Sunny Hong is a senior anthropology consultant for SIL International and an adjunct professor at Dallas International University. She holds a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies from Biola University. One of her research topics is the refugee issue in relation to Bible translation. She has served Wycliffe/SIL since 1994.
Language Development and Scripture Translation in Refugee Camps
Abstract
A recent study (Hong, 2018) indicated that at least half of the remaining 2,000 languages that need the Bible translated exist in the places where foreign cross-cultural workers cannot live due to political or religious reasons. This situation presents challenges for Scripture translation. Diaspora persons who are coming out of their homelands may be the resource people to do Scripture translations. There are several types of diaspora: immigrants, foreign workers, international students, and refugees. Most of the minority language groups around the world are not affluent enough to emigrate, to get a job in a foreign country or to send their children as international students. This leaves refugees as prime candidates. Therefore, it is very important to understand how to work with refugees to translate the remaining languages.
A refugee camp is the first place they are settled with the necessary safety place where refugees’ languages are least shifted in comparison to the future resettled places. Often, significant numbers of speakers of the language live together in the refugee camps. The purpose of this research is to understand and describe the unique challenges and advantages one would encounter working in a refugee camp, how those challenges should be dealt with, and advantages that could be maximized to bring shalom to the hearts of refugees through Bible translation projects.