Phase 1: Passport to Interpreting

This phase will provide participants with the essential knowledge and insights into American Sign Language and Deaf Culture needed to succeed in the Compass Program. The course runs for 6 weeks. During that time, participants will check in with instructors through regular required online meetings and optional learning lab hours. The course serves as a prerequisite for all other Compass phases.

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Content

Cultural Aspects:

1. History of the ASL community
2. The who, where, when, & what of the Deaf community
3. Evolution of ASL
4. Social justice
5. Tension in ASL
   
6. Language in use
7. Language play

Linguistic Aspects:

1. Five parameters of ASL
2. ASL discourse structure
3. Depiction in ASL
4. Non-manual markers in ASL
5. Organization of information using space
6. Time markers & verb aspect
7. Fingerspelling & numbering
   

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Components 

Online Meetings

Meet as a whole class through videoconferencing technology. A great way to keep connected to the course!

Zoom link

Reading Assignments

Each topic will have specific articles to read & ASL instructional videos to watch.

Signing Assignments

ASL skills development activities will improve your ASL features and understanding of ASL features and rules.

Click the link below for an introduction to GoReact, the video instruction software used in the course.

Introduction to GoReact

​Participants in the Passport to interpreting course should plan to commit approximately 6 - 8 hours per week for the online components of the course.

Requirements to participate
In order to participate in Passport, you will need reliable Internet access, access to a computer with a webcam, and video recording capability and 6 - 8 hours per week in time commitment to the course.

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What's next?
  Participants who successfully complete Phase 1 will move on to Phase 2 of the program.