Submitted By: North Orange County ROP

Student Background

Kim was a committed student at Cypress High School, enrolled in several honors and AP classes. Entering into her junior year, she was faced with the dilemma of entering into Spanish 4 or American Sign Language.

Program Description

During her junior year, Kim decided to enroll into American Sign Language I (ASL 1). She knew that the class was different because it was part of a career track. After completing ASL 1 during her junior year, Kim decided to enroll into ASL 2 her senior year.

American Sign Language, Level I and II, teaches students the fundamentals of sign language while developing an understanding and appreciation for the deaf culture and community. Students learn basic signing techniques for the alphabet, numbers and words. Students practice dialog and demonstrate basic comprehension skills through applications of conversation. They learn about interpreting as a career option and related certification requirements. Worksite learning is an optional component of this class and available to eligible students. Students receive 360 hours of classroom instruction and 180 hours of community classroom instruction.

Outcomes

During the Fall of her senior year, Kim applied to the Deaf Studies Program at CSU Northridge. She was accepted. Acceptance into this program is highly desirable due to the fact that CSUN is one of only two institutions in the nation that offers a comprehensive undergraduate program in the area of Deaf Studies. Kim credits her instructor as being instrumental to her acceptance into CSUN, where she will start classes next Fall in pursuit of a career in deaf studies.