Once upon a time, a young English major needed to take an elective to earn her Bachelor’s degree: she decided to take up American Sign Language. This language actually “stuck” with her (which was a first). Due to her ADHD’s auditory processing issues, she discovered that her brain was actually better equipped for ASL! As she became conversant, ASL introduced her to a (small) Deaf world of brilliant and kind individuals.

Hi, it’s me. I’m Sarah — I’m the English major.

A/S/L?

35/F/Tennessee.

Wait, that’s not what you meant…

Big News!

I just got accepted into the University of Tennessee. I’m going to become an ASL interpreter.

Where did I first start learning American Sign Language?

This is often the first question I’m asked! (If you begin learning ASL, you’ll be asked this often too, along with who your teacher is and why you are learning sign language.)

I took ASL I and II in college.

Actually, if I’m being entirely honest, I failed ASL I the first time I took it, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Why? My first ASL professor was hearing, audist to a fault, and was apparently teaching us SEE, which is not ASL.

I made a point to re-take that ASL course with a professor who was actually Deaf–unlearning my bad habits was harder than forming good ones to begin with.

Why didn’t I become an interpreter in 2012?

Someone talked me into becoming a teacher instead.

Originally, I had planned to change majors and switch colleges to one with an interpreter program, which would have required moving cities and transferring colleges–something I wasn’t sure I could afford. Moreover, another professor talked me into teaching, claiming “We need people like you in classrooms”.

He ultimately convinced me to pursue teaching instead of interpreting, claiming that, I could always pursue a Master’s degree in Deaf education.

I’d become fluent in ASL then, right?

Wrong. He was so wrong. As I’ve since learned, many hearing teachers of deaf students are not fluent in ASL, which is a problem. An institutional one.

I Love Teaching — Why Am I Becoming an Interpreter?

There are a lot of barriers for Deaf students to access adequate education. According to the textbook, Deaf culture: exploring deaf communities in the United States,

“Such barriers include meeting the shortage of trained teachers with Deaf culture and multicultural competencies, addressing the absence of teachers’ and educational interpreters’ sign language proficiency, and contributing to accessible on-grade content for academically oriented Deaf students.” (146, Leigh et al.)

At the time, each Master’s program I looked into didn’t require–or even provide an opportunity for–teachers to learn ASL fluently.

My belief? Hearing deaf educators should be not only fluent in American Sign Language, but also exceptionally skilled in American Sign Language–especially in their content area.

My content area is Language Arts. How could I ever expect to teach deaf students when I have not even mastered the basics of American Sign Language?

Roadblocks to Improving my ASL

1. Teaching is HARD and I had no time to study. For awhile, my teaching career took the front seat of my life; I’d learn where and what I could, but anyone can tell you how demanding a career in teaching is. Still, I continued to study here and there.
   
2. Receptive signing skills are hard to develop by yourself. After I moved from teaching to teach, I did study on my own quite a bit. I discovered an amazing resource created by a Deaf Professor (Dr. Bill Vicars!) over at Lifeprint.com, where structured ASL courses I-IV are available for free (though you should totally donate if you utilize this resource!)
   • LifePrint.com’s courses strongly resemble the Deaf-led courses I took in college. They allow you to study ASL in the comfort of your own home. If you sign along, your expressive skills will grow!
   • You really do need a study buddy. However, even with rigorous study, I did not progress the way I had hoped. Due to the global pandemic and finding myself isolated in Florida, I had no one with whom to practice! My receptive signing skills suffered immensely.
     
3. Community ASL Classes weren’t rigorous enough. Once I had both of my COVID boosters, I started looking into local community classes, which unfortunately were not advanced enough for my existing proficiency level. They definitely helped fix some things I’d learned incorrectly, but I was not making progress.
   
4. Online Interpreter Preparation Programs (ITP’s) wouldn’t accept me unless I could demonstrate fluency of at least ASL IV. Since I was stuck at ASL II (especially in my receptivite skills), that was another issue I wasn’t sure I could overcome.

I considered taking courses with Gallaudet University, which offers ASL courses taught by Deaf instructors online. But I know myself: I learn better in-person.

By then, we were knee-deep in a move back to Tennessee.

I felt woefully behind and utterly stuck.

The winding path toward becoming an interpreter.

Serendipity is a wonderful thing; I lucked into meeting a wonderful interpreter here in Knoxville, TN. She informed me that I don’t need a second Bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language. As long as I have my existing four-year degree, I can become certified with enough practice, study, and hard work. Best of all, she introduced me to the ASL Program Coordinator at the University of Tennessee.

I now have a clear path forward: Enroll in UT, take an ASL placement test, take any remediation courses needed, then get accepted into their Interpreter Preparation Program.

I finally have a way forward!

Taking ASL courses isn’t enough to become an interpreter, nor should it be.

While I am not a degree-seeking student, I need to do this the right way. I can’t just study signs and take a test. American Sign Language is a rich, nuanced language, separate from English. It is tied intrinsically to Deaf culture. To deny this is to deny “the full complexity of the human experience and instead subsist on harmful and inadequate assumptions” (Blair Imani, Read This to Get Smarter About Race, Class, Gender, Disability and More).

I’ve been studying basically anything I can get my hands on related to ASL and Deaf Culture. I’m studying with a Deaf tutor. I’m meeting with my Interpreter friend regularly for practice, and reading like all the textbooks she graciously let me borrow. I’m utilizing the incredible library of resources at LifePrint.com. Come spring, I will take as many courses as UT will allow.

Currently, I’m working my way through LifePrint’s ASL IV course. Additionally, I’m working with a Deaf tutor and studying with a certified ASL Interpreter. I’m also watching the free online course ASL Linguistics as part of a personal push to improve my fluency and understanding. The content is stellar and fascinating, answering questions like, “Where do new signs/words in ASL come from?” and “What should I do with my non-dominant hand?”

Why blog about learning American Sign Language?

I’m discovering Big Ideas about the language that would have helped me substantially when I first started signing a decade ago.

The more people learn ASL, the more accessible the world will be.

Who is this blog for?

Beginners through advanced signers!

Why? Last week, I was clumsily signing over my breakfast of Nutella crepes with my interpreter friend, Summer. I shared a tidbit I’d learned with her that she’d never discovered before! She was just as excited as I was, mind blown. Proof that no matter where we are in our signing journey, there is ALWAYS more to learn.

My goals with this blog are:

• to share any “Aha!” moments that might help hearing people upskill their signing,
• to center Deaf voices and ideas as a hearing ally
• to document my learning journey so that other non-traditional interpreter students might follow in my footsteps,
• to bring light to subjects many hearing people do not think about, and

Please note that I am hearing and also currently learning ASL. This means I will certainly make mistakes. I will learn new things, and I will unlearn harmful ideas. I am certainly NOT a source of truth, nor someone who should be teaching American Sign Language. Leave that to the experts.

To start, I plan to post tips that would have helped me sign better a decade ago. I will also update them as I learn more and do better!

Looking to start your own ASL learning journey?

If you are looking to begin learning ASL yourself, perhaps start with Bill Vicars’ ASL I Course over at Lifeprint.com, and join us in the LifePrint Facebook Group, which is specifically for “American Sign Language learners, teachers, interpreters, and parents of Deaf children (particularly those who enjoy using Lifeprint.com as one of their educational resources).”