Exciting news! It took five levels of ASL classes and two interpreting preparation classes for me to finally find the terminology I need to level up my ASL skills with a targeted, deliberate approach.

Until now, I simply haven’t had the right words to Google. 🙂

Hence, I am writing these down for anyone else following in my footsteps: intermediate ASL users who can’t quite figure out how to sign “more ASL” and “less English”!

I’m including a few links that have action plans from Sorenson — I have not started to complete them, but as a teacher, these skill improvement plans strike me as solid and excellent practice!

Intermediate ASL Skills

In no particular order…

1. Fingerspelling:
   • Receptive (Understanding it!)
     • Bill Vicars’
   • Expressive (Producing it yourself!)
     • Expressive Fingerspelling Skill Improvement Plan from Sorenson)
2. Constructed Action / Constructed Dialogue
   • Construction Action & Dialogue Skill Improvement Plan from Sorenson
3. Classifiers
4. Eye Gaze Behaviors
5. Signer’s Perspective (Example: Picturing you are where the signer is when they are giving directions)
6. Consistency in Sign Space Setup
   • Indexing Improvement Plan from Sorenson
7. Numbers:
   • Receptive
   • Expressive
8. Use of Sign Space
9. Pacing / Pausing
   • Pacing Pausing Improvement Plan from Sorenson
10. Tense
    • Tense Improvement Plan from Sorenson
11. Interpreting Metaphors
    • ASL to English
    • English to ASL

ASL Intermediate Skills: Leveling Up!

I am certain there is more than what I describe here, but I am so looking forward to mastering each of these! As I level up my ASL skills, I may write down what practice I used to enhance my understanding.

Also, don’t hold me to it, but I may also create or find rubrics for each of these concepts for folks to complete a self-analysis. As a former middle school teacher, I may find more value in them than most people, but for folks who are serious about up-leveling their ASL skills, it may be useful!

For my current interpreting course, we are creating skill improvement plans where we design, level up, and reflect on what works and what doesn’t. Expect updates here as I enhance my ASL skills!