Quote:
Originally Posted by Interpretrator
ASL should not be forced on people who don't want to take it, since we've seen what kind of negative behaviors and attitudes (cheating, etc.) take place in ASL classrooms with students who don't really want to learn the language.
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Some general thoughts about ASL... If it is to be offered in a high school setting, offer it as an elective. I can't see ASL being offered as a class in primary settings (i.e., elementary schools) because most states have standardized curriculums and testing in place, and adding in a foreign language to the mix may be too much to ask.
My suggestion is to 'target' a center school in your area. What I mean is that there is usually a feeder high school that accepts a concentrated area of DHH students and provides interpreting services. There, the attitudes towards ASL is much healthier, and you may find a receptive audience in pitching an ASL class. Pitch it as a 'vocational' class, or better, as an elective class, where ASL is treated as a path onto a rewarding career in the Deaf field.
Oddly enough, the center school in my area used to have an ASL class for several years, before the administrators closed it down. I don't have the specifics, though. It looks the the trend is towards
less ASL classes, not more, for my area. YMMV for other areas in the country...