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I am interested in becoming a 7-12 teacher of ASL as a foreign language. By taking ASL courses at SCCC, will I satisfy the
state requirements for teaching?
Yes, though only part of the requirements. Students
interested in becoming 7-12 teachers of ASL may take any of the unrestricted
ASL courses offered (check the bulletin for a listing). New York State now
requires the following for ASL teachers:
 36 credits of ASL or ASL
related coursework
18 credits of education
courses (i.e. Foundations of Education, Adolescent
Psychology)
a student teaching experience
(i.e. 1-2 semesters)
satisfactory completion of
LAST & ATS-W exam (offered regularly @ various sites)
MA/MS degree (does not have to
be ASL specialization)
Seminar in identifying child
abuse
Based on the 36
credit requirement, a student has only one choice: to apply for the ASL
Interpreter program (341-1). While an ASL Studies degree may seem more
suitable, completion of that program will only result in the accumulation of
24 credits in ASL related courses. Interested candidates should be advised
to take (or transfer, if applicable) the five prerequisites for 341-1 and
adhere to application deadlines. Priority is not given to those already
employed as ASL teachers. Because of the limited number of fieldwork
placements available, admission is highly competitive. In addition,
fieldwork placements (similar to student teaching) are during the day.
Students who are also employed full-time run the risk of not completing SL43 Interpreting Fieldwork & Seminar
unless they make arrangements to be available 7:30am to 3:30p. There are no
exceptions.
I want to become a New York State Certified
Teacher of the Deaf & Hearing Impaired. Can I go to SCCC to complete some of
these requirements?
SCCC’s ASL Studies program is an excellent choice for
a student who has an interest in deafness and sign language, but may be
uncertain as to whether a career as a teacher of deaf is right for him/her.
Many of their questions and residual issues will be answered in SL23
Contemporary Issues in Deafness, SL28 Comparative Linguistics, and our other
ASL I-V courses.Those who do decide to pursue this career can apply
locally to Adelphi, Hunter, or Teacher’s College at Columbia (Manhattan).
Many of our ASL courses are transferable to these institutions. “Teacher of
the Deaf” is still considered a “career in shortage” and therefore many
scholarship opportunities exist, in particular for those candidates who know
ASL and Spanish. (Check the Teacher’s College website). In order to become
a NYS Teacher of the Deaf, students will have to complete a Master’s degree
(40-45 credits), plus student teaching (traditonally a full year for this
field), additional education courses, and completion of state mandated
tests.
In addition to taking ASL courses, are there
any other activities offered through your ASL-Interpreter programs?
The ASL program is fortunate to have financial
support both the Suffolk Community College Foundation & City University of
New York Interpreter Education Project for educational activities related to
sign language and interpreting. We have hosted many speakers, including
world-renowned linguist and author Carol Padden & interpreter education
Betty Colonomos. Colloquia, panel discussions, and or workshops are planned
yearly by the program coordinator. Flyers are distributed in your ASL
classes, on campus, and through email.
There is also a very active ASL Club
which holds monthly meeting on campus and sponsors annual events such as
Signing Santa & Spring Festival-Egg Hunt & bus trips to Millneck’s Apple
Festival and other deaf organized events. Locally students are encouraged
to attend Deaf Night at Houlihan’s Restaurant in Lake Grove (2nd
Friday of each month) where deaf community members, interpreters, students,
and faculty congregate to meet each other and practice their sign skills.
Students are informed weekly of the deaf community’s
“cultural calendar” and can opt to register for Deaf NYC News, a weekly
e-group which posts deaf events both on Long Island and in the city.
We also have a computer lab, shared with the Nursing
Dept. which offers students interactive sign languge and interpreting
software to practice and refine their language skills. Entering students
will receive information about lab use and rules from their first semester
ASL instructors. Sheets are also available from the program coordinator’s
office (R125).
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