休斯敦大学

The University of Houston American Sign Language Interpreting (ASLI) program is designed to prepare undergraduates to develop translation and interpretation skills when working between American Sign Language and spoken or written English. Interpreters work in a vast array of settings such as: K-12 classrooms, post-secondary institutions, governmental agencies, public sector venues, courtrooms, medical venues, public service meetings, media outlets and video relay services (VRS telephone calls).

To be successful students must possess the following requisite abilities:

• Typical hearing, vision and speech capabilities, manual dexterity, limb, face and head movements, dual limb coordination, and physical stamina;
• Cognitive skills: critical thinking, selective attention, auditory and visual attention, mental stamina, short-term memory retrieval, information ordering, deduction of pattern inference, and fluent delivery of message details;
• Cultural and linguistic knowledge (knowledge and mastery of both spoken and written English, knowledge and fluency in American Sign Language, knowledge and fluency Contact Signing, understanding of norms and values of both the English-speaking community and the Deaf community); and
• Professional attributes (such as social perceptiveness, independence, interpersonal skills, adaptability in the workplace, emotional control and stability, problem-solving, conflict resolution, time management, ethical behavior). {For more information, see the Texas Department of Rehabilitative Services - Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services (DARS-DHHS) Chapter 1.3 - Essential Functions of a BEI Certified Interpreter. Further information may also be obtained from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf - Standard Practice Paper “Professional Sign Language Interpreting”}

American Sign Language courses are taught by Deaf professors so that students experience both a cultural and linguistic immersion in the classroom setting. Each course requires students to spend significant time interacting with and serving the local Deaf community. Interpreting courses are taught by interpreter educators who have expertise in training individuals to meet state and national certification standards. Successful graduates of the ASLI program will be fluent in both English and American Sign Language, demonstrating an understanding of the profession and its ethical principles and will complete all University of Houston requirements for a Bachelor of Arts degree. The goal of the program is for graduates to be qualified to pass the entry-level Board of Evaluation of Interpreters certification exam, so as to gain employment in a growing field of high demand.