Letters of support 2004
Boston University School of Education
Center for the Study of Communication and the Deaf
605 Commonwealth Avenue
School of EducationCarol Neidle
Program in Applied Linguistics
718 Commonwealth AvenueBoston, MA 02215
April 12, 2004
Dear Carol,
I am writing again in support of the efforts toward approval of American Sign Language (ASL) as a "foreign" or second language. As you are aware, we offer four courses in ASL as second language in the School of Education. This sequence is fully supported by SED.
In addition to the four courses that are concentrated on teaching ASL, two additional courses are focused on cultural and historical aspects of the community that uses the language. We have one course on Deaf literature, which includes works about the Deaf and by the Deaf. The Deaf Literature course discusses and analyzes the large body of literature now available on video, computer, and in printed text. In addition, several plays produced and presented by Deaf theater groups are available in both playwright script form and on video; this includes performances by the National Deaf Theater in Wallingford, Connecticut and a recent Broadway production. A large collection of videos covering culture, literature, history, and performance is available in our SED library. The students and faculty of the university have full access to these as many are voiced and many are captioned so that non ASL audiences can view them.
These courses are all regular offerings within SED. As such, they are open to all students within the university community. We encourage students outside of SED, especially CAS students, to enroll in these courses, in part so that we may interest them in future graduate programs (such as the graduate programs in Applied Linguistics and the Master's in Deaf Studies or Education of the Deaf). We should have no problem enrolling additional students in the ASL classes as we have two sections of the first year courses. Currently, we have not had a problem with permitting students to register, as we have not the maximum number of students per course for the past two years. SED is committed to these courses and, if necessary, additional sections could be added at minimal cost.
With respect to evaluation of students who may have learned ASL from sources other than Boston University, we are well-equipped to do this. Our staff has been evaluating the proficiency of students who have taken ASL classes at other institutions since the inception of the Deaf Studies Programs. We have even developed an evaluation instrument for the receptive understanding of ASL at each of the four levels that we provide. In addition, our staff is able to conduct a production rating that has been validated and is used by many of the programs that provide ASL in other universities and colleges in the US. This rating (the ASL Proficiency Assessment) was developed by adapting the Monterey School of Language proficiency instrument. An instrument recognized by the US government's Department of State.
Approval of ASL has been a longstanding issue with our program here at SED. We have attempted to ensure that the teaching of these courses is conducted with high standards and challenging requirements. I believe we have met these goals. We are very proud of the program and the teachers who have expended a great deal of effort to ensure the high quality of offerings. We fully support the ASL as second or "foreign" language at Boston University.
Sincerely,
Robert J. Hoffmeister,
Director, Programs in Deaf Studies
Boston University
College of Arts and Sciences
718 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215Department of Modern Foreign
Languages and Literatures
April 12, 2004
To: The CAS Academic Policy Committee
We hereby endorse the proposal that American Sign Language (ASL) be considered a foreign language for purposes of fulfillment of the CAS Foreign Language Requirement.
Signed by
Chairman ad interim, Dennis Costa
and the members of the Department's Executive Committee:
James Iffland, Associate Chairman and Convener of Spanish
Jeff Kline, Chair of the Curriculum Committee and Convener of French
Carol Neidle, Technology Coordinator and Convener of Linguistics
Elizabeth Goldsmith, Director of Graduate Studies
Prof. John Caradonna
Chairman, CAS Academic Policy CommitteeDear Professor Caradonna,
On behalf of the faculty in the Program in Applied Linguistics (GRS), I would like to express support for Professor Carol Neidle's request that the APC recommend that American Sign Language proficiency be accepted in fulfillment of the CAS Foreign Language Requirement.
At an Applied Linguistics program faculty meeting today we read Professor Neidle's request to the committee. We fully agree with her statement of the facts about ASL and her argumentation concerning the fit between the CAS foreign language requirement and the study of ASL. As linguists, many of us have thought a great deal about these topics, and we find Professor Neidle's document to be an excellent statement of the issues. We respectfully request that you carefully consider this important matter.
Sincerely,
Catherine O'Connor, Ph.D.
Director, Program in Applied Linguistics/GRS
Associate Professor
Boston University
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