American Sign Language is a hit with NJ high schools, and it’s not just because of ‘CODA’ – NorthJersey.com
Salute and you have mastered your first word — “hello”— in American Sign Language.
While the Academy Award-winning film “CODA” (an acronym for child of deaf adults) has put a fresh spotlight on signing, ASL has been gaining prominence in New Jersey since Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill in 2015 allowing high schools to credit it as a world language.
“The well-deserved recognition for ‘CODA’ was a great moment for the Deaf community,” said Elizabeth Hill, executive director for the Department of Human Services Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. “We hope that this recognition inspires others to learn some ASL and more about Deaf culture.”
The 2015 law gives that goal an extra boost in New Jersey, which requires high school students to take five credits of a world language to graduate.
The state Department of Education estimates there are at least 19 public high schools teaching American Sign Language in Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Morris counties. Ridgewood High School aims to add it to the curriculum in fall.
Those signing up for these classes are hearing students. Some are taking it out of an interest in the grammatically sophisticated language. Some students with special needs also gravitate toward ASL.
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“It started in 1996 for students with severe speech issues, but now it’s a very popular class for hearing students,” said Laurie Lasler, who teaches a two-level ASL course for juniors and seniors at Clifton High School. “It’s a good choice for students who are not good audio processors. For others, it’s just unique and visual.”
History of a language
American Sign Language got its start when Jonathan Lambert, a deaf resident of Kent, England, immigrated to Martha’s Vineyard in the early 1700s. He brought with him a form of signing and a gene for deafness, which he passed on to his deaf children.
Lambert’s deaf descendants eventually constituted up to 25% of some communities on the island. His signing method was part of a unique hearing/Deaf culture that survived there until the 1950s.
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However, it was not until Thomas Gallaudet brought deaf French signing student Laurent Clerc to Hartford, Connecticut, in the early 1800s that the American School for the Deaf was founded. They combined Martha’s Vineyard and French signing methods to create American Sign Language.
An estimated 500,000 Americans nationwide are culturally deaf (meaning sign language is their native language) and use America Sign Language, said Arlene Romoff, co-founder and past president of the Hearing Loss Association of America in New Jersey.
The value of teaching ASL to hearing students, Romoff said, is it can “allow some rudimentary communication with people who do use sign language,” but that it also creates “awareness of a community of people who use this visual language.”
Romoff noted that most deaf people do not use sign language, but use assistive listening systems, captioning, hearing aids and cochlear implants.”
Mountain Lakes school district includes the Lake Drive School founded in 1969 for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Because its students are integrated into mainstream classrooms as well as after-school sports and activities, all students take a semester of ASL in eighth grade and can continue on to three levels of ASL in high school.
“At the third level students are required to attend at least one deaf event, such as deaf bowling,” said Colleen Buckley, a Mountain Lakes ASL teacher. “This way they get involved outside of school, and can work on their sign language.”
Buckley says students start out learning the signing alphabet and quickly graduate to signing words and phrases.
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“There are five elements,” said Buckley. “Hand shape, palm orientation, movement, location and non-manual elements such as body language and facial expressions.”
Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale began offering ASL in 2019 and now offers three levels to a total of 87 students, said Director of Curriculum Robin Knutelsky. They have 117 students registered for four levels next fall.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth,” Knutelsky said. “Students are interested in that seal of biliteracy on their diplomas. Even if they are interested in colleges that will not accept signing as a world language, they get their credit in another language, then start ASL as a junior or senior.”
Highlands senior Nicole started taking ASL as a sophomore in addition to Spanish.
“I have always been interested in sign language,” she said. “It’s not just the language, it’s the whole Deaf culture. I’m going to Scared Heart [University] and they have a large signing club so I will be able to continue.”
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Ridgewood, the largest school district in Bergen County with 5,779 students, hopes to offer an ASL class starting next year. Humanities supervisor Mark Ferreri said 72 students have expressed interest, but he is still negotiating for staff.
“It’s difficult to find certified ASL teachers,” Ferreri said. “We’ve had a lot of staff turnover retirements due to COVID, and there aren’t many colleges that offer the courses. Certified teachers are looking for full-time positions, and prefer schools with multiple staff.”
Schools that have been able to establish ASL programs say they do more than teach a language.
“The popularity of our American Sign Language classes has created an understanding of deafness and a fluency with ASL that has promoted lasting friendships between hearing and deaf students,” says the Governor Livingston High School website in Berkeley Heights.
Marsha Stoltz is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: stoltz@northjersey.com
Twitter: @marsha_stoltz