ASL and language reqt.

[Anonymous]

I'm really surprised that there seem to be a good number of schools that do not offer this in satisfaction of their language requirement. Has anyone ever attempted to advocate that ASL be permitted to be used for that? Results? And yes, I mean the student not me.

[Anonymous]

I think it's just because there aren't the reading and writing components that are typically associated with advanced language classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's just because there aren't the reading and writing components that are typically associated with advanced language classes.

Ok, but it is a different skill set and certainly more applicable (one could argue) within the US than German or French or Italian.

[Anonymous]

Do you mean it doesn't satisfy for college admissions minimums?

Or that there is no ASL test to take to place out of the the college's own language requirement?

On the latter, I'd be curious if Latin would satisfy the college's own language requirement? If not, perhaps they want it to be a language that has verbal, reading, writing components that is also a current spoken language.

[Anonymous]

Maybe try reaching out to a department head of a college that already has it to get some talking points to use with the current school. University of Arizona accepts ASL for their language requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's just because there aren't the reading and writing components that are typically associated with advanced language classes.

Ok, but it is a different skill set and certainly more applicable (one could argue) within the US than German or French or Italian.

You are correct that it could be more applicable in US (and it's pretty cool) BUT perhaps ASL doesn't access "THE" skill set the college is looking to expose them to with the language requirement.

Let's be honest, a person that opts for only ASL over spoken languages (not in addition to) has potentially done so to avoid some portion of the skills they didn't like ( and are required) in the other language classes. No judgment intended... just saying that the if skill sets are so different then it's understandable a college might not accept ASL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's just because there aren't the reading and writing components that are typically associated with advanced language classes.

Ok, but it is a different skill set and certainly more applicable (one could argue) within the US than German or French or Italian.

You are correct that it could be more applicable in US (and it's pretty cool) BUT perhaps ASL doesn't access "THE" skill set the college is looking to expose them to with the language requirement.

Let's be honest, a person that opts for only ASL over spoken languages (not in addition to) has potentially done so to avoid some portion of the skills they didn't like ( and are required) in the other language classes. No judgment intended... just saying that the if skill sets are so different then it's understandable a college might not accept ASL.

Yes. It is often people with language based disabilities, like dyslexia. It is essentially an accommodation. ASL is not easy and it has it’s own grammatical structure and there is a deaf culture. The only thing missing is the writing and decoding, which dyslexics struggle with. I think there is some perception that it is a cop out or an easy way out. My kid is in her 4th year of ASL and she has used it IRL numerous times. It’s a useful language. Perhaps dying a bit as people opt for cochlear implants, but Latin is an actual dead language and some universities take that.

It’s disappointing for dyslexics and a bit scary to be faced with a written language requirement.

[Anonymous]

PP here. To be clear. I think most colleges accept it as a high school class to fulfill admissions criteria. The issues is that they do not accept it to fulfill degree requirements. My understanding is the military academies do not accept it as a FL for admissions requirements (which knocks out my kid, who was interested).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you mean it doesn't satisfy for college admissions minimums?

Or that there is no ASL test to take to place out of the the college's own language requirement?

On the latter, I'd be curious if Latin would satisfy the college's own language requirement? If not, perhaps they want it to be a language that has verbal, reading, writing components that is also a current spoken language.

Of course Latin satisfies the vast majority of college’s language requirements. It requires both reading and writing. Some programs don’t have the conversational piece, but it still is a language of logic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's just because there aren't the reading and writing components that are typically associated with advanced language classes.

Ok, but it is a different skill set and certainly more applicable (one could argue) within the US than German or French or Italian.

You are correct that it could be more applicable in US (and it's pretty cool) BUT perhaps ASL doesn't access "THE" skill set the college is looking to expose them to with the language requirement.

Let's be honest, a person that opts for only ASL over spoken languages (not in addition to) has potentially done so to avoid some portion of the skills they didn't like ( and are required) in the other language classes. No judgment intended... just saying that the if skill sets are so different then it's understandable a college might not accept ASL.

Yes. It is often people with language based disabilities, like dyslexia. It is essentially an accommodation. ASL is not easy and it has it’s own grammatical structure and there is a deaf culture. The only thing missing is the writing and decoding, which dyslexics struggle with. I think there is some perception that it is a cop out or an easy way out. My kid is in her 4th year of ASL and she has used it IRL numerous times. It’s a useful language. Perhaps dying a bit as people opt for cochlear implants, but Latin is an actual dead language and some universities take that.

It’s disappointing for dyslexics and a bit scary to be faced with a written language requirement.

I'm PP above - I would think if a dyslexic student could get an accommodation for HS then you would approach the college for similar accommodations, no? Seems like a different situation than OP. Or if this IS OP's situation, then we have a suggested solution....

[Anonymous]

14:04/18:18 again - that said - I know HS students with no learning disabilities who chose the ASL route so I was answering OP with that in mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:04/18:18 again - that said - I know HS students with no learning disabilities who chose the ASL route so I was answering OP with that in mind.

I know a lot, especially with disruption of their original world language courses by the pandemic. Our HS also has a really popular ASL teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:14:04/18:18 again - that said - I know HS students with no learning disabilities who chose the ASL route so I was answering OP with that in mind.

OP here. This is my DC. No learning disability. Just thinks ASL is more useful for her career path. I'm not worried about it for getting into college. I'm more interested in whether, and why not, schools do not allow ASL to satisfy the language requirement? I took 3 years in HS + 2 years of college French (and was quite good at it) but have not used it a single day since I took my last class. Unless it would make sense and is useful for a chosen major (e.g., business, international, and maybe some others) this seems like a silly distinction to make and, thus, a silly reqt. I'd be most kids outside those majors don't use those 2 years of (spanish/italian/french/etc.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:14:04/18:18 again - that said - I know HS students with no learning disabilities who chose the ASL route so I was answering OP with that in mind.

OP here. This is my DC. No learning disability. Just thinks ASL is more useful for her career path. I'm not worried about it for getting into college. I'm more interested in whether, and why not, schools do not allow ASL to satisfy the language requirement? I took 3 years in HS + 2 years of college French (and was quite good at it) but have not used it a single day since I took my last class. Unless it would make sense and is useful for a chosen major (e.g., business, international, and maybe some others) this seems like a silly distinction to make and, thus, a silly reqt. I'd be most kids outside those majors don't use those 2 years of (spanish/italian/french/etc.)

OP - I get your point.... but if you are at a liberal arts school that requires 2 years language, I don't see how that's any different than requiring other core classes for exposure. I had to take language, science, philosophy, history despite being in a business program. Just because I don't use that science in my life doesn't mean it wasn't worth taking. I'd assume this is more of an issue for liberal arts. Do big state universities have such a requirement? I haven't paid attention because our DC wants to continue with Spanish in college.

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP of this. I took 2 years of ASL at University of Arizona to fulfill their language requirement. I was a special education major. In the classes their were lots of student athletes as well as many students with learning disabilities that felt ASL would be an easier path then taking other foreign languages.

Anonymous wrote:Maybe try reaching out to a department head of a college that already has it to get some talking points to use with the current school. University of Arizona accepts ASL for their language requirement.