Signed Language Interpreting
Department of Linguistics
University of New Mexico
Degree Requirements
Major Study Requirements: The B.S. major in Signed Language Interpreting requires Ling 101 and a minimum of 36 hours in Sign numbered above 200: 201, 210, 211, 212, 214, 310, 352, 360, 411, 412, 418, 419. Students majoring in Signed Language Interpreting must be approved by the department.
Departmental Honors: A student seeking departmental honors in the Department of Linguistics (for majors in either Linguistics or Signed Language Interpreting) should identify a research project during the junior year in consultation with an appropriate professor/mentor and should submit a proposal in the form of a letter to the department chair. If the proposal is approved by the department chair, the student should enroll in Ling 498 the first semester of the senior year and Ling 499 the second semester of the senior year. These six hours of honors work are in addition to the minimum number of hours required for the major.
101. Introduction to the Study of Language. (3) (Also offered as Anth 110.) Broad overview of the nature of language: language structure, biology of language, language learning, language and thought, bilingualism, social and regional variation, and educational implications. Intended to fulfill breadth requirements of any college. 101 and Anth 110 may not both be counted for credit. {Fall, Spring} Signed Language Interpreting (Sign)
201. Introduction to Signed Language. (3) Overview of signed language studies and related issues. Introduction to American Sign Language (ASL); signed communication systems most frequently used by deaf and hard of hearing individuals; the study of fingerspelling. {Summer, Fall, Spring}
210. American Sign Language. (3) (Restricted) Study of ASL, including basic concepts and sign lexicon. Grammatical features of ASL will be stressed, along with structure and syntax. The student will be expected to demonstrate to the instructor his or her proficiency at the end of the semester. Prerequisite: 201 or permission of instructor. {Fall, Spring}
211. American Sign Language II. (3) (Restricted) A study of ASL including sign language colloquialisms used in conversational signing. Provides a summary of information currently available dealing with the understanding of ASL grammatical structure and its sociolinguistic usage. Prerequisite: 210 or permission of instructor. {Fall, Spring}
212. Fingerspelling. (3) (Restricted) Assists the student in acquiring fluent fingerspelling ability through the use of visual and expressive drills. Videotapes of a variety of fingerspelling styles will be used to ensure the student acquires a comprehensive background. Prerequisite: 201 or permission of instructor. {Spring}
214. Lexical Semantics for Transliteration. (3) (Restricted) Examines polysemy of the English lexicon which transliterators must be concerned with, ranging from semantic prototypes to word meanings which are essentially fluid. Signs representing English morphology are also discussed. Prerequisite: 201 or permission of instructor. {Spring}
*303. Signed Language Linguistics. (3) Examines linguistic research on signed languages, primarily ASL: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Also covers signed language sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, language acquisition (first and second), and neurolinguistics.
*310. American Sign Language III. (3) (Restricted) Designed to help students improve their expressive skills and general conversational competence in ASL relative to phonology, lexical items, syntax, and discourse. Focuses on semantic appropriateness and accuracy of particular lexical items, appropriate use of non-manual behaviors, and the use of context to determine meaning. Prerequisite: 211 or permission of instructor. {Fall, Spring}
*320. American Sign Language IV. (3) (Restricted) Intensive practice involving receptive/expressive skills in complex grammatical structures, dialogue, and storytelling. Intensive study of transcription techniques and their application to ASL research and documentation. Prerequisite: 310 or permission of instructor. {Fall, Spring}
*352. Language and Culture in the Deaf Community. (3) An introduction to Deaf culture. Examines the language, education, social and political aspects, and art forms of Deaf people from an anthropological point of view. {Spring}
*360. The Interpreting Profession. (3) (Restricted) Addresses the mental processes essential to interpretation and transliteration. In addition to exercises used to develop interpreting strategies such as memory retention, message analysis, dŽcalage, etc., the student is introduced to the interpreter's Code of Ethics and business practices of the professional interpreter. Prerequisites: 212, 214, 310, 352, and Ling 101 or permission of the instructor. {Fall}
*411. Consecutive Interpretation. (3) (Restricted) Theory and practice of consecutive interpretation. Topics: message analysis, attention, cultural mediation, and reducing interference from the source language. Equal time is spent with ASL and English texts. Prerequisite: 360 or permission of instructor. {Spring}
*412. Simultaneous Interpreting. (3) (Restricted) Theory and practice of simultaneous interpretation. Topics: control of source language input, team interpreting, self-monitoring and repair, preparation, providing feedback, and special situations such as interpreting in medical settings. Prerequisite: 411 or permission of instructor. {Fall}
*418. Seminar in Signed Language Interpreting. (1-3) (Restricted) A detailed study of current trends and practices in signed language interpreting and evaluation, along with similarities and differences between signed language and spoken language interpreting. Introduction to interpreting process models and assessment models and discussion of current research in the field of interpreting. Students will conduct a small-scale research project and participate in a debate of issues surrounding the interpreting profession. {Fall}
*419. Practicum in Signed Language Interpreting. (1-4) (Restricted) Supervised practicum interpreting and transliterating in a variety of community and academic settings, including elementary through post-secondary classrooms, medical situations, vocational rehabilitation, platform and television interpreting, and so forth. Supervised preparation for future private practice employment. Prerequisite: 410 or permission of instructor. {Upon demand, Fall, Spring}
*490. Topics in Signed Language. (1-6)
495. Undergraduate Problems. (1-6)
* Course allowed for graduate credit to students enrolled in a graduate program. Normally, a graduate student enrolled in a starred course numbered below 500 is required to do extra work.
Approved by College of Arts and Sciences Dean and Associate Deans September 17, 1999