Linguistics

American Sign Language/

English Interpreting

Thanks to start-up support from the Maine Dept. of Education, USM has a B.A.-level interpreter training program in ASL/English Interpreting as one track within the Linguistics major. Dr. Judy Kegl, a well-known and highly respected interpreter, educator and signed language researcher, directs this track.

The goal of the ASL/Interpreting Track is to provide students with the academic preparation needed for the certification exam offered by the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) or the National Association of the Deaf. For example, we expect that students will be able to pass the written portion of the RID exam upon graduation, and that they will be able to pass the RID performance exam after they have gained about two years of further field experience while working on a "Limited Interpreter" license from the State of Maine. The interpreting program and our offerings in ASL are described in the USM undergraduate catalog, which you can access by clicking the link provided above.

Our interpreting program is unique in offering a full curriculum that is equally geared to both hearing and Deaf interpreting students at all levels of study. The ASL/English Interpreting Program also provides a variety of in-service training opportunities for working educational interpreters throughout Maine. The program is making on-going efforts to provide training opportunities every year for working educational interpreters throughout the state.

For more information or to report problems with this page, please contact Wayne Cowart: cowart@usm.maine.edu.