Remote Simultaneous Interpreting of University Lectures: findings from the University of Bologna Educational Interpreting Service

This chapter examines Spoken Language Academic Educational Interpreting (SLAEI), a hybrid interpreting modality that combines features of conference and public service dialogue interpreting within university settings. After clarifying the terminological boundaries between SLAEI and Sign Language Educational Interpreting, the chapter discusses the institutional nature of the university lecture, drawing on Goffman's notion of the lecture as an institutionalised holding of the floor and on Linell and Luckmann's framework of lecturer/student asymmetries. Particular attention is devoted to the specialised meta-discourse of academic lectures and to the consequent challenges it poses to interpreters. A historical overview traces the development of SLAEI from its pioneering implementations at South African universities (North-West, Johannesburg and Stellenbosch) to its introduction at the University of Bologna in March 2020. The chapter then describes the Bologna pilot project, including its forced transition to Remote Simultaneous Interpreting during the Covid-19 pandemic, the shortcomings of the Voiceboxer platform and the subsequent adoption of Zoom. Finally, facts and figures from over four years of service are presented, alongside preliminary findings on lecturer satisfaction, student engagement and exam pass rates.