised that the impacts of AI Translate ESOL sessions were so important that the CPD programme needed to be expanded to all college staff. An initial pilot included over 50 Customer service colleagues working around a big office round table with 6 or 7 people per session. By using resources such as cafe menus in Italian or Spanish they were put into the situation of being outside the UK and unable to complete common challenges such as reading a menu or understanding directions or medication instructions. They were ‘in the shoes’ of ESOL learners. What if you need medication? What if you don’t know how to ask for assistance to buy food or find the place you’re going to?

Vocational case study: 

Microsoft’s Immersive Reader was used with ESOL Motor Vehicle learners to assist in the preparation for their exams. Use of the Reader helped them in learning, understanding and using specialist industry terms fluently.

Tutors also made a glossary of common industry specialist terms and used Microsoft Translate to provide translations for ESOL learners in their first language before the exam to doubly ensure that they were confident in their meaning and use.

Funding from Ufi VocTech Trust allowed AI Translate to expand significantly with supporting resources being put in place on how to use the tools. All Customer Service colleagues in the organisation were trained in the use of MS Translator then given at least 1 device with the tool plus training on how to use it as many were not confident users of technology.

What made the key impact was taking a whole organisation approach to this important training, supported and championed by College leaders. All staff could now assist learners wherever they found themselves on campus needing help or advice.

Staff and students communicate using MS Translator Image courtesy of Jisc

Staff were encouraged to have the confidence to ask learners to help them use the tools (e.g. finding the correct language to translate into) and work together to achieve a result which proved very powerful in building relationships. Students really appreciated the staff trying to help them wherever they were.

Overall Project Impacts

Attendance for ESOL classes is up from 65% to over 91%

ESOL achievement is up from 77% to 90%

20% of ESOL learners report receiving a pay rise as a result of success in their courses

55% of ESOL learners have moved into paid work

80% reported improved skills performance and 92% improved social skills

94% saw improvements in their physical or mental health.

Some ESOL learners had moved through over 15 different countries seeking work and a safe place to live but had been unsuccessful due to not speaking the language. Translation tools empowered them to talk about their experiences in ways which they would never have been able to express before. Deb explains that they are using storytelling to purge their tragedy and trauma. They can not only excel academically, they can express themselves and heal themselves, as talking is a cathartic, healing process.

The learners’ narratives have been useful in helping the college community understand what a refugee or an asylum seeker may be going through and has already been through before coming to College. Deb holds that an important part of our role in education is to counter prejudice and enable all learners to succeed and feel welcome in the College, to become whatever they want to be.

‘It [use of the language tool] has not just helped me at College and at home. I feel much less isolated and alone.’
‘Esam’, an ESOL learner at Hull College

Learners’ improved communication skills have had a much wider impact than just enabling fluent conversation. An art exhibition documenting the journeys they have taken called ‘Silent Voices, Vivid Stories’ is now in development. Each piece of art will have a QR code linked to a video in which the learner speaks about their journey, their family, what they miss most from home. This has only been possible due to their increased confidence. 

So what’s next for this important project? Deb’s view is if you can extend the project’s impact why would you not do this? “What leader would not encourage it? You already have the tools, they’re free, or in use already and easy to use”. Something this impactful locally has the possibility to be extended nationally and even internationally in scope via an ESOL hub. Resources are in place to enable teachers and support staff to easily use the translation tools in their own context and these can be made freely available to share across the FE and Skills sector and beyond.

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