Integrating Translation and Interpreting into Qualitative Methods Teaching: Didactic Insights from an Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Multilingualism raises specific methodological, ethical, and practical challenges for qualitative researchers, yet its implications for teaching remain underexplored. In this article, we examine how engaging with multilingualism, translation, and interpreting can foster methodological competencies in sociology students. After outlining the significance of multilingualism for qualitative inquiry, we identify core areas of knowledge that students should acquire, including theories of translation and interpretation, the dynamics of interpreter-mediated interviews, and the potentials of multilingual research designs. We then present an interdisciplinary course concept jointly developed by instructors from sociology and translation studies, centered on interpreter-mediated qualitative interviews. Drawing on the course design, implementation experiences and student feedback, we discuss what students learn about the interpretative nature of research, the constructedness of knowledge, and the importance of reflexivity. We further discuss framework conditions such as practice-based learning, personal involvement, and peer exchange, before reflecting on limitations of the course design. We conclude that systematically addressing multilingualism in methods teaching promotes reflexivity, openness, and interdisciplinary collaboration as fundamental competencies in qualitative research.