CMLL LanguageAmerican Sign Language

Why Americal Sign Language (ASL)?

It is estimated that as many as one million people use American Sign Language (ASL) as their primary mode of communication. ASL interpreters are in high demand and some students who study ASL go on to become qualified interpreters for the Deaf. As a qualified interpreter, they enjoy employment by public and private agencies and institutions within a wide range of fields including education, social services, rehabilitation, medicine, mental health, criminal justice, business, the arts, and theatre. Our program offers an ASL minor and major (B.A. in Languages & Cultures – American Sign Languages/English Interpretation) and satisfies the TTU Foreign Language Requirement.

American Sign Language  is not simply a set of hand-gestures for spelling or signing English words. Rather it has been shown to have the full linguistic structure of a complete natural language. Indeed it is the native tongue of many Deaf men and women and their children, whether hearing or not. It is a complex visual-spatial language used by the Deaf community in the United States and English-speaking parts of Canada. Not only is it a genuine language, it really is a foreign language distinct from English having its own literature and culture. Speakers of ASL probably number in the range of a half-million or more. ASL is one of the most commonly used languages in the U.S.

There is a high demand for interpreters and certified teachers of ASL. Job opportunities in this rapidly expanding profession have increased especially since the enactment of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Qualified Interpreters for the Deaf are employed by public and private agencies or institutions within education, social services, rehabilitation, medicine, mental health, criminal justice, business, and the arts, especially the theatre.

Additional Information

• American Sign Language Courses can be used to satisfy TTU Foreign Language Requirements.
• American Sign Language is offered as a Minor and Major.

Placement Exams

Please contact Michael Carter in Academic Testing for more information.

Associate Director - Academic Testing Services
Room 214 West Hall, Box 45002 Lubbock, TX 79409-5002
Phone: (806) 742-3671
Email: michael.carter@ttu.edu

Contact

Academic Advisor
Carla Burrus
carla.burrus@ttu.edu

Program Director
Melissa Hays
melissa.hays@ttu.edu