AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) 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.
American Sign Language Courses can be used to satisfy TTU Foreign Language Requirements.
ASL Signing Raiders
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ASL Placement Exam
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
- Deaf Education
- Teaching ASL
- ASL & the Deaf Community
Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures
AddressCMLL Building, 2906 18th St, Lubbock, TX 79409