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ASL Proficiency Expectations for Program Applicants
Students entering the Program of Sign Language Interpretation must already have a foundation in American Sign Language. To attain required fluency, students are encouraged to complete an accredited program in ASL and Deaf Studies before applying.
Before applying for this program, you should be able to satisfy some special demands and work requirements with minimal uncertainty. You should also be able to use ASL with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary to participate in some formal and informal conversations on practical, social and professional topics. The following list outlines what is expected:
Manual/Non-manual Formation
- Generally intelligible although sometimes awkward
- Easily identifiable as a non-Deaf person or someone who has learned to sign as an adult
- Occasional marked sign production errors
Visual Grammar
- Occasionally in control of basic syntactic patterns including questions forms, basic verb tenses, pronouns and verb inflection
- Generally able to construct simple and compound sentences
- Uses basic visual grammatical features in connected discourse with frequent errors showing imperfect control of patterns
- Imperfect control of grammar with occasional marked grammatical errors - errors infrequently interfere with understanding and rarely disturb the native user
- Uses simple, compound, and some complex sentences
Lexicon
- Introduces self in appropriate cultural and linguistic manner
- Vocabulary adequate for participation in all general conversations and for limited professional discussions in a specific field
- Able to narrate and describe topics related to background, family, interests/hobbies, and work
- Can discuss particular interests and special fields of competence with reasonable ease
- Vocabulary is broad enough that individual rarely has to grope for a sign
- Adequate for participation in all general conversations and for professional discussions within the individual's field of work
- Rarely has to grope for a sign - talks about favourite pastimes or sports in some depth
- Professional vocabulary adequate to discuss special interests
- General vocabulary permits discussion of many non-technical subjects with some circumlocutions
- Range of registers limited
- Able to describe familiar places and things that happened in the past or might happen in the future
- Uses ASL effectively to conduct routine interactions (rent a hotel room, bargain with a Deaf friend, etc.)
Fluency
- Somewhat hesitant
- Generally able to sustain conversation through circumlocutions
- In spite of some hesitations, there is fair to good control of everyday sign vocabulary
- Communication is occasionally hesitant; with some unevenness caused by rephrasing and groping for signs
- Finger-spelled items need occasional repetition
- Discusses familiar topics, asks and answers simple questions, initiates and responds to simple unrehearsed statements and carries on face-to-face discussions
- Is understood by Deaf signers with native-competence who are used to signing with hearing people - repeating things can be understood by the general Deaf public
Visual Comprehension
- Gets the gist of conversations on familiar topics though finds it hard to tune in on long conversations or in unfamiliar situations
- Understands most of what is said when comments are directed to the individual
- Can follow some conversations between native signers and fluent non-Deaf signers, but not able to catch all detail
- Recognizes and responds to some humour and teasing
