American Sign Language, Deaf Studies, and the Community - Certificate of Achievement

Provides an understanding of Deaf culture and ensures that students reach an intermediate level of competency in American Sign Language (ASL) skills. ASL courses are aligned with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency standards. The proficiency goal for for students in this program is to reach “Intermediate Mid” on the ACTFL scale. According to ACTFL, an Intermediate Mid speaker is able to successfully handle uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations, such as the exchange of information relating to the self and physical and social needs. In addition to responding to direct questions, these speakers are also able to ask a variety of simple questions. Intermediate Mid listeners (attenders) are able to accurately comprehend simple exchanges of sentence-length speech relating to familiar or predictable topics. Students may wish to continue studies at the university level; however, upon completion of the program, students are eligible for work in various fields, including education and social services. Graduates wishing to pursue a bachelor's degree may transfer most if not all of the course work toward that degree.