Frequently Asked Questions
Will ASL be accepted toward my foreign language requirement?
I have taken some ASL courses already, which class should I take?
How can I find ASL classes in my local area?
Does the University of Rochester ASL Program offer distance learning courses?
How can I find information about a career in Interpreting?
Is the University of Rochester ASL Program an Interpreter Training program?
Will the University of Rochester ASL Program certify me to teach ASL?
Will ASL be accepted toward my foreign language requirement?
While there is no longer a foreign language requirement at the University of Rochester, ASL has been accepted as a foreign language at UR since the early 1990's. There is some ongoing controversy surrounding this issue at other universities in the United States. For more detailed information on this subject, Sherman Wilcox at the University of New Mexico has compiled information regarding the most common objections to acceptance of ASL as a foreign language and answers these questions with facts from the linguistic, anthropological, and other research literatures.
I have taken some ASL courses already, which class should I take?
If you have previous experience or coursework in ASL, an ASL Skills Assessment will be conducted here in our offices, under the direction of senior lecturer, Lisa Johnston. The Skills Assessment is an informal 15-20 minute interview in conversational format. The Skills Assessment determines placement in the appropriate level language class (101, 102, 105, 106). Admissions at the University of Rochester is separate from the academic departments. The skills assessment would determine class placement, but will have no bearing on your admissions status.
How can I find ASL classes in my local area?
Many local community colleges offer courses in American Sign Language. In addition, we would recommend the reference issue of the American Annals of the Deaf, published annually in April, which has a comprehensive list of services for deaf people, and schools and classes for deaf students, as well as local chapters of the National Association of the Deaf. Check with your library for a copy or contact the American Annals of the Deaf, Gallaudet University, KDES, PAS 6, 800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695. Gallaudet University has information on deafness on its web pages at http//:www.gallaudet.edu, where, under Publications and Services, you will find the American Annals of the Deaf, as well as the National Center for Information on Deafness.
Does the University of Rochester ASL Program offer distance learning courses?
We do not offer distance learning opportunities at this time. Our curriculum emphasizes learning through ongoing classroom interaction between students and teachers. Our program offers a full 4-year B.A. degree, with classes in ASL as a language, in the literature and culture of the American Deaf community, and in the linguistics and psycholinguistics of signed and spoken languages.
How can I find information about a career in Interpreting?
We would recommend that you contact the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) either at (301) 608-0050, or on the web at www.rid.org.
Is the University of Rochester ASL Program an Interpreter Training program?
We offer a full 4-year liberal arts degree, with classes in ASL as a language, in the literature and culture of the American Deaf community, in the linguistics and psycholinguistics of signed and spoken languages, and classes in teaching ASL as a second language. In addition, we offer instruction in a second sign language, Japanese Sign Language. Our program is not, however, an interpreter training program, although a B.A. in ASL provides an excellent background for students who plan to obtain a master’s degree or other form of certification in interpreting.
Will the University of Rochester ASL Program certify me to teach ASL?
There has been a change in regulations by the New York State Department of Education. As a result, the ASL Program is no longer admitting students to the ASL Teacher Certification Program. Certification for teachers of foreign languages, including ASL, will be offered through the University of Rochester's Warner School of Education and Human Development. The ASL Program, however, will continue to offer courses that satisfy the requirement that ASL teachers complete 36 hours of study in American Sign Language, and we will continue to offer two courses that specialize in the teaching of ASL as a second language. We suggest that you contact the ASLTA (ASL Teacher's Association). They may have more information that will be helpful to you. http://www.aslta.org/
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