Departments, Programs and Centers
Programs
American Sign Language/English Interpreting
- Director: Janet Acevedo
- Senior Lecturer: Laura M. Smith
- Visiting Assistant Professor: Julie A. White
- Academic Advising Cavanaugh Hall, Room 421A, 317-274-4025, jacevedo@iupui.edu
- Website: http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/wlac/asl
Contact by videophone: Call Video Relay Services, (317) 493-0364
Increasing numbers of Deaf people seek the communicative access that interpreters provide, and this access is mandated by legislators, yet there is a shortage of qualified interpreters nationally and locally. IUPUI’s American Sign Language (ASL)/English Interpreting Program is one of very few baccalaureate degree programs available in the country. It prepares students to become capable and flexible participants in the rewarding profession of interpreting.
The program in American Sign Language / English Interpreting is designed to prepare students to become entry-level community interpreters who possess:
- Analytical skills
- A wide breadth of knowledge
- An ability to combine and synthesize the diverse and complex aspects of human language behavior in contemporary society
Interpreting for people who do not speak a common language is a linguistic and social act of communication. An interpreter relays messages and manages the process of talking back-and-forth for two people who speak different languages. An interpreter’s role is an engaged one, aimed at an overall understanding of the entire communicative situation, requiring fluency in the languages, the ability to know how meaning is constructed, and skills in managing the cross-cultural flow of talk.
The curriculum sequence is designed to teach interpreting as a face-to-face process that is conversational in nature and prepares students as community interpreters in medical, legal, social welfare, and educational settings. Completing the BS degree does not mean a graduate is a certified interpreter. Certification at the national level requires an exam administered by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. Most students are able to pass the written portion of this exam before graduating. The performance and interview portions of the exam usually require additional experience in the field. The amount of time will vary from individual to individual.
Students who plan to enter this program are expected to have a high level of proficiency in ASL. In addition, knowledge of the Deaf Community and linguistics is required to benefit from the core classes in the Interpreting major. All students interested in the program in ASL/EI must meet with the Director of the program before being admitted.
The ASL/English Interpreting Program introduces students to the theory and practice of interpreting. It provides a strong foundation in language, culture, interpreting, and linguistics. Students develop their abilities in ASL and English, analyze features of ASL and English, discuss ethical issues, and perform guided practice with both simultaneous and consecutive interpreting. The combination of this background with a broad liberal arts education prepares students to enter the profession of interpreting, which serves diverse populations and encompasses a wide range of subjects and settings.
Bachelor’s in American Sign Language/English Interpreting
The Bachelor of Science degree in ASL/English Interpreting is for students who wish to achieve fluency in American Sign Language and English and who wish to focus on theoretical and applied issues in interpreting. Students can begin their course of study in ASL/English Interpreting at IUPUI as freshman. We offer six classes in American Sign Language. In addition, courses in Linguistics of ASL, Advanced Fingerspelling and Number Systems and Deaf History and Culture are offered. Students interested in ASL/English interpreting can continue with courses in interpreting, graduating with the B.S. degree in ASL/English interpreting. IUPUI’s program is also open to students with an Associate of Arts degree in Smerican Sign Language by Vincennes University and students who demonstrate equivalent competence in ASL, Deaf culture, and linguistics. Interested students who have not completed the Vincennes University degree, but have completed coursework at another college or university, should contact the program director at IUPUI.
Requirements
The major consists of 35 credit hours at IUPUI. Required courses are ASL A219, ASL A321, ASL I301, I303, I361, I363, I365, I405, ASL I407, L340, and L342. An additional course in General Linguistics is also required. See the Director for more information on this. Enrollment in interpreting classes is limited to students who have been admitted to the program or have received permission from the director.
Certificate Program in American Sign Language/English Interpreting
The certificate is intended for students who already have a baccalaureate degree and would like to go beyond their original undergraduate major by completing the course work for the major in ASL/English interpreting.
The certificate program includes 24 credit hours of course work. To earn the certificate, students are required to complete the following courses with a grade of C or higher:
Required Courses
ASL A219 History and Culture of the American Deaf Community (3 cr.)
ASL A 321 Linguistics of American Sign Language (3 cr.)
ASL I301 Introduction to Interpreting (3 cr.)
ASL I305 Text Analysis (3 cr.)
ASL I361 Basic Interpreting Skills (3 cr.)
ASL I363 Interpreting Community Texts: Consecutive (3 cr.)
ASL I365 Interpreting Community Texts: Simultaneous (3 cr.)
ASL I405 Practicum (3 cr.)
ASL I407 Professional Seminar (2 cr.)
ASL L340 Discourse Analysis: English (3 cr.)
ASL L342 Discourse Analysis: ASL (3 cr.)
ENG Z205 An introduction to the English Language (3 cr.)
Minor in American Sign Language/English Interpreting
The minor in ASL is for students who are interested in American Sign Language as a communication tool. Its emphasis is on conversational proficiency. A minor in ASL can be an attractive complement to many majors, particularly majors in Psychology, Communication Studies, SPEA, MHHA and other foreign languages.
Requirements consist of 15 credit hours chosen from the following courses: ASL A215, ASL A219, ASL A311, ASL A312, ASL A321, ASL I301, ASL I303, ASL I305.
Experiential Learning Opportunities
The program in ASL/English Interpreting works in cooperation with several sites to provide excellent opportunities for applied learning required of every student in the major, but specifically during the Observation and Practicum semesters. Placements allow students to learn outside the classroom environment. Students can choose to explore a variety of settings, or they may have a particular area in which they are interested in focusing. Either way, we do our best to provide students with experiences in their chosen area(s).
Practicum placements are available in a wide-range of settings, including government and non-profit organizations, educational institutions from kindergarten through graduate school, mental health institutions, health care institutions, performing arts venues and community agencies serving deaf individuals.
In order to prepare students for their Practicum experience in the spring of their senior year, during the fall semester prior to taking Practicum, students are required to pair up with a professional interpreter who they will shadow for observation experiences only, for at least 50 hours over the course of the semester. No interpreting is required on the student’s part during this semester. The expectation is this will lead seamlessly into a Practicum experience where everyone is familiar with each other and interpreting students are aware of setting requirements, specialized vocabulary, directions, personnel, etc.