SES Professions in Deafness

ASL as a Foreign Language

Students attending UNCG may be required to complete an intermediate level in a Foreign Language. The Specialized Education Services Department offers courses in American Sign Language 1-4 year as part of the Professions in Deafness Program, which satisfies that requirement.

Policies Regarding American Sign Language Courses for NonProfessions in Deafness Majors

The Department of Specialized Educational Services (SES) offers a range of American Sign Language (ASL) courses during the fall and spring semester that can satisfy the university foreign language requirement for graduation. Students should meet with their advisor to assure that ASL courses will meet the foreign language requirement for their specific department or major.

The following courses are offered for foreign language credit. Students wishing to take these courses must register for an unrestricted course section.

• SES 101 American Sign Language I
• SES 202 American Sign Language II
• SES 203 American Sign Language III
• SES 204 American Sign Language IV

Students should be aware that these courses are offered in different semesters and seating may be limited. SES 101 ASL I is the only American Sign Language class that is offered during summer sessions. Students should plan their course of study accordingly.

Due to the highly interactive visual nature of teaching American Sign Language departmental policy prohibits overrides into full courses. There are no exceptions. Registration errors, pending graduation dates, financial aid matters and previous registration attempts are not exceptions to this rule. If you are unable to obtain enrollment during the initial registration period, you should continue trying to add a course through the UNCG add period. Some students do get into classes using this approach.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about ASL as a foreign language at UNCG

1. What are the foreign language requirements for my major?
   Foreign Language requirements vary throughout the university so please check your program’s website or with your advisor.
2. How many courses in ASL can I take?
   There are 4 courses available for students to fulfill the foreign language requirement, ASL 101, ASL 102, ASL 203 and ASL 204.
3. Will there be availability in ASL courses?
   There are 3 sections of ASL 101 open to students wishing to fulfill their foreign language requirement each semester, two sections of 102 and 1 section each of 203 and 204. As the demand for enrollment in these courses increases, there will likely be more sections offered.
4. Are any courses in ASL offered online?
   Due to the interactive nature of learning any new language and the visual nature of ASL at the present time there are no courses conducted entirely online. However there are portions of classes conducted online through Blackboard.
5. Is ASL as hard as Spanish or French?
   In many ways, ASL is harder. Many people are under the mistaken notion that ASL is simply ‘English on the hands’ but this is not the case at all. American Sign Language is a separate, unique and complex language that developed independently of English and has its own system of morphology, phonology, syntax and semantics and requires users to have manual dexterity, coordination and visual acuity. It is possible to learn this beautiful, intricate language but only with much dedication and practice, as with any other language.
6. Why aren’t all sections of ASL open for me to take?
   Some sections of the ASL classes are closed to students who are not in the Professions in Deafness majors because these students have some additional major requirements that they fulfill in these classes.
7. I have taken some ASL in high school and would like to place out of the lower level classes. How do I go about that?
   There is a placement test available for students who have had some ASL in high school or have otherwise achieved proficiency. The test measures a student’s signing ability and cultural, grammatical and linguistic knowledge. The test is offered once a semester and on an individual basis at the discretion of the test administrator. Students who have taken ASL classes at another University or College and have taken the placement exam can request those credits be transferred to UNCG. All other students who have previous experience with ASL in high school or in non-credit courses may take the placement exam and receive a waiver for the classes they successfully pass on the exam. Students will still be required to obtain the number of credits required for graduation. Please contact Sam Parker at (336) 256-1217 or sdparker@uncg.edu for details and study materials.
8. Can I take the placement test once I have entered a course sequence in ASL?
   Once a student has initially entered the course sequence in ASL courses they are not permitted to take the placement exam.

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