糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock professor assists group working to standardize Chinese Sign Language education
Dr. Linda StaufferA University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor traveled to China this summer on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to advise a group of hearing impaired Chinese professors who are working to standardize Chinese Sign Language and start interpreter education programs in Chinese universities.聽Dr. Linda Stauffer, professor and program coordinator for the bachelor鈥檚 degree program in American Sign Language/English interpreter education at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, traveled to China June 13 for a 10-day trip as both an interpreter and a representative of interpreter education.鈥淚n China, the country is so vast that the dialects of sign language vary drastically,鈥� Stauffer said. 鈥淒eaf people from the North and the South cannot communicate easily.鈥�The group of Chinese professors, led by Dr. Zheng Huan of Chongquing Normal University, spent the past seven years creating a standardized version of Chinese Sign Language that they hope will eventually be taught to hearing impaired students in all of China. The group also plans to create an interpreter education program at the university level.鈥淩ight now, there are no interpreter education programs in Chinese colleges,鈥� Stauffer said. 鈥淚nterpreters are grown out of the community, but there is no standard education or testing.鈥�Stauffer spoke to the group about the history of sign language in the U.S., about bachelor degree programs in interpreter education, and about national certification standards for interpreters.
Dr. Linda Stauffer visits with a group of professors and students working to standardize Chinese Sign Language and develop interpreter education programs in China.
鈥淚 think they were very fascinated by my talk,鈥� Stauffer said. 鈥淭hey see they have a long way to go, but they are very excited for the future,鈥� Stauffer said. 鈥淢y goal is to become a resource for the group as they may need me in the years ahead.鈥�Stauffer hopes to return to China and help the group start interpreter education programs in local universities.Dr. Amy Knopf, a 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock alumnus who is now the chair of the St. Cloud State University Department of Community Psychology, Counseling and Family Therapy, asked Stauffer to go to China as an interpreter. The group met with the to discuss opportunities for education exchanges and cultural immersion between the university and the institute.Interpreting during the trip was an interesting experience for Stauffer as it included four languages. Speeches were often interpreted from Chinese to Chinese Sign Language to English to American Sign Language and vice versa.鈥淓ven though we didn鈥檛 speak each other鈥檚 language, we could share some deaf culture stories in a way that transcended language,鈥� Stauffer said. 鈥淪ometimes, shared experiences trump languages.鈥� 聽
