An Overview of ASL at BYU

Unlike other popular languages in the College of Humanities, American Sign Language (ASL) is housed under the Center for Language Studies (CLS). The program consists of 350–400 students each semester. Recently, ASL administrators and students have revamped the program to create more opportunities for students to get involved.

Courses

BYU offers a wide range of ASL classes, like introductory conversation, Deaf literature, and even a Latter-day Saint religious services signing class. Janelle Bullock, a coordinator for the program, says that the instructors want to offer a wide variety of skill-level courses, just like other languages.

Some students want even more immersion and practice outside of their classes to increase their fluency and proficiency. The ASL program highly encourages these students to live in the Language Immersion Student Residences. This special housing allows opportunities for students studying a second language to be immersed in their program. Although there is only female housing right now, the program hopes to expand to male housing one day.

Photo by Language Immersion Student Residence

Unfortunately, ASL courses do not count for major or minor credit; however, the program is currently working on getting an ASL minor approved at BYU. Even without the minor, students recognize the value of the language and are incentivized by the possibility of using it in the real world. “ASL students here are so different. Students who are in my classroom want to be there and learn ASL not just because they need one credit for a requirement. I think that brings a special kind of motivation, and I just love seeing that in students,” ASL faculty and club advisor Emilynn Bleazard says.

ASL Club

Cami Wilding, a coordinator for the ASL program who is deaf, says that the ASL Club provides some of the best ways to get more involved with the language. Activities often involve practicing and using ASL in different situations, such as helping with a service project or attending a fireside. The club alternates meeting on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and each event attracts between 80 and 100 students. One aspect of the club sets them apart from any other club on campus: everything is silent. Students are encouraged to use only signing in an environment that is respectful of Deaf culture.

One of the club’s most popular events is the annual Silent Weekend, a weekend-long event where local universities and deaf people are invited to play games, watch movies, eat dinner, and engage with speakers from the community to share their thoughts about different topics.

“We try our best to make the club really accessible for everyone. We’ll put the instructions on the PowerPoint and sign everything. We’re open to anyone who wants to come,” Bleazard says.

Conversation Labs

Aside from the club, another newer tool for students is the ASL conversation labs. These labs have a mix of students, all from different classes, who come together to work on proficiency skills. Students sign up for a 45-minute time slot once a week, when they can achieve their practice goals and play games that help them use target vocabulary. As they practice with their group of 8 to 10 students, the students receive credit for their ASL course.

When Wilding and Bullock began working for the ASL program, they revamped the labs to better serve students by implementing the labs into the course curriculum and making the activities more engaging. Labs aren’t just required coursework—they’re fun ways for students to get involved. Students immerse themselves in the culture and gain experience by playing popular cultural games. These games help them interact with the community. “We try to give them those opportunities so they can at least be familiar with things that they can take with them out into the community when they’re ready to be involved,” Bullock says.

Wilding says that the creation of the labs gave students more opportunities for leadership positions and language experience. “The other neat thing is now students have a goal that if they want to be a lab instructor someday, they know they have to be proficient and take certain classes,” she says. “They’re using [ASL] in real life scenarios rather than just going over lists of vocab,” Bleazard says.

“BYU is known as the language university, and we would love for ASL to be lumped in with one of those languages that can give students opportunities,” Bullock says. Additionally, the program has started utilizing American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards, which measure levels of proficiency in a target language. Including these standards in the ASL program has helped faculty become more aware of proficiency and teaching the language to different skill levels.

Faculty and club advisors encourage students who are interested in ASL to come and experience the program. Who knows? You may just find a new community to serve and immerse yourself in.

Want to get involved with ASL at BYU? Check out the ASL Club’s Instagram page for the activity schedule or the program’s website for the list of courses offered.