American Sign Language is a form of communication or language form mainly developed to communicate with deaf and dumb communities in the U.S. Children who suffer from hearing and speaking disabilities pursue their early education with the help of specific sign languages like ASL. Accepting ASL as a foreign language is a debatable topic. It is unclear whether American Sign Language can be used for graduate admissions in colleges. The following discusses the use of ASL as a foreign language and its role in college acceptance and credit.
American Sign Language Vs. Foreign Language
Accepting American Sign Language as a foreign language is a debatable topic. People who communicate with sign language depend on the English language for reading and writing. More states in the U.S accept ASL as a foreign language. It is surprising as ASL follows a different grammar and structure compared to that of the English language.
American Sign Language Vs. Graduate Admissions
Several universities offer consent to American Sign Language and consider it as a requirement for graduate admissions. The degree of acceptance of ASL as a foreign language is subject to change in the years to come. Some universities accept ASL for both admissions and graduation. Some of the universities in Ohio that accept ASL as an admission requirement and provide coursework in ASL. The state of Kent offers more ASL programs. Denison, a university, neither takes ASL for the admission process nor provides ASL coursework. Colleges are forced to manage the financial difficulties and thus cut programs on ASL to maintain a balance.
American Sign Language Vs. High School
ASL is offered as a course only in certain high schools like Hilliard City Schools in Ohio. ASL courses or programs are also available as online programs. College credit plus helps to seek classes for high school credit. It is the perfect option to take up ASL coursework when your high school does not offer ASL programs.
Points to Note
The multi-sensory feature of ASL makes it the right choice for dyslexic students and others with disabilities. It is to be noted that there is no guarantee that all colleges would accept ASL as a foreign language. Check if a university waives foreign language requirements for college admissions. Foreign language waiver in colleges is purely based on the decision of the universities. Parents must make the right choice for their children based on their needs. An IEP counselor can help students to define their vocational and higher educational goals. It is highly recommended to take up an introductory course on ASL. This would give students an overall idea of ASL programs.
The above helps to understand the role of ASL in high school education and graduate admission.
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