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Popularity of American Sign Language rising on college campuses
Stand outside Paul Sylvester's classroom at Purchase College, SUNY and you will hear only the occasional outburst of laughter and nothing else.
But step inside, and you will see that the students are actually caught up in a lively conversation: faces full of expression, eyes watchful, body movements animated.
The silent back and forth is part of the State University of New York college's American Sign Language class and the students love it. Most even say they enjoy studying ASL more than any other foreign language, especially since the class is so active and engaging.
"It goes by faster than any hour class," said Noah Gold, a 21-year-old White Plains resident who is taking the 3 1/2 -hour course to help satisfy a language requirement for Binghamton University, SUNY.
"I'd have to agree with you," added 22-year-old Mike Newman of Somers. "Time here just flies."
From Purchase College through the Lower Hudson Valley to the whole of the United States, the popularity of ASL is on the rise and enrollment has soared - even though many of the students say they have no plans to work with the deaf.
So many students have discovered ASL in recent years that enrollment is growing faster than any other foreign language at American colleges, according to the Modern Language Association. The group says ASL is now the fifth most widely studied foreign language in college, trailing Spanish, French, German and Italian.
"It's more engaging," said Chris Goodrow, a 38-year-old Mahopac resident who is taking the ASL class at Purchase College as part of a language requirement for her New York teacher certification. Plus, she added, the class has practical applications because she uses signs to communicate with her niece, who is speech delayed.
From unusual origins
The history of sign language in America is traced back to at least the late 1600s, when the deaf community of Martha's Vineyard communicated with signs.
It was an unusual situation.
The island, which is five miles off the southeastern shore of Massachusetts, had an abnormally high rate of genetic deafness.
Where the normal incidence rate for deafness in 19th Century America was approximately one out of every 5,700 people, the rate on Martha's Vineyard was one out of every 155. In some areas of the island, the incidence was even higher.
As the deaf community on Martha's Island flourished, so did the language. Soon, it spread to the point where almost everyone - both deaf and hearing was fluent in the island's sign language.
Nevertheless, the phenomenon on Martha's Island played a relatively minor role in the development of ASL.
The language moved closer to its current form after a young Protestant minister, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, traveled to France in the early 1800s to study deaf education. Upon his return, he established the first American school for the deaf - the American Asylum at Hartford, Conn. - along with Laurent Clerc, a deaf and learned Frenchman.
Today, it is estimated that up to 500,000 people use ASL.
Although some leading universities do not recognize ASL as satisfying a foreign-language requirement -particularly because it does not have its own tradition of literature, some say -it iis widely accepted that signing has its own complex grammar and distinctive vocabulary.
The language relies on hand and arm movements, plus body postures and facial expressions.
Scan the table of contents of any standard ASL textbook and it could easily be mistaken for a regular English textbook. The early lessons deal with topics such as personal pronouns and basic sentence structure. Move ahead a bit, and the lessons deal with everything from double negatives to comparative sentences to shaping objects with classifiers.
It's not until you actually thumb through the pages of the textbook that it becomes apparent it was meant for deaf education. Illustrated drawings of how to produce each sign take up the majority of the pages, with a signing index for vocabulary words provided at the back of the book.
Paving the way
Teachers of ASL have pointed to Rockland Community College as a leader when it comes to bringing the language to the mainstream public in the Lower Hudson Valley.
Mara-Lee Bierman, the coordinator of foreign languages at Rockland Community College, said the college has offered ASL since January 1998 with great success.
At that time, there were no more than 50 students in the two beginning language courses. Today, there are as many as 120 students in five courses devoted to ASL -two beginning language courses, two intermediate language courses and a "special topics" course focusing on deaf culture.
The college has been looking to develop a degree program for those interested in deaf language and culture, which would be called the "Deaf Studies Program." Enough people, however, have not yet expressed interest in pursuing the degree, Bierman said.
Out of the nine foreign languages offered at the Suffern-based SUNY college, sign language has grown to be quite popular with students, according to Bierman. She said the language helps students develop critical thinking skills and also gives them a forum to learn a new skill and have some fun.
"It's something different," Bierman said. "Students thought it would be easier to take American Sign as opposed to another, quote, foreign language that you have to verbalize. But they were very surprised."
A distinct culture
Just like any other language studied on college campuses, ASL has its own unique culture that is a component of classroom instruction.
"It's interesting to learn about the deaf culture ... because it's something I know nothing about," said Kristen Kosits, a 21-year-old Somers resident who is taking ASL at Purchase College as a language requirement for her teacher's certification.
At Manhattanville College, adjunct professor Jennifer Welsh likes to show documentaries such as "Sound and Fury" and "Through Deaf Eyes" so that students can learn about the deaf culture from deaf people.
Students there also learn about the deaf culture by going on site observations, such as visiting and viewing an interpreter signing with deaf people.
"I encourage people to keep learning about the culture and the language because as technology grows, the communication between the deaf is getting smaller, in terms of people who know it and know it well," Welsh said. "Every culture has its pros and cons, but the deaf have a definite unity amongst them that you don't find anywhere else."
Enrollment in the ASL class at Manhattanville College has just about doubled over the past two years -to about a dozen students, according to Welsh. She said more students would like to take the class, but smaller class sizes are better for learning the language.
Most of the students take the course to satisfy their language requirement for New York's teacher certification, according to Welsh.
Sign language is useful for teachers in a variety of ways, such as helping to prevent disruptive behavior and teaching children about different types of people, cultures and languages in the world.
"These students feel like they not only got a language out of the class, but also lesson plans," said Welsh, a certified teacher of the deaf at Manhattanville College.
Reflecting on the appeal of ASL, Welsh said she remembers studying the language in college, falling in love with it and knowing she wanted to pursue it as a career.
"I love how it expresses the language," she said. "Sometimes words can't always express what you're trying to say. Sign language, with the use of facial expressions and hands, will express a lot more."
The trickle down effect
Educators say several factors have contributed to the recent popularity of ASL on college campuses.
For one thing, said Kathleen Diamond, who teaches ASL at Dominican College in Orangeburg and is a teacher of the deaf in the Clarkstown public school system, students are growing up with greater exposure to deaf people in the public education system.
The federal requirement that students be educated in the "least restrictive environment," she said, has brought many students with hearing impairments back into mainstream schools, as opposed to separate schools for the deaf.
In addition, the deaf community has been getting more attention in the mainstream media, she said. Storylines featuring deaf people, for example, have recently appeared on popular television programs such as "ER" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."
"The pendulum always swings in education," Diamond said. "But for now, sign language is back into the forefront."
The ASL class at Dominican College expanded to the point where it had to be split into two separate classes, each with about a dozen students.
And as ASL flourishes at the college level, it is beginning to trickle down to the high school level.
The Clarkstown school district, for example, offers ASL as a foreign language at its two high schools and its middle school.
Many times, educators incorporate signing as a way to re-enforce a vocabulary lesson with a visual component, according to Diamond. She has seen students especially those who are more visual learners - going through various signs as they search their brains for the meaning of a vocabulary word.
Personally, Diamond starts using sign language with hearing children even younger than that. Her children, she said, could sign before they could speak.
"There isn't really a negative, in my view," Diamond said. "This increase in interest (in ASL) just opens doors for everybody."
Stand outside Paul Sylvester's classroom at Purchase College, SUNY and you will hear only the occasional outburst of laughter and nothing else.
But step inside, and you will see that the students are actually caught up in a lively conversation: faces full of expression, eyes watchful, body movements animated.
The silent back and forth is part of the State University of New York college's American Sign Language class and the students love it. Most even say they enjoy studying ASL more than any other foreign language, especially since the class is so active and engaging.
"It goes by faster than any hour class," said Noah Gold, a 21-year-old White Plains resident who is taking the 3 1/2 -hour course to help satisfy a language requirement for Binghamton University, SUNY.
"I'd have to agree with you," added 22-year-old Mike Newman of Somers. "Time here just flies."
From Purchase College through the Lower Hudson Valley to the whole of the United States, the popularity of ASL is on the rise and enrollment has soared - even though many of the students say they have no plans to work with the deaf.
So many students have discovered ASL in recent years that enrollment is growing faster than any other foreign language at American colleges, according to the Modern Language Association. The group says ASL is now the fifth most widely studied foreign language in college, trailing Spanish, French, German and Italian.
"It's more engaging," said Chris Goodrow, a 38-year-old Mahopac resident who is taking the ASL class at Purchase College as part of a language requirement for her New York teacher certification. Plus, she added, the class has practical applications because she uses signs to communicate with her niece, who is speech delayed.
From unusual origins
The history of sign language in America is traced back to at least the late 1600s, when the deaf community of Martha's Vineyard communicated with signs.
It was an unusual situation.
The island, which is five miles off the southeastern shore of Massachusetts, had an abnormally high rate of genetic deafness.
Where the normal incidence rate for deafness in 19th Century America was approximately one out of every 5,700 people, the rate on Martha's Vineyard was one out of every 155. In some areas of the island, the incidence was even higher.
As the deaf community on Martha's Island flourished, so did the language. Soon, it spread to the point where almost everyone - both deaf and hearing was fluent in the island's sign language.
Nevertheless, the phenomenon on Martha's Island played a relatively minor role in the development of ASL.
The language moved closer to its current form after a young Protestant minister, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, traveled to France in the early 1800s to study deaf education. Upon his return, he established the first American school for the deaf - the American Asylum at Hartford, Conn. - along with Laurent Clerc, a deaf and learned Frenchman.
Today, it is estimated that up to 500,000 people use ASL.
Although some leading universities do not recognize ASL as satisfying a foreign-language requirement -particularly because it does not have its own tradition of literature, some say -it iis widely accepted that signing has its own complex grammar and distinctive vocabulary.
The language relies on hand and arm movements, plus body postures and facial expressions.
Scan the table of contents of any standard ASL textbook and it could easily be mistaken for a regular English textbook. The early lessons deal with topics such as personal pronouns and basic sentence structure. Move ahead a bit, and the lessons deal with everything from double negatives to comparative sentences to shaping objects with classifiers.
It's not until you actually thumb through the pages of the textbook that it becomes apparent it was meant for deaf education. Illustrated drawings of how to produce each sign take up the majority of the pages, with a signing index for vocabulary words provided at the back of the book.
Paving the way
Teachers of ASL have pointed to Rockland Community College as a leader when it comes to bringing the language to the mainstream public in the Lower Hudson Valley.
Mara-Lee Bierman, the coordinator of foreign languages at Rockland Community College, said the college has offered ASL since January 1998 with great success.
At that time, there were no more than 50 students in the two beginning language courses. Today, there are as many as 120 students in five courses devoted to ASL -two beginning language courses, two intermediate language courses and a "special topics" course focusing on deaf culture.
The college has been looking to develop a degree program for those interested in deaf language and culture, which would be called the "Deaf Studies Program." Enough people, however, have not yet expressed interest in pursuing the degree, Bierman said.
Out of the nine foreign languages offered at the Suffern-based SUNY college, sign language has grown to be quite popular with students, according to Bierman. She said the language helps students develop critical thinking skills and also gives them a forum to learn a new skill and have some fun.
"It's something different," Bierman said. "Students thought it would be easier to take American Sign as opposed to another, quote, foreign language that you have to verbalize. But they were very surprised."
A distinct culture
Just like any other language studied on college campuses, ASL has its own unique culture that is a component of classroom instruction.
"It's interesting to learn about the deaf culture ... because it's something I know nothing about," said Kristen Kosits, a 21-year-old Somers resident who is taking ASL at Purchase College as a language requirement for her teacher's certification.
At Manhattanville College, adjunct professor Jennifer Welsh likes to show documentaries such as "Sound and Fury" and "Through Deaf Eyes" so that students can learn about the deaf culture from deaf people.
Students there also learn about the deaf culture by going on site observations, such as visiting and viewing an interpreter signing with deaf people.
"I encourage people to keep learning about the culture and the language because as technology grows, the communication between the deaf is getting smaller, in terms of people who know it and know it well," Welsh said. "Every culture has its pros and cons, but the deaf have a definite unity amongst them that you don't find anywhere else."
Enrollment in the ASL class at Manhattanville College has just about doubled over the past two years -to about a dozen students, according to Welsh. She said more students would like to take the class, but smaller class sizes are better for learning the language.
Most of the students take the course to satisfy their language requirement for New York's teacher certification, according to Welsh.
Sign language is useful for teachers in a variety of ways, such as helping to prevent disruptive behavior and teaching children about different types of people, cultures and languages in the world.
"These students feel like they not only got a language out of the class, but also lesson plans," said Welsh, a certified teacher of the deaf at Manhattanville College.
Reflecting on the appeal of ASL, Welsh said she remembers studying the language in college, falling in love with it and knowing she wanted to pursue it as a career.
"I love how it expresses the language," she said. "Sometimes words can't always express what you're trying to say. Sign language, with the use of facial expressions and hands, will express a lot more."
The trickle down effect
Educators say several factors have contributed to the recent popularity of ASL on college campuses.
For one thing, said Kathleen Diamond, who teaches ASL at Dominican College in Orangeburg and is a teacher of the deaf in the Clarkstown public school system, students are growing up with greater exposure to deaf people in the public education system.
The federal requirement that students be educated in the "least restrictive environment," she said, has brought many students with hearing impairments back into mainstream schools, as opposed to separate schools for the deaf.
In addition, the deaf community has been getting more attention in the mainstream media, she said. Storylines featuring deaf people, for example, have recently appeared on popular television programs such as "ER" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."
"The pendulum always swings in education," Diamond said. "But for now, sign language is back into the forefront."
The ASL class at Dominican College expanded to the point where it had to be split into two separate classes, each with about a dozen students.
And as ASL flourishes at the college level, it is beginning to trickle down to the high school level.
The Clarkstown school district, for example, offers ASL as a foreign language at its two high schools and its middle school.
Many times, educators incorporate signing as a way to re-enforce a vocabulary lesson with a visual component, according to Diamond. She has seen students especially those who are more visual learners - going through various signs as they search their brains for the meaning of a vocabulary word.
Personally, Diamond starts using sign language with hearing children even younger than that. Her children, she said, could sign before they could speak.
"There isn't really a negative, in my view," Diamond said. "This increase in interest (in ASL) just opens doors for everybody."