Jobs for Hearing people who know sign language vs. Hobby.

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DaeHan

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I am interested in learning ASL. Initially, I wanted to learn ASL as a hobby and meet people who are deaf or HOH. As I research deeper into ASL, I am interested in using ASL as a career. However, as more and more babies and adults are getting cochlear implants, and too many people are learning ASL, it seems like there are no jobs anymore for Hearing people who know ASL. There is a debate all over the internet debating whether or not sign language is going extinct. I guess I'm paranoid about this because I wasted a year learning Dutch(My mom is 2nd generation Belgian). Over 95% of people in Netherlands and North Belgium speak English!

Any Hearing people here using ASL as part of their career? If so, can you prove me wrong?
 
As you probe into ASL field and Deaf World, you'll get to learn about different schools that offers interpreting programs for those who wants to be interpreter. The increase of schools offering programs for future interpreters are amazing!!!

Go to Deaf events if you can. Find out where those ASL students go to school to study to be interpreters.

For example, I was surprised to know that Lansing Community College in Michigan was one of the top echelon schools for interpreter students. I didn't find that information online. I found it through friends.
 
I am hoping that Deaf schools can have sign language teachers to teach them subjects or topics on what they need to learn better than mainstream schools. I don't know if there were poor or good ASL interpreters in the mainstream schools.

I never learned ASL both in mainstream elementary and high school. In high school, I was never taught to learn ASL until I graduated from high school. So I have been a ASL user for many years.

So now we need ASL teachers and interpreters in our schools and other places like the workplaces, doctor's office and court. :fingersx:
 
ASL is NOT going away in our lifetimes, so don't worry about that.

I was an interpreter, and kept busy. There seems to be plenty of work available, depending on your geographical location.

I also know Deaf Ed teachers and VR counselors who use ASL. There is also a need for ASL fluent people in all professions (law, medicine, social services, clergy).
 
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