45.03.02 BA in LINGUISTICS / Intercultural communication: Theory & Practice

Specialisation: Sign Language Interpreting

Study Mode: Full time

Duration: 4 academic years (240 ECTS)

Entry Criteria: Russian Certificate of Complete Secondary Education (or equivalent), with school-leaving Unified State Examination results in Foreign Language, History, and Russian

Are you interested to know what sign language really is about? Not many people are aware that sign language has been around for thousands of years! Would you like to be able to communicate with the Deaf in their own language and to help deaf and hearing people to understand each other better? Do you think becoming fluent in English would be a welcome addition to your skill-set?

Programme Overview

Our four-year Bachelor programme in sign language interpreting was introduced in 2012. We provide undergraduate training of sign language interpreters together with a broader range of courses in interpreting, translation and linguistics which have been established over more than 80 years of our history. The programme consists of the university's basic studies, programme specific basic studies, major studies, projects, and final theses. You will have an opportunity to study a variety of courses in general and sign language linguistics, the sociology and culture of the Deaf community, intercultural communication, as well as in English language proficiency. What students will find particularly relevant is diverse theoretical and practical aspects of sign language interpreting, including the application of methods developed for the analysis of spoken language communication to the bimodal interpreting between spoken and sign languages.

What You Will Study

The course is taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and classes.

• Russian Sign Language (RSL) as a linguistic system
• The theory of translation of sign languages
• Practical course of Russian sign language
• Workshop on the culture of verbal communication (Russian sign language)
• Practical workshops on the culture of translation and interpretation from RSL into Russian and from Russian into RSL
• Professional ethics of a Russian sign language interpreter
• History and criticism of translation (Sign Language)
• Practical course of a foreign language (English) (1st and 2nd course)
• Practical work on the culture of speech communication (English) (Year 1 & Year 2)
• Theoretical disciplines in a foreign language (theoretical phonetics, theoretical grammar, lexicology, history of the English language, stylistics)
• Professionally oriented translation

Course structure

Year 1

The first year will lay a solid foundation for the following three years of studies. The main aim is to develop your competence in English and starting from the second semester to introduce you to the Russian Sign Language. You are also offered a number of other courses, such as History, Classical Languages and Cultures, Stylistics of the Russian Language etc.

Year 2

In the second year you will be able to enhance your proficiency in the Russian Sign Language and in English. An important component at this stage is the theoretical background in translation and interpreting you will obtain through General and English Translation courses

Year 3

In the third year we will offer you more advanced training in the studied languages and cultures along with the introductory courses to sign language interpreting. That is also when you are to carry out your course project on Russian Sign Language as a Linguistic System and undertake an internship.

Year 4

In the fourth year you are expected to achieve a near-native proficiency in the two languages, and develop the skills necessary for bimodal interpreting. By the end of the year you will have to submit your research paper (Bachelor’s Thesis) and take final qualification examinations.

Careers

There are many careers and professions you could join with a BA in Linguistics & Sign Language Interpreting, including

· working as an interpreter, a social worker or a researcher

· lecturing in higher and further education & teaching

working for deaf welfare organisations