Ocean Schools Enhance Communication with the Instant Language Assistant (ILA)

Carl Lawson, third  Grade Teacher at Ocean Township Elementary School using an Instant Language Assistant.

The Ocean Township School District is working to improve engagement by using a new technology called the Instant Language Assistant or ILA. This device helps to overcome language barriers to improve engagement and inclusion of all learners. The dual-sided ILA Pro device allows users to have natural back-and-forth conversations in 250 different languages and dialects, and even type or use American Sign Language (ASL) or Braille. The entire conversation is immediately communicated to the other party in their chosen language. It is the only accessible communication solution that combines Artificial Intelligence (AI), Organizationspecific Intelligence (OI), and the ability to patch in Human Interpreters (HI) when needed ondemand. It is also available as an app or software for schools or individuals to install on their own devices, and easily integrates with existing technologies.

Cecilia Vila, PK-12 Supervisor of ESL and Bilingual Programs for the Township of Ocean School District, was a driving force in the district for embracing this new technology. A key factor in lower levels of school involvement is often that a family or student does not yet speak English. “If they aren’t comfortable coming to meetings or events because they assume they won’t be understood or able to understand the information, then they naturally shy away from participating,” explained Vila. But frustration with communication wasn’t just one-sided. “A lot of times our front office staff became frustrated because they weren’t able to offer assistance by communicating over the phone or with multilingual parents in-person who came to school,” added Vila.

Often in time sensitive situations, when comprehension of the situations is extremely important, schools may not have time to find and schedule a live interpreter, or to reach out to on-site staff that speak the language needed. “Language barriers with students and families who aren’t yet proficient in English during discussions of a student’s performance, evaluations or special education meetings, were challenging,” said Vila. “As a result, these families were not necessarily able to fully understand or advocate in important conversations about areas of need or challenges for their students.”

Like many schools, Ocean Township Schools previously relied on a combination of free legacy tools such as Google Translate, translation software and hiring live interpreters, to communicate with multilingual families – with limited results. Ocean Township Schools sought other options. “We realized very quickly that we needed to add additional measures to engage and support the rapidly changing demographics of our families,” explained Vila.

“By using ILA, we enabled two-way real-time communication in which we are not only able to provide information to multilingual families and students in their language of choice, but to receive information as well,” said Vila. “Now, when parents and guardians come to school to meet with teachers, each party can not only disseminate information but also gather more data too. This makes our processes and efforts more effective and helps our school district bridge cultures and be more inclusive.