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Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions
of students and parents.
- Is ASL a language?
- What is American Sign Language?
- How long does it take to learn Sign Language?
- Is ASL easier to learn than other Foreign Languages?
- If ASL is used in the U.S., how can it be considered a "Foreign" Language?
- Is ASL accepted as a Foreign Language?
- What colleges and universities accept ASL as a Foreign Language?
- Who uses ASL?
- What is the brief history of ASL?
- What is Fingerspelling?
Is ASL a language? ASL is a fully developed language, one of hundreds of naturally occurring
signed languages around the world, with a complex grammatical structure (see,
e.g., Klima & Bellugi, 1979; Valli & Lucas, 1993).
What is American Sign Language? American Sign Language (ASL) is the natural, native language of the Deaf
Community in America. (This includes those Deaf and hearing children born of
Deaf parents.) It is a spatial-gestural language that is used as a primary
means of communication by many Deaf people in the U.S. and parts of Canada
as well.
ASL (or Ameslan) is a visual, conceptual language that has its own syntax
and distinct grammatical structure which differs from English. (It does not
follow English word order.) For a long time, it was thought to be either a
crude collection of gestures, or to be an "inferior" form of English.
However, linguistic research beginning in the 1960s has shown that ASL is a
true, complete and rich language in its own right, unrelated to English.
ASL is a major part of American Deaf culture, and is transmitted from one
generation of signers to the next. Deaf people regard ASL as their natural
language because it reflects their cultural values and keeps their
traditions and heritage alive.
How long does it take to learn Sign Language? Learning sign language takes time. You cannot learn it in five minutes or
overnight. To pick up enough signs for basic communication and to sign them
comfortably, without excessive stiffness, can take one or two years. Some
people pick up signs slower than others, and if that is the case, don't let
it discourage you. Everyone learns sign language at their own speed. Be
patient and you will succeed in learning the language. The rewards will be
well worth the effort!
You can learn American Sign Language (ASL) by attending a sign language
class. Usually they can be found at community colleges, universities,
libraries, churches, organizations/clubs of the deaf, and so on. You can
also expand your knowledge of ASL by practicing your signs with deaf people,
be they friends or coworkers. Generally, they are patient about showing new
signers the correct way to sign something, and usually, they will slow down
their signing so that you can understand them. They are also willing to
repeat words or statements if you do not understand them the first (or even
the second) time. Keep in mind, however, that deaf people are human: they do
lose patience from time to time. If that happens, do not take it personally.
Put yourself in their shoes: if you had to slow down your normal speaking
speed to the point where you say one word at a time and repeat yourself more
than once, you might lose patience yourself.
You need to remember that sign language is a visual language. This means
that the brain processes linguistic information through the eyes instead of
ears. It also means that facial expressions and body movements play an
important part in conveying information. It is possible to sign without
using facial or body expressions, but doing so may give a mixed message and
may confuse your deaf listeners. It will also look odd or unnatural.
Sign language by itself is not an universal language -- each country has
their own sign language, much like the thousands of languages spoken by
hearing people all over the world. Like any spoken language, American Sign
Language (ASL) is a living language with its own rules of grammar. Like all
verbal languages, ASL grows and changes over time to accommodate the needs
of its native users. If you were to travel to another state and had an
opportunity to speak with a deaf person of that state, you may even notice
that s/he will do some signs differently from you. These signs are known
as "regional" signs, and you can think of them as the equivalent
of "accent". It does not mean that deaf people in your state are signing
their signs incorrectly, as opposed to those used by deaf people in another
state. It is just a normal variation in ASL, and such regional signs add
flavor to your understanding of ASL. It is important to remember that when
you discover there is no sign for a word, it does not mean you can invent or
make up a new sign. To do so may violate the grammatical rules of ASL, and
may offend many deaf people. Fingerspell unknown terms.
Most importantly, speed is not crucial in sign language, although it can
appear that way. It is more important to sign clearly, even if you have to
do it at a slower pace. When deaf people often ask you to repeat yourself,
it is a sign that you should slow down and try to sign as clearly as
possible. Do not feel embarrassed if you sign slowly. To get your message
across, to connect with another person, and to be understood is important.
There are no shortcuts to effective communication. Good luck!
Is ASL easier to learn than other Foreign Languages? Because ASL developed as a visual/gestural language, its grammar differs
from that of English and other languages that developed as oral/aural
languages; ASL has a much more complex verbal aspect and classifier system
than English. Some students of ASL believe it is more difficult to learn
than oral languages.
Designers of ASL programs need to consider issues related to curriculum and
materials, teacher qualifications, and evaluation of students' proficiency.
Students need to develop both expressive and receptive fluency in ASL, have
opportunities to interact with Deaf individuals and attend events in the
Deaf community, and have access to the rich body of ASL literature. ASL
classes should be taught by teachers who have a formal background in second
language pedagogy, experience in teaching ASL, and verifiable proficiency in
ASL.
If ASL is used in the U.S., how can it be considered a "Foreign" Language? ASL is becoming an increasingly popular foreign language in high schools and
colleges across the U.S. and because of the its minority status it is generally classified as a
foreign language.
ASL is indigenous to the United States and parts of Canada. At most
universities, however, a language's place of origin has little to do with
its status as a foreign language. For example, American Indian languages
such as Navajo are accepted in fulfillment of university foreign language
requirements. Because many native speakers of the languages studied in our
schools live in the United States and were even born here, many programs are
beginning to refer to themselves as second language programs rather than
foreign language programs.
Is ASL accepted as a Foreign Language? Yes, American Sign Language (ASL) is accepted as fulfillment of the foreign language requirements at
high schools and colleges/universities across the United States.
At least thirty-five (35) states have recognized ASL as a modern language
for public schools. Hundreds of colleges/universities (at least 750, Cokely
1986) in the United States are offering ASL classes.
What colleges and universities accept ASL as a Foreign Language? For a list please refer to this website:
http://web.mac.com/swilcox/UNM/univlist.html or see below.
1. Abilene Christian University
2. American University
3. Antioch College (Ohio)
4. Arcadia University
5. Arizona State University
6. Augsburg College (Minneapolis, MN)
7. Baylor University
8. Bethel College (Indiana)
9. Boston University
10. Brandeis University
11. Brigham Young University
12. Brown University
13. Butler University (Indiana)
14. Cabrillo College (California)
15. California State University (Fresno)
16. California State University (Hayward)
17. California State University (Monterey Bay)
18. California State University (Northridge)
19. California State University (Sacramento)
20. California State University (San Marcos)
21. Capital University (Columbus, OH)
22. Catholic University
23. Central Washington University
24. Centralia College
25. Clark University (Worcester, MA)
26. Clemson University
27. College of St. Catherine (MN)
28. College of Southern Idaho
29. College of Staten Island
30. College of St. Rose (Albany, NY)
31. Dallas Baptist University
32. East Central Oklahoma State University
33. Eastern Illinois University
34. Eastern Washington University
35. Elms College (Chicopee MA)
36. The Evergreen College (Washington)
37. Florida A & M University
38. Florida Atlantic University
39. Florida Atlantic Universisty Honors College (Wilkes Honors College)
40. Florida Gulf Coast University
41. Florida International University
42. Florida State University
43. Fresno Pacific University
44. Gardner-Webb University
45. George Mason University
46. Georgetown University
47. Holy Cross College (Worcester, MA)
48. Howard University
49. Howard Payne University
50. Illinois State University
51. Indiana University
52. Kent State University
53. Lamar University
54. Linfield College
55. Loyola University
56. Lubbock Christian University
57. MacMurray College (Jacksonville IL)
58. Madonna University
59. Mary Hardin Baylor University
60. Maryville College
61. Messiah College
62. Michigan State University
63. Montclair State University
64. Neumann College (Aston, PA)
65. New College of Florida
66. New York University (School of Education)
67. National Technical Institute for the Deaf (Rochester, NY)
68. Northeastern University
69. Ohio State University
70. Oklahoma State University
71. Pacific Lutheran University
72. Portland State University
73. Purdue University
74. Radford University (Radford, VA)
75. Russell Sage College (Troy, NY)
76. Sacramento Community College
77. San Antonio College
78. San Diego State University
79. Scripps College (Claremont, CA)
80. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
81. Stanford University
82. SUNY Brockport
83. SUNY Buffalo
84. SUNY Fredonia
85. SUNY Geneseo
86. SUNY Oswego
87. Stephen F. Austin University
88. Tennessee Temple University
89. Texas A & M University - Commerce
90. Texas A & M University - Corpus Christi
91. Texas State University
92. Texas Tech University
93. Texas Wesleyan University
94. Texas Woman's University
95. University of Akron
96. University of Alaska (Fairbanks)
97. University of Arizona
98. University of Arkansas (Little Rock)
99. University of Buffalo
100.University of Calif. at Berkeley (accepted for entrance, not exit,
requirements)
101.University of Calif. at San Diego
102.University of Calif. at Davis
103.University of Central Florida
104.University of Chicago
105.University of Cincinnati
106.University of Colorado-Boulder
107.University of Connecticut
108.University of Florida
109.University of Georgia (Athens)
110.University of Hawaii (Manoa)
111.University of Iceland
112.University of Iowa
113.University of Kansas
114.University of Louisville (KY)
115.University of Maryland
116.University of Massachusetts
117.University of Maine at Machias
118.University of Michigan
119.University of Minnesota
120.University of Nevada-Reno
121.University of New Hampshire (Durham)
122.University of New Hampshire (Manchester)
123.University of New Mexico
124.University of North Carolina (Charlotte)
125.University of North Carolina (Greensboro)
126.University of North Carolina (Wilmington)
127.University of North Florida
128.University of North Texas (Denton)
129.University of Northern Iowa
130.University of Pennsylvania
131.University of Pittsburgh
132.University of Rochester
133.University of South Florida
134.University of Southern Florida
135.University of Texas - Austin
136.University of Texas - Pan American
137.University of Texas-San Antonio
138.University of Tulsa
139.University of Utah
140.University of Virginia
141.University of Washington
142.University of West Florida
143.University of Wyoming
144.Utah State University
145.Utah Valley State College
146.Vassar College
147.Virginia Tech
148.Washington State University
149.West Virginia University (School of Journalism majors)
150.Western Oregon University
151.Western Washington University
152.William Woods University
153.Wright State University (Ohio)
154.Xavier University (Cincinnati)
155.Xavier University (Louisiana)
156.Yale University
Please Note (Disclaimer):
Some people have asked about how information is obtained for this page, and
thus whether it is exhaustive and accurate. I must point out three things
about the list.
First, I have not contacted these schools. The list began almost 10 years
ago when I was in contact with colleagues who were able to supply reliable
information. I collected this information and made it available on request.
Later, I made the list available on the web. As more and more people read
this list and provide new information, it has become ever more difficult to
ensure the accuracy of the information. Increasingly, the data for the list
comes from people -- students, faculty, or administrators -- at these
schools who have contacted me and reported that the school accepts ASL as a
foreign language. When I find an institution to be incorrectly listed, I
immediately remove it from the list. If readers know or suspect that a
listed school does not accept ASL, please let me know so that I can remove
the school from this list.
Second, the type of acceptance can vary greatly from school to school. Some
institutions have formal policies accepting ASL in fulfillment of the
foreign language requirement. Others accept ASL only within certain
colleges, divisions, or departments. Still others may accept ASL on an ad
hoc basis for certain majors. I attempt to exclude schools from the list
when I can determine that the "acceptance" is on an individual or ad hoc
basis. I cannot guarantee that I always catch these cases, however.
Third, because this is an informal list, it is not exhaustive. There may be
schools which accept ASL as a foreign language which are not listed. If
readers know of schools accepting ASL in fulfillment of the undergraduate
foreign language requirements which are not listed, please contact me. It is
helpful if you include the email address for a contact person at the
institution. It is even better if you ask an official at the institution to
contact me directly.
Washington Legislation mandates that ASL meets foreign language high school
graduation and four-year admission requirements:
�Pursuant to any foreign language requirement established by the state board
of education or a local school district, or both, for purposes of high
school graduation, students who receive instruction in American Sign
Language shall be considered to have satisfied the state or local school
district foreign language graduation requirement. Minimum admission
standards will be established for four-year institutions, including a
requirement that coursework in American Sign Language shall satisfy any
foreign language requirement the board or the institution may establish as a
general undergraduate admissions requirement.�
Who uses ASL? Deaf people in the U.S. and the English speaking parts of Canada.
American Sign Language is one of the most widely used languages in the
United States and currently ranks fifth in non-English languages used in the
country behind the big four; Spanish, German, French.
ASL is primarily used by Deaf and hard of hearing Americans and Canadians.
In addition, ASL is used by: 1) hearing children of deaf parents; 2) hearing
siblings and relatives of the deaf, and 3) hearing adults who are becoming
deaf and are learning ASL from other deaf individuals. Additionally, a
growing population of hearing, second-language students are learning ASL in
elementary, secondary, and post-secondary classrooms.
There are approximately 250,000 - 500,000 ASL users in USA and Canada (Baker
and Cokely, 1980). Most of them use ASL as their primary language.
However, these numbers have varied over time through research. Please read
below.
American Sign Language (ASL) is commonly said to be the fourth most-used
language in the United States" (alternatively phrased as the third most-
used non-English language in the U.S) This claim has been around since
the early 1970s. We have seen an assertion that this comes from research
done for the Bilingual Courts Act of 1974, which supposedly established that
ASL was the fourth most-used language in the U.S.
In any case, the relative rankings of languages decades ago are not
necessarily the same as the rankings after the beginning of the 21st
Century. Harlan Lane, Robert Hoffmeister, and Ben Bahan say, in A journey
into the deaf-world (San Diego, Calif.: DawnSignPress, 1996):
ASL is the language of a sizeable minority. Estimates range from 500,000 to
two million speakers in the U.S. alone; there are also many speakers in
Canada. Compared to data from the Census Bureau, which counts other language
minorities, ASL is the leading minority language in the U.S. after the "big
four": Spanish, Italian, German, and French.
Dr. Thomas E. Allen, of the Gallaudet Research Institute, wrote a one-page
1994 paper on the difficulties of estimating how many people use ASL. It is
available on the Internet at
http://gri.gallaudet.edu/Demographics/qxreasl.html.
What is the brief history of ASL? ASL is deeply rooted in the Deaf Community and Culture. Early sign language
was already in use in Colonial America, notably in Martha's Vineyard Island
where many deaf people once lived. In 1817, Laurent Clerc, the first deaf
teacher in American came from Paris, France to Hartford, Connecticut with
Thomas Gallaudet to set up the first school for the deaf. He used French
Sign Language in his teachings which led to the standardization of early
American Sign Language into modern American Sign Language. The folklore, the
history of Deaf people, cultural values and arts are expressed and preserved
through ASL.
What is Fingerspelling? The manual use of the alphabet in ASL is called fingerspelling. Sometimes
called the Rochester method, it is the process of using your hands to
form letters and create words. Fingerspelling is used for proper names or a
specific word in English.
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