The Certificate of Achievement in American Sign Language is designed to meet the needs of students pursuing other degrees or certificates, or those already employed in the community, who are interested in acquiring fluency in ASL for practical purposes. Now the third most studied modern language in the U.S., Oxnard College simultaneously recognizes this growing body of students and the high demand for bilingual workers spanning a broad range of industries in California and nationwide.  A certificate demonstrating proficiency in ASL can be a highly marketable skill to give job seekers a competitive advantage when applying to enter a variety of occupations, ranging from those requiring a high school diploma to a Bachelor’s degree.  The program equips students with the linguistic proficiency and cultural competency to interact with Deaf people at an intermediate proficiency level in their respective fields and throughout public spaces.  Field experiences embedded within the coursework contribute to a greater understanding of and appreciation for the Deaf community, which prepares students to function effectively as allies within the workplace and in society. 

The certificate is made up of a series of four consecutive courses in the language and one Deaf Studies course.  The program can be completed within two years.  It should be noted that a certificate alone is not adequate qualification to interpret professionally or to work within an ASL-related field.  For students interested in careers working within the Deaf community, an Associate in Arts degree in Deaf Studies should be pursued (see A.A. in Deaf Studies).

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to: 

• Sustain a conversation in ASL that demonstrates comprehension of typical information conveyed in personal and social contexts, as defined by the ACTFL Listening Guidelines for Intermediate High proficiency.
• Tell a story using ASL grammar, a broad range of vocabulary and elements of ASL story development that describes, in detail, the persons/objects involved and incidents that occurred.
• Recognize examples of audism and define how cultural bias presents itself in both the overt and systemic oppression of deaf and hard of hearing people.
• Describe important events in Deaf History and identify key figures and their contributions to Deaf culture.