anyone have an ASL degree?

[luvmyfam444]

Looking into different college programs I see some are Deaf Ed degrees & then there's ASL interpreting Looking for the pros/ cons of each.

Also wondering if anyone has taken online classes, if that's a good option or not.

 

[wilkeliza]

Looking into different college programs I see some are Deaf Ed degrees & then there's ASL interpreting Looking for the pros/ cons of each.

Also wondering if anyone has taken online classes, if that's a good option or not.

I do not have a degree in ASL but took it in college and am considering getting certified as an interpreter. The first question is what are your intentions for your degree?

Immediately I can tell you that online is not a great way to do this. A lot of ASL is better fixed when a teacher can manipulate your hand to how it should be. Also some signs are regional so you could be learning from someone who does not know the local use of a sign. Finally with a live class you get automatic practice partners. The best way to learn and get better is to use ASL and unless you are really outgoing it can be very hard to reach out to the community when you are new to practice.

 

[usnuzuloose]

They now require a BA degree to interpret. That is a long haul. The change came in 2012. I was taking only in room classes. You can take the the final exam in Oregon. I can't remember if that makes you skip doing the whole college courses.
For me I would prefer taking the classes in person as you could easily mistake something for something else with out explanation. The online course could be different for everyone. How well you understand and comprehend it all.

Another good way to learn is to go to community places where the deaf go and they are more than willing to happy to teach you as well. The older generation are partial to the older asl as opposed to the new version. But it is a good way to get in the practice. I would love to continue but school is so darned expensive.

 

[wilkeliza]

Thankfully the requirement is a BA in any degree which I have. You can get an "Alternate Pathway" exception if you have a lot of experience or take courses recognized but don't have a college degree.

 

[luvmyfam444]

my dd wants to be a gen ed teacher, but would like to have sign language to also. She toys the idea of being able to be hired freelance style for dr appointments if she was not teaching, or just being an interpreter for church. Just researching right now - even thinking of speech pathology.

yes, I was afraid the online option may be too difficult.

BUT there are only 2 schools around - one offers deaf ed & the other is interpreter training.

 

[tvguy]

I don't have all the facts but a former co-worker went back to school with the goal of working with the deaf and went the ASL route.
But about the time she graduated, the schools she wanted to work at switched to PSE because it is the most commonly used. She is working in Special Ed, but to work with deaf students now she would have to learn PSE . And throw in SEE into the mix, hard to tell which sign language you should study.

 

[luvmyfam444]

I don't have all the facts but a former co-worker went back to school with the goal of working with the deaf and went the ASL route.
But about the time she graduated, the schools she wanted to work at switched to PSE because it is the most commonly used. She is working in Special Ed, but to work with deaf students now she would have to learn PSE . And throw in SEE into the mix, hard to tell which sign language you should study.

 

[luvmyfam444]

I don't have all the facts but a former co-worker went back to school with the goal of working with the deaf and went the ASL route.
But about the time she graduated, the schools she wanted to work at switched to PSE because it is the most commonly used. She is working in Special Ed, but to work with deaf students now she would have to learn PSE . And throw in SEE into the mix, hard to tell which sign language you should study.

oh my I've never ever heard of PSE, gonna have to google that one.

 

[tvguy]

oh my I've never ever heard of PSE, gonna have to google that one.

Here's a link.
https://signsoflifeasl.wordpress.com/2013/02/27/3-forms-of-sign-language-asl-vs-pse-vs-see/

 

[fly girl]

I can't give any current day knowledge, but boy I'm sorry I let my second language in ASL slip over time.

Took 4 years in college and was very fluent. Now, can can barely construct a simple sentence. The addage "if you don't use it, you lose it" is so true.


I do agree with PP's, learning in classroom setting is highly beneficial. The last 2 years my professors were deaf, signing was the only form of communication. It really allowed full immersion to learning the nuances of the beautiful language.

 

[tasha99]

DD took a lot of ASL and considered getting a Masters in Deaf Ed. She decided on speech language pathology, in part because it has so many specialties and there are so many jobs in our area. I think it would be insulting and a disservice to students to use PSE or even worse, SEE instead of ASL (not by the aides but by their interpreter--I understand in rural areas that may be all you could get, but to make that a higher educational goal? Kind of shocking to hear that some schools are teaching that instead. I wouldn't stand for it if I had a deaf child.

 

[Sleepy425]

If she is looking for somewhere to go, Towson University has a Deaf Studies program. It is close enough to Gallaudet University that you really get the benefit of the Deaf Culture if you are willing to put in the effort. Plus I loved the area Towson was in.
As for medical interpreting - in order to do that she would need special certification. Medical is a whole different ballgame than just knowing ASL.

 

[wilkeliza]

Sad that places are going to PSE. That was started to make it easier for non native ASL users and use to be hated. I can do PSE but even when I was taking ASL just 3 years ago they told us PSE is not acceptable to use in the Deaf community.

 

[Arkansan]

As for medical interpreting - in order to do that she would need special certification. Medical is a whole different ballgame than just knowing ASL.

You also need to have a certain type of personality. My sister is an ASL interpreter. (She got her BA in theatre prior to going back to school for ASL interpreting. ) She lives in NYC and could freelance all day, every day, but she is very tender hearted. (when we were kids if she would see someone on crutches, she would start limping, for example). She has said it would be too hard on her emotionally--muggings, rape victims, domestic abuse, car accidents, emergency procedures, etc. Lots of heavy stuff.

She works at a college interpreting classes for deaf students for her main job and freelances as she is able to for other things. She has interpreted several Broadway shows, shows at the Papermill Playhouse, and last Fall she performed on stage with the NY Deaf Theatre off-Broadway in a part that spoke and signed simultaneously. She has also done more mundane things, of course. I know she has taken summer classes (for several weeks at a time) at Gualadette. She has also helped deaf people while on airplanes, etc. just through chance encounters. She has talked about maybe interpreting on a deaf cruise someday. It's a work trip during the initial cruise, but sometimes the interpreters are paid with a free cruise to take later. There are lots of opportunities!

 

[luvmyfam444]

If she is looking for somewhere to go, Towson University has a Deaf Studies program. It is close enough to Gallaudet University that you really get the benefit of the Deaf Culture if you are willing to put in the effort. Plus I loved the area Towson was in.
As for medical interpreting - in order to do that she would need special certification. Medical is a whole different ballgame than just knowing ASL.

somehow where my mil works she isn't required to be certified medically. maybe her 40yrs exp trumps it?

 

[tasha99]

somehow where my mil works she isn't required to be certified medically. maybe her 40yrs exp trumps it?

That would be odd. Medical, legal, educational are all different areas of expertise. Even with experience, you'd think an interpreter would need to demonstrate knowledge of medical terms etc. Maybe she was grandfathered in, but maybe she has certifications you're unaware of.

 

[luvmyfam444]

That would be odd. Medical, legal, educational are all different areas of expertise. Even with experience, you'd think an interpreter would need to demonstrate knowledge of medical terms etc. Maybe she was grandfathered in, but maybe she has certifications you're unaware of.

yes maybe. I know she never went to college & she didn't pass the national cert but it know anything else.

do you know where you would find info on the medical/legal info on certifications? Cause of the two programs I've looked into 1 is deaf ed, so a special ed degree & the other is an interpreter training - it doesn't mention which she'd be ready for when graduating, if any.