My daughter is registering for her freshman year of high school (HS Class of 2022). She’d like to take ASL as her foreign language. It fulfills her graduation requirement, and the UC and CSU treat it as a foreign language but I’m nervous about private colleges and out of state options. Online searches and searches on CC seem to show it’s a moving target and lots of different opinions. Has anyone had recent experience they could share?
Probably yes, but you might check with other schools that she is interested in to see if they count it. You might also look at any schools around a state school for the deaf, since they would probably count it. I know McKendree college would since they have the state school for the deaf in town.
You are being smart to look into this, as there are many schools where it does not fulfill the language requirement for admission. The issue is it is hard to know where you will want to apply in three years…but there are lists out there of schools that count it, make sure it is a list for admission versus graduation from that school.
I had looked into that for my son and found these resources:
State by state: http://www.aslcollege.com/
graduation requirements: http://www.unm.edu/~wilcox/UNM/univlist.html
Thanks!
Looks like several California private schools do not accept ASL. I really appreciate the help.
My daughter (who has a moderate to severe hearing loss and wears hearing aids) and my son both took 3-4 years of ASL at their HS and had no problems at the schools they are/will be attending. D15 attends Boston College and at the time they did not accept ASL but it was waived for her bc of her hearing loss. I believe they do accept that now. My S18 will likely be headed to BU and but did not have any issue with his any schools when he applied. I realize their circumstances may be slightly different but think many schools do accept ASL now. Good luck!
I checked the U-Wisconsin system on the first link above. It qualifies just like other languages. From my personal experience taking a foreign language helped me understand my own (English). Partly because we never diagrammed sentences nor dwelled on the more complex grammar forms (usage gave me excellent skills). Learning how another foreign group structures its language helps with oral and written English. Your D would have to stick with ASL for three possibly four years in HS to meet college graduation language requirements, be competitive for college admissions. She should be sure her commitment is for several years, not just one.
The other thing to keep in mind is that even if the college accepts it for admissions, they may not accept it to fulfill the college’s foreign language graduation requirements.
Although the plural of anecdote is not data, my college will accept ASL as fulfilling their suggested HS preparation if the HS counts it toward its graduation requirements. However, even though the college offers ASL, it cannot be used for its graduation requirement because there is no writing component. So definitely check (although I would posit that your daughter should check, not you) with the target colleges.
When I was looking at colleges with my son a few years ago University of Northern Iowa has ASL classes and allowed them to fulfill their foreign language requirement at the university level.
My niece graduated several years ago. I have no idea if it was a requirement but she took ASL classes at a small Boton College. I remember going to her senior sign language concert.
Why does she think ASL is a good idea? It wouldn’t pass the sniff test to me. Why wouldn’t she want to do do a foreign language?
Good for you for looking into this well in advance, instead of when she’s already a year or two into her ASL studies in high school 
I don’t have any expertise to offer, just my advice. Is there any way she can take ASL along with a traditional foreign language? (maybe as an extra elective, if her schedule allows, or even as dual enrollment at community college) I would be very concerned about limiting her college choices by using ASL as her foreign language. You may find a bunch of colleges that say they accept it now, but it’s really hard for her to know as an 8th grader where she’ll want to go to college in 4 years, also you don’t know if she would get accepted to one of those colleges that accept ASL, and the colleges could change their rules between now and then about whether or not they would accept it. I don’t think you would need to worry about that with French, Spanish, German, Italian, etc…
She could take ASL as a freshman and then take another foreign language the next three years.
Or she could wait to take ASL in college.
My D enjoyed her ASL courses in college very much.
I know very little about ASL, so this may come from ignorance, but is there a multi-year progression of ASL? Many selective schools want 4 years of language, and the terminal year includes literature, etc. Is there an equivalent terminal year of ASL?
I have a totally different attitude on this. If my child, really, really wanted to sign up for ASL, I’d let her. Maybe she will go far with it. I have a friend that’s an ASL court interpreter, and has used her skills in other situations.
If you get to the point of applying for colleges and it appears it might be a problem, you can always talk directly to AOs to see if there’s a solution. There may also be ways to add a dual enrollment or online class of a more traditional second language.
On a related note: I hate that in the US we call it learning a “foreign” language. We really should call it learning a second language. And by that definition, ASL would certainly count. IT would also encourage a 3rd, or even a 4th language.
Why would it not “pass the sniff test”? My daughter is dying to take ASL. She took Spanish K-8 grade and hated it. She was interested in ASL, that’s why she wanted to take it. At the time the school only had 1 year, so she ended up taking Latin in HS, which is also loves. The school has now expanded the ASL program, so she may end up taking it with her Latin.
Is there literature that is specifically composed for ASL? That’s what I would mean by the sniff test.
Even in first year French we read The Little Prince and some poetry. I still know some of that poetry by heart. Speaking French and German has immeasurably enhanced the time I spent in Europe.
ASL is actually a very complex language. The syntax is completely different than English. Signing requires specific signs, position, direction and facial expressions. Many signs are similar and a small mistake in direction or position will have a completely different meaning.
My daughter is currently in her first level of ASL and has to take a total of three to four semesters. Deaf culture is a huge part of the education. She is actually studying education for deaf and hard of hearing.
As far as associated literature. @mathmom You read poetry in French. She is currently reading literature and has to sign the book and discuss the literature with signing. Why would this not pass the sniff test. “Voices off” in class. There is no asking questions with your voice or getting any verbal clarification.
Many states are starting to recognize the importance of and difficulty of ASL and are in the process of writing legislation to accept ASL as a foreign language. Currently all universities in the California system accept ASL as the foreign language graduation requirement. Double check if that includes admission requirements.
Some of the Ivies including Yale and Brown also accept ASL for graduation requirements. We aren’t there yet but getting there.
@Sybylla please see my post above. Curious as to why you don’t think ASL passes a sniff test.