Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, has launched an undergraduate major in American Sign Language, becoming the first university in the Big Ten conference to offer the program.

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The degree program officially began on Sept. 15. In its first semester, three students have declared the ASL major, while 150 students are enrolled as ASL minors.

To earn the degree, students must complete at least 30 credit hours. In addition to language instruction, the curriculum focuses on Deaf history, arts, and culture, with course offerings such as “Life Experiences of Deaf Children” and “American Deaf Arts and Literature,” as well as an education abroad opportunity in Siena, Italy.

Kristin Wickham-Saxon, the director of undergraduate studies for the ASL program, emphasized that the coursework prepares students for diverse careers while building community awareness.

“The things we’re looking at are accessibility in a broader sense,” Wickham-Saxon said. “The things our students will learn, they can take with them into any job, any profession. This is a skillset they can take anywhere.”

Wickham-Saxon added that cultural understanding is essential to mastering the language, noting, “You can’t understand a language without understanding the people who are the users of that language.”

Demand for sign language education has grown steadily. According to data from the Modern Language Association, ASL has ranked as the third-most studied language on U.S. college campuses since 2013. Even so, degree programs remain relatively rare; according to Course Advisor, Ohio State is one of only 11 out of more than 100 colleges in Ohio to offer an ASL major.

Interest at the secondary level also helped shape the initiative. Wickham-Saxon noted that after consulting the Ohio Department of Education, she learned 180 high schools across the state offer ASL courses, providing a broad pipeline of prospective majors.

Ohio State first offered ASL classes in 2000 and established a formal ASL program in 2011. During the 2022-2023 academic year, the university hired more instructors to lay the groundwork for the newly accredited major. Wickham-Saxon worked with deaf community members to help shape the program’s coursework.

Central Ohio has the state’s largest deaf population and is home to the Ohio School of the Deaf, offering students opportunities to interact directly with deaf education programs and local organizations. Wickham-Saxon noted these connections help students gain real-world perspective on family dynamics, particularly in light of figures from the National Association of the Deaf showing that approximately 70% of hearing parents do not sign with their deaf children.

Source: NBC4 Columbus — Original report

Wararka Af-Soomaaliga

Ohio State oo Daah-furtay Takhasuskii Ugu Horreeyay ee ASL ee Big Ten

Jaamacadda Ohio State University ee Columbus, Ohio ayaa si rasmi ah u daah-furtay takhasuska heerka koowaad ee Luuqadda Dhegoolayaasha Mareykanka (American Sign Language – ASL), iyadoo noqotay jaamacaddii ugu horreysay ee ka tirsan isbahaysiga jaamacadaha Big Ten ee bixisa barnaamijka noocan ah.

Barnaamijkan shahaadada ah ayaa si rasmi ah u bilaabmay Sept. 15. Xilligiisii waxbarasho ee ugu horreeyay, saddex arday ayaa isu diiwaangeliyay takhasuska weyn ee ASL, halka 150 arday oo kalena ay u qaateen takhasus hoose (minor).

Si ay shahaadada u qaataan, ardayda waxaa laga doonayaa inay dhameeyaan ugu yaraan 30 buundo (credit hours). Casharrada ayaa xoogga saaraya barashada calaamadaha luuqadda iyo barashada taariikhda, fanka, iyo dhaqanka bulshada dhegoolayaasha. Maadooyinka la bixinayo waxaa ka mid ah “Life Experiences of Deaf Children” iyo “American Deaf Arts and Literature”, waxaana sidoo kale jira barnaamij waxbarasho dibadeed ah oo ka dhacaya magaalada Siena ee dalka Talyaaniga.

Kristin Wickham-Saxon, oo ah agaasimaha waxbarashada heerka koowaad ee barnaamijka ASL ee Ohio State University, ayaa sheegtay in aqoonta ardaydu baranayaan ay ku dabaqi karaan shaqo iyo xirfad kasta, iyadoo tilmaantay in xirfaddani ay tahay mid ay meel kasta la tegi karaan.

Wickham-Saxon ayaa sidoo kale caddeysay in fahamka dhaqanka uu qayb muhiim ah ka yahay barashada luuqadda, iyada oo xustay in qofku uusan si dhab ah u fahmi karin luuqad haddii uusan fahamsanayn dadka luuqaddaas isticmaala.

Sida ay sheegtay hay’adda Modern Language Association, luuqadda ASL ayaa noqotay luuqadda saddexaad ee loogu barashada badan yahay jaamacadaha Mareykanka tan iyo sannadkii 2013. Si kastaba ha ahaatee, barnaamijyada bixiya shahaadada koowaad ayaa weli aad u yar. Xogta Course Advisor ayaa muujinaysa in Ohio State ay ka mid tahay 11 jaamacadood oo keliya oo ka mid ah in ka badan 100 kulliyadood oo ku yaalla Ohio oo bixiya takhasuska ASL.

Xiisaha dugsiyada sare ayaa sidoo kale kaalin weyn ka qaatay aasaaska barnaamijkan. Wickham-Saxon waxay la xiriirtay Waaxda Waxbarashada ee Ohio (Ohio Department of Education), waxaana u soo baxday in 180 dugsi sare oo gobolka ku yaalla ay bixiyaan casharrada ASL, taas oo muujinaysa in gobolka ay ku nool yihiin arday badan oo mustaqbalka baran kara maaddadan.

Jaamacadda Ohio State ayaa markii ugu horreysay bilowday bixinta xiisadaha ASL sannadkii 2000, waxaana barnaamij rasmi ah la unkay sannadkii 2011. Sannad-dugsiyeedkii 2022-2023, jaamacaddu waxay bilowday kordhinta macallimiinta iyo diyaarinta dhismaha takhasuskan cusub, iyada oo Wickham-Saxon ay si dhow ula shaqeysay xubnaha bulshada dhegoolayaasha si ay gacan uga geystaan habeynta manhajka.

Bartamaha gobolka Ohio ayaa hoy u ah tirada ugu badan ee bulshada dhegoolayaasha ah ee gobolkaas, waxaana halkaas ku yaalla dugsiga Ohio School of the Deaf. Arrintan ayaa fursad u siinaysa ardayda inay si toos ah ula falgalaan hay’adaha maxalliga ah. Wickham-Saxon waxay sheegtay in xiriirkaasi uu ardayda siinayo waayo-aragnimo dhab ah oo ku saabsan nolosha qoysaska, iyadoo tixraacaysa xogta Ururka Qaranka ee Dhegoolayaasha (National Association of the Deaf) oo muujinaysa in qiyaastii 70% waalidiinta maqalka leh aysan carruurtooda dhegoolayaasha ah kula xiriirin luuqadda calaamadaha.

Xigasho: NBC4 Columbus