Interpreter / American Sign Language (ASL) Blue Ridge Community College

Blue Ridge Community College is one of only four Interpreter Education Programs in North Carolina. It is designed to prepare individuals to work as entry-level sign language interpreters who will provide communication access in interview and interactive settings. Additionally, this curriculum provides in-service training for currently working interpreters who want to enhance their skills. The Interpreter Education Program curriculum includes coursework that covers the acquisition of American Sign Language (ASL). It encompasses ASL grammar, structure, syntax, history, and its sociolinguistic properties. Students will also learn the cognitive processing skills needed for interpreting between ASL and English in consecutive and simultaneous settings. Along with learning ASL and how to interpret, students will gain a greater knowledge of the Deaf community through classes as well as real-life interactions with their local Deaf community.